As Kent State football redshirt senior quarterback Dru DeShields stood on the sidelines of Ford Field before the 2026 Mid-American Conference Football Kickoff event on Wednesday, he couldn’t help but daydream of a moment that is months away.
Returning in 136 days to bring the elusive MAC football title back to Kent for the first time since 1972.
“I see us standing where we are right now in the MAC Championship,” DeShields said. “We just have to take it one day at a time and learn from our mistakes last year.”
For now, DeShields will have to keep dreaming, as before any football can be played, Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher rang in at the start of the season by discussing the current state of the conference at the event.
Steinbrecher began by discussing multiple ever-important aspects of the current world of college football by supporting the Protect College Sports Act.
“This represents the most significant congressional effort today to establish a national framework for athletics,” Steinbrecher said. “One that addresses NIL, student-athlete rights, governance and legal consistency.”
One of the key aspects of this bill is to tighten transfer portal rules.
No different from every other college athletic program, the Flashes lost key players like redshirt sophomore wide receiver Cade Wolford and senior running back Gavin Garcia, but reinforcements have arrived.
“We had a lot of depth at receiver last year so we have a lot of guys back,” DeShields said. “Overall, I do feel like we have welcomed the transfer guys and are meshing well.”
The commissioner proceeded to discuss the uncertainty of the College Football Playoff format before stating his belief that championships have never defined the MAC but instead values.
“Our conference has also been shaped by extraordinary coaches, whose influence extends far beyond wins and losses,” Steinbrecher said. “They understood that their greatest responsibility was to shape exceptional people.”
With the Flashes in the realm of uncertainty that is college football in the ‘20s, it is as important as ever to have an extraordinary coach. Thankfully, KSU found just that in head coach Mark Carney, who was the steady leader the Flashes desperately needed to turn the program around.
In his first season as head coach, Carney led KSU to five wins, including securing the Wagon Wheel in a 42-35 overtime win against the rival Akron Zips.
“You gotta have that chip on your shoulder and represent Kent State against the school down the road,” redshirt senior defensive lineman Thomas Aden said. “That wheel definitely still hangs in our locker room, and I feel it will stay in that spot this season.”
The Wagon Wheel’s return to Portage County would not have been possible without the play of DeShields, who threw for 317 yards and five touchdowns in an instant classic matchup. Throughout the season, DeShields blossomed into the leader of the offense after he jumped into the starting quarterback role following CJ Montes being benched in week three.
Resilience has defined DeShields’ career as he overcame three ACL tears while on his journey towards becoming the Flashes’ starting quarterback. With a full offseason under his belt as the KSUs’ starting signal-caller, DeShields is now ready to leave the past behind and become the next Flashes legend.
“I feel like everybody trusts and believes in me,” DeShields said. “Everybody’s also looking at me to take that step, and I feel like I have.”
Arguably the most overlooked aspect of a football team also received a jolt of excitement this offseason, with the addition of Josh Cribbs in the special teams analyst role.
“Adding coach Cribbs was unbelievable,” Carney said. “His passion for Kent State and willingness to give back and share his knowledge after being the face of an NFL franchise is unmatched.”
Wide receivers Da’Realyst Clark and Wayne Harris have the unique opportunity to expand their games from the teachings of all-time football legends in Cribbs.
“If Da’Realyst and Wayne aren’t listening to him, we are going to have bigger problems,” Carney said. “He’s very much finding his coaching voice right now and doing a great job leading throughout the summer.”
At this time last year, uncertainty surrounded every aspect of the Flashes as they had just come off a brutal two-year stretch, winning just one game and the firing of head coach Kenni Burns.
Just under a year later, as the MAC representatives gathered once more to share breakfast and a love for football under the dome of Ford Field, KSU has successfully rewritten the narrative surrounding the team.
“We earned the right for people to talk about us negatively for so long, so it was cool to change that,” Carney said. “Now it’s how do you deal with those larger expectations.”
Gone is the satisfaction of the Flashes taking their first steps out of college football’s basement as the team is now ready to fully step into long-awaited championship aspirations.
“I know what our team can do,” Aden said. “ Our potential is through the roof, so I’m excited to go out there and do what we do as a team.”
Josh Szeremet is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
