There will be a new look MAC this season with Sacramento State making its entrance into the league and Northern Illinois heading to the Mountain West.
The addition of Sac State will bring some new faces to the conference, as will the transfer portal. Here are some transfers entering the MAC who should be valuable members for their squads, including a number of linebackers:
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DE Kurtis Waye, Akron
Waye is a Division II product where he spent the past three seasons with Clark Atlanta University. He played in 31 games during that span and had his best campaign last year where he finished with 55 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. He also logged a pair of pass breakups.
LB Gavin Forsha, Ball State
This is the fourth school in Forsha’s six years, but he hasn’t seen the field much over the previous two. He suffered a torn ACL in 2024 at South Alabama and only played in one game last year at Tennessee State. He also spent time at Kansas State but had his breakout campaign at Tyler Junior College in Texas where he registered 13.5 TFLs and 11.5 sacks in one year. He’s reportedly having a strong spring for the Cardinals.
LB Sanders Ellis, Bowling Green
Prior to his one-year stint at Purdue in 2025, Ellis was with Tennessee State and BGSU head coach Eddie George where he was named the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He logged 86 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and two pass breakups. Don’t be surprised if the junior is one of the top tacklers in the MAC.
LB Donovan Brown, Central Michigan
The Chippewas lost a ton of production from their linebacking corps and went to the portal to replace most of it. Brown is one of those guys who is vying for a starting role and could be one of their top defenders despite being a sophomore JUCO transfer. He posted 52 tackles, seven TFLs, and 1.5 sacks last year at Chaffey JC in California.
QB Pop Watson III, UMass
It didn’t take long, but it sounds like Watson has already become a UMass fan favorite and he has the potential to be electric this season, which will likely solidify him as a fan favorite. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound junior comes from Virginia Tech where he played in 11 games over three years, passing for 558 passing yards and one touchdown. He added two more scores and 81 yards on the ground.
LB Blayne Myrick, Miami (Ohio)
Myrick earned All-Sun Belt second-team honors the past two seasons with South Alabama. Last year, he tallied 84 total tackles, six TFLs, and three PBUs, and in 2024 registered 101 total tackles. The redshirt junior should fit in nicely with Miami’s defense, which has produced some terrific linebackers over the years.
WR Preston Bowman, Ohio
After redshirting last year at Kentucky as a freshman, Bowman returns to his home state and should immediately provide a spark for the Bobcats. In his senior season at Pickerington High School North in Ohio, he had 59 receptions for 1,248 yards and 13 touchdowns.
DB Dante Antonini, Sac State
Antonini spent the last two seasons at Santa Rosa JC in California. Last year, he posted 68 total tackles, four PBUs, two TFLs, one sack, and one interception. He is listed as a linebacker on Sac State’s roster, and at 6-2, 215 pounds, he has the size to fit that bill. It’ll be interesting to see how he’s used in this defense. Nevertheless, he should be productive.
EDGE Andrew Zock, Toledo
Zock earned the Buck Buchanan Award last year, which is given to the best defensive player in the FCS. He was a force for Mercer and finished the season with 46 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and 23 QB hurries. The junior was also a Freshman All-American in 2024. He had a ton of suitors but should now be one of the top pass rushers in the MAC.
DL Scoop Gardner Jr., Western Michigan
The 6-1, 265-pound junior was a first-team All-Northeast Conference selection last year with Long Island after finishing with 52 tackles, 14.5 TFLs, and a league-leading seven sacks. The Broncos have had some high-quality defensive linemen recently, and Gardner could be next.
