MAC Football: 5 Breakout Players To Watch in 2025

Another season of MAC football is right around the corner, as mid-week “MACtion” has been one of the highlights of not just Group of Five football, but college football as a whole. The league is coming off a tremendous 2024 season, where seven teams earned bowl bids and Ohio led the way with an 11-win campaign.

The 2025 league slate opens on Saturday, September 13.

As has been the case throughout college football, there has been plenty of player movement, meaning there’s plenty of room for emerging talents to grow.

This feature takes a look at five players (whether newcomers or returners) who could be on the verge of a breakout campaign in 2025.

The MAC saw the addition of several big-name quarterbacks and offensive talents looking to jumpstart their careers, who should have success in the league.

Here’s our list of names to keep an eye on.  

1.       DeQuan Finn: Quarterback – Miami (OH)

Finn's return to the MAC is one of the league's most intriguing storylines in 2025. Finn spent five seasons with Toledo previously, earning MAC Player of the Year in 2023. He transferred to Baylor in 2024 and only saw the field in three games.

Finn takes over under center for a RedHawks team looking to secure their third straight trip to the league title game and their second championship in three years.

Miami won their last MAC title in 2023 with a 23-17 win over Finn's Toledo Rockets.

2.       Ta’Quan Roberson: Quarterback – Buffalo

The New Jersey native is back in the northeast, now on his fourth college team. He began his career as a backup at Penn State for three seasons, but saw limited game action. He then spent two seasons at UConn, earning the starting job in 2023.

Like Finn, Roberson spent last season in the Big 12 at Kansas State, but threw just seven passes in six total appearances. The seventh-year senior looks to further elevate a Buffalo team that won nine games in 2024.

3.       Deion Colzie: Wide Receiver – Miami (OH)

A former four-star recruit and top-ten receiver prospect, Colzie gets a last chance at reaching his potential in Oxford.

Colzie spent the last four years of his college career in South Bend, playing a role in Notre Dame's 14-2 season that ended with a loss to Ohio State in the national championship game. He finishes his time with the Fighting Irish with 21 career catches for 345 yards and 3 touchdowns, appearing in 44 total games.

4.       Drew Pyne: Quarterback – Bowling Green

Pyne joins his fourth college team and has a leading role to play in Eddie George's first team at Bowling Green.

He has a 9-3 record as a starting quarterback between previous stops at Notre Dame, Arizona State, and Missouri. His best previous season was in 2022 with the Fighting Irish where he completed 164 passes for 2,021 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions.

5.       Noah Kim: Quarterback – Eastern Michigan

Kim began his career at Michigan State, spending four years with the Spartans and even earning the starting job in 2023. However, he ended up missing most of that season due to injury. Kim spent last season as a backup at Coastal Carolina, delivering a notable performance in a loss to Louisiana with 16 completions on 25 attempts for 182 yards and two touchdowns.

Kim is another example of a super senior QB who can end his career on a high note in the Mid-American.

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