Akron Zips College Football Preview 2026

Grading on a curve here, Joe Moorhead’s Akron program came closer to being good than it’s been in years.

The Zips have improved in each of the last three seasons under Moorhead, but they haven’t enjoyed a winning season since 2015. That’s been it for the positive campaigns since 2005.

Going 5-7 matters after winning just 15 total games in the previous seven years. So now there’s something that Akron isn’t used to - expectations.

This year’s team should be Moorhead’s best yet, but it’ll still be a battle every week.

IMAGE

Akron Quick Hits

• Head Coach: Joe Moorhead (7th FBS year overall, 27-47; 5th at Akron, 13-35)
• Best Case / Worst Case: Winning season/Losing season ensured before November
• Key Player: Jordan Gant, RB, Sr.
• 2025 Record: 5-7
• Biggest Question: Can the offensive line come together right away?

- 2026 Akron Schedule Analysis, Breakdown

Akron Key 2025 Stats

• 132nd in the nation in third down conversions (31%)
• 135th (second-to-last) in the nation in completion percentage (51.7%)
• Sacks: Opponents 35 for 221 yards - Akron 26 for 167 yards

Offense

It wasn’t great, but it was better.

The offenses as a whole weren’t all that great in the MAC, so nationally, the Zips didn’t statistically rock, but they were fifth overall in the conference after finishing tenth in each of the previous two seasons.

It took a few years, but there are a few nice pieces in place.

What’s Working

It was a major coup to hang on to the running backs. Jordan Gant ran for 1,032 yards and six scores, Sean Patrick ran for 274 yards, and now they’re both back to bring a decent 1-2 punch.

Reese Poffenbarger has seen his share of college campuses. The veteran quarterback has seen time at several different stops, most notably as a backup at Miami two years ago and North Texas last year. He’s not huge, but he’s a good passer and can move.

The Zips have a solid tandem of receivers to work with. Former Marshall transfer Marcel Williams led the team with 45 catches last year, and Cameron Monteiro is a former Pitt Panther who got his feet wet in the Akron system last year.

Conner Cravaack is a good pass catching tight end who’ll get the ball even more.

What Needs Work

The offensive line will take the entire offseason to put together. Allen Jones is back for one tackle job, but the transfer portal picked off several key parts, including guards Kenneth McManus (Auburn) and Keylen Davis (Pitt), and center Delvin Morris (Kansas State).

Yeah, the receivers are good, but the star is gone. Israel Polk caught 33 passes, but he averaged 16 yards per grab and made a team-high eight scores. He’s off to Oklahoma State.

The Zips have to get better on third downs. The offense was among the worst in America at keeping the chains moving, converting just under 31% of the time. It was 3-0 when it converted 40% or more of its tries.

Player to Watch

Jordan Gant, RB Sr.
He came in from Tennessee State last season and took over the offense. When he was rolling, the team won - Akron went 3-0 when he hit the 100-yard mark. He’s the workhorse everything will revolve around.

Defense

The defense hasn’t been a killer over the years, but it’s been okay compared to the offensive side.

The pass rush should be okay, and the secondary has the potential to be a plus. When these parts are playing well - and they weren’t bad against the mediocre teams - the Zips won.

What’s Working

The pass rush will keep cranking up the pressure. The interior pass rush has to find new producers, but edge rusher Cyrus Durham is an emerging junior with the upside to be someone offenses have to worry about with a decent rotation on the other side.

The Zips were good against the bad passing teams. Teams always tried to run on Akron, but there was a problem when their passing attacks didn’t fly. Akron went 4-0 last year when offenses failed to get to 150 yards through the air.

There are enough good parts at safety to work around. This won’t be a dominant pass defense, and there will be some piecing together of parts, but this should be a positive as the season goes on.

What Needs Work

The linebacking corps needs an overhaul. Shammond Cooper led the team with 66 tackles, and Gage Summers chipped in 54. The Zips normally use just two at the position, but they’ll need to come up with a few killers.

Almost everyone who picked off a pass last year is gone. The defense came up with 11 interceptions, and all the main defensive backs - starting with corner Malcom DeWalt IV and Elijah Reed - are gone. The Zips will be young at corner.

The tackles won’t be bad, but the star is gone. Julien Laventure is a 6-1, 270-pound interior pass rusher, and Texas Tech snatched him up.

There’s decent enough size inside to hold up, but finding someone who can come up with four sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss will be tough.

Player to Watch

Cyrus Durham, EDGE Jr.
The former Arizona transfer is a 6-3, 245-pound pass rushing threat who’ll be turned loose. He broke through with three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, and he might end up doubling that sack total.

Keys to the Season

Akron needs to do what it did last year, only a bit better.

Keep doing a good job of taking the ball away, hold up on third downs, and get the offense to continue pushing shots down the field. There’s plenty to build on.

Player Who Needs To Shine

Allen Jones Jr., OT Sr.
He has good 6-4, 290-pound size, the potential to play either left or right tackle, and while it’s a stretch to suggest that he’s all the Zips have, he’s one of the only parts of the front five puzzle back and ready to go.

Biggest Concern

Completing passes.
The Zip offense wasn’t bad at cranking up big deep passes, but last year’s veteran starter Ben Finley only connected on 51% of his throws.

Brayden Raggow got in a little work, but it’ll be a wee bit of a shock if Reese Poffenbarger doesn’t get the call in the opener at Wake Forest. He might not be experienced, but he’s 11-of-14 in his minimal work in two years.

Biggest Game

Eastern Michigan, October 10
As the lone home game in a run of three road games in four weeks, it’s a must-win for the Zips if they have any realistic hope of getting to a bowl game.

Transfer Portal

Akron was on the wrong side of the transfer portal - it’s never fun being a developmental program for Power Four teams - but it was able to pick and choose a few nice players to help the cause.

Best Signing

Dawayne Galloway Jr., CB (West Virginia)
He doesn’t have any experience, but he’s a lanky corner with the speed to step in right away at either corner spot.

Biggest Loss

Kenneth McManus IV, OG (Auburn)
Speedy wide receiver Israel Polk to Oklahoma State was the biggest talent loss, but the Zips couldn’t afford to lose decent offensive linemen.

McManus going to Auburn, tackle Maasai King leaving for Iowa State, and center Delvin Morris taking off to Kansas State all sting.

Other Names to Know

• Shamar McNeil, CB (Missouri)
• Titus Myers, WR (Old Dominion)
• Khory Moss, CB (Maryland)

CFN Season Prediction

Akron will continue to be competitive in the MAC, and there will be a few games when it plays three steps ahead of its talent, but it’ll be a struggle to push through and pull off a winning season.

CFN Prediction: 3-9

The problem is the MAC slate. This might be Moorhead’s best team at Akron, but the schedule won’t help. Ball State, Bowling Green, and Sacramento State are all around Akron’s size, and none of them are on the schedule.

Going to Kent State doesn’t help, and having to deal with Ohio and Western Michigan will be tough.

Again, the team will show up and give the maximum effort every week, but the results won’t be there in the standings.