Central Michigan Chippewas 2026 College Football Preview
Posted June 15, 2026
2025 Recap
Record – 7-6
ATS – 8-5
Yes, guy.
FIRE UP CHIPS booked their first winning season since 2021 under first‑year HC Matt Drinkall, and they basically played solid ball from wire to wire — minus that face‑plant at Akron. You could argue the season was a bit FUGAZI, given they didn’t beat a single team with a winning record, but hey… wins are wins where we come from. Job well done.
Central Michigan Chippewas 2026 Outlook
OFFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (MAC):
- Scoring: 22.5 PPG (#7 MAC)
- Total Offense: 330.5 YPG (#8 MAC)
- Rushing: 163.4 YPG (#5 MAC)
- Passing: 167.1 YPG (#8 MAC)
- Sacks Allowed: 24 (#6 MAC)
The most exciting development on offense is the return of dual‑threat QB Angel Flores, who brings a dangerous dimension with his legs (527 rushing yards, 8 TD). CMU wants to dominate on the ground in 2026, and the QB run game will be a YUUUGE part of the operation. They’ve even got multiple QBs who can hurt you in that regard, which has the potential to make opposing DCs dizzy.
The RB room looks solid. Brock Townsend was quietly effective in a limited role last year (418 yards, 5.1 YPC, 4 TD), Jayden Clerveaux arrives from Holy Cross as an intriguing committee piece, and Vaughn Blue comes over from Liberty with some prognosticators projecting him as the week one starter. Bottom line: there’s real depth here.
At WR, Langston Lewis led the team in receptions and receiving yards LY and should be one of the better wideouts in the MAC this season. Depth behind him is the big question heading into fall camp, but let’s be honest — this offense is going to lean heavily on the ground attack.
Up front, the offensive line is a massive strength. Seven players who started a game last season return, and HC Matt Drinkall has a proven track record of building nasty, cohesive OL units from his Army days.
DEFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (MAC):
- Scoring Defense: 23.5 PPG (#5 MAC)
- Total Defense: 355.1 YPG (#5 MAC)
- Rush Defense: 145.7 YPG (#6 MAC)
- Pass Defense: 209.4 YPG (#9 MAC)
- Sacks: 28 (#5 MAC)
Solid defensive numbers across the board last season — top five in the MAC in scoring defense, total defense, and sacks. The massive challenge heading into 2026 is the near‑total rebuild. Per our good friends at ESPN, only 2 of 15 players who logged 250+ snaps last season are returning, and they’ll be without their top six tacklers from a year ago. That’s a mountain of production and experience to replace.
The two returning building blocks are DE Korver Demma (8.5 TFL) and nickel Jaion Jackson (7 PBU), who’ll provide some much‑needed continuity. HC Matt Drinkall attacked the portal aggressively, bringing in roughly a dozen defensive transfers to restock the cupboard. The names generating the most buzz include CB Donavan Philord (Campbell), a sophomore with real upside, and NAIA transfer DE Hunter Zirkle (Cumberlands), who posted 10 sacks last season with the Patriots.
On the developmental front, sophomores DE JJ Douglas, DT Quavion Bird (6‑1, 310), and LB Victor Earl are young pieces to watch. If even a couple of them pop, the ceiling of this defense rises considerably.
SPECIAL TEAMS
This could be a problem area. It’s a total rebuild, and whilst they were poor on special teams overall last season and could use some change, it still stings to lose PK Cade Graham (14/17 FG). That’s one of the few things they actually did well — and now it’s gone.
Schedule Analysis
Overall — WHOA, NELLIE. It’s not unthinkable that they start 3–0 in non‑conference action, but of course they have no chance in week four against YOUR Miami Hurricanes. We really like the MAC docket — they miss Toledo and get both Western Michigan and Miami Ohio at home. And if they need to get hot in November — checks notes — they’ve got a soft landing strip to help make it happen.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot — at Sacramento St (Nov 11)
We don’t expect much from the Hornets, but keep an eye on this potential scheduling LANDMINE if the Chippewas are already out of the MAC hunt. They’ll be coming off the neutral site rivalry slugfest with Eastern Michigan and will have played four tough opponents in a row.
Season Win Total
Market consensus – June 15
Over 6.5 +110
Under 6.5 -140
MEGALOCKS says:
Lean: Under
This is a tough call, but ultimately we think the under is the better idea. If they lose the opener at New Mexico — which is the likely outcome — they’ll need to win five MAC contests to fly over the number. That’s not impossible, but it’s a thin needle to thread.
Note – Our official list of season win total investments will be posted in the blog section of the website.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
Only ONE player from the MAC has EVER been selected with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft — former Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher who was taken by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013. Fisher went on to start for the Chiefs for eight seasons and win a Super Bowl ring.
Central Michigan’s home field — Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium — was the first stadium in Michigan to install artificial turf when it opened in 1972. It remains the largest on-campus stadium in the MAC, with a capacity of just over 30,000.
CHIPPEWA CHEESE-CURD CHAOS: Mount Pleasant hosts the annual Mt. Pleasant Craft Beer Festival, where CMU students treat the event like a yearly endurance challenge of questionable decisions and elite caloric intake. Be all you can be, yo.
MEGALOCKS Forecast:
Year one of the Matt Drinkall era has to be considered a success — seven wins in the bank, even if they came against a bit of a rogues’ gallery.
We like the shift toward a more ground-based attack, especially when the comical MAC weather rears its head in the second half of the year. But will they be too one-dimensional? And is the defense actually any good after the roster detonation? Those are the two big questions heading into 2026.
We’ll call for six wins and view this as a high-floor, low-ceiling squad — steady, competitive, and unlikely to fully implode or fully explode.
FIRE UP CHIPS!