Image via Eastern Michigan Athletics
Five games into the 2026 season, Eastern Michigan will finally play its final non-conference game of the year.
Lindenwood, an FCS team from the Ohio Valley Conference, will finally make the trek up from St. Charles, Mo. to Ypsilanti Saturday.
EMU is staring up at a 1-3 start to the year with a league win over Sacramento State at home, one loss to the Mountain West, and two road losses against Big Ten teams. The record isn’t great, but neither is the health status for much of this team’s offense. Last game, three offensive starters were sidelined to injury, including the team’s top receiver Nick Devereaux.
Below is the updated, published depth chart in EMU’s Monday game week notes, along with some of my own bullet points, and quotes from the week-opening press conference.
Previous team depth charts: Preseason | Game 1 vs. Sac State | Game 2 vs. San José State | Game 3 at Michigan State | Game 4 at Wisconsin |
OFFENSE
Bold = listed starter(s)
Italics = First-year freshman or transfer.
Notes:
Exits last week (injury): OL Samuel Adjin, RB Amareon Blue, WR Nick Devereaux.
Out last week (injury): OL Cole Dellinger, WR Kozy Isaac, WR Harold Mack, OL Nily Taylor, OL Richardo Wourman.
Said Chris Creighton, on availabilities of Devereaux, and Mack: “It’ll be longer than a week [for Devereaux], but he’ll be back before it’s over. At that point, after that, I don’t know… [Mack will] be practicing tomorrow, so we’ll have him.”
Quarterback
#1 Noah Kim (16 career starts with EMU/4 this year)
#12 Jace Stuckey (0/0)
#10 Brogan McCaughey (0/0)
Running back
#15 Amareon Blue (4/4)
#24 Joey Mattord (2/1)
#28 Braydon Bennett (0/0)
X Receiver
#86 Dalin Wilkins (1/1)
#84 J.T. Beasley (0/0)
#2 Nick Devereaux (14/4)
Z Receiver
#5 Harold Mack (7/3)
#11 Antonio Floyd (0/0)
H Receiver
#3 Benson Prosper (5/3)
#89 Carl Jean-Bart (0/0)
Y Tight End
#9 Joshua Long (13/3)
#88 Tanner Lemaster (1/1)
#14 Armaad Sharp (0/0)
Left Tackle
#71 Tyler Brumfield (4/4)
#77 Cole Powell (0/0)
#70 Samuel Adjin (2/2)
Left Guard
#55 Guzzy Kayed (4/4)
#78 Dennis Strey Jr. (2/2)
Center
#65 Nicholas Gallegos (13/4)
#52 Richardo Wourman (0/0)
#56 Chad Troxler (0/0)
Right Guard
#78 Dennis Strey Jr. (2/2)
#76 Nily Taylor (0/0)
#72 Cole Dellinger (2/2)
Right Tackle
#68 Tyler McMillan (2/2)
#77 Cole Powell (0/0)
#70 Samuel Adjin (2/2)
DEFENSE
Notes:
Out last week (injury): CB Caleb Coley, LB Barry Manning (season) DB Jaivian Norman, DL Noah Patterson.
LB playing time: After Manning’s injury, Bryce Eliuk was the new starting linebacker against Michigan State, then Elgin McDuffey started last week at Wisconsin. Per EMU’s game notes, Eliuk played 46 snaps at MSU and 8 at Wisconsin. Meanwhile, McDuffey’s playing time went up from 42 to 51 snaps in those games.
Said Creighton on impressions of starting CBs: (Alluding to RB Braydon Bennett’s physical run style) “That's different than a running back where you put your foot in the ground and run people over, but it's the same kind of intensity, both physically, and his passion. I mean, he's a fierce competitor. Cade Dobbs has been playing at a real high level. Hope to get you know Caleb Coley back as well. Donmiel, you know, has been playing both you know inside and can play outside. So we've got, we think, a really good group of corners, and they're off to a good start and will continue to get better.
Defensive End
#33 Carter Evans (17/4)
#90 Hector Gonzalez (2/0)
Defensive Tackle
#5 Makhi Gilbert (8/4)
#55 Javon Thomas (0/0)
Nose Tackle
#58 Peyton Christian (4/4)
#99 Warren-Stevens Tayou (0/0)
Maxx End
#54 Quincy Byas (7/4)
#88 Ronn Hardin (1/0)
#43 Marvell Eggleston (0/0)
Mike Linebacker
#51 Elgin McDuffey (1/1)
#42 Jonah Flowers (0/0)
Will Linebacker
#11 Zach Mowchan (13/4)
#40 Bryce Eliuk (3/1)
Bandit Safety
#13 Jason Marshall (8/4)
#9 Davion Williams (0/0)
Star Safety
#6 Bryce Llewellyn (17/4)
#8 Jaivian Norman (10/0)
Free Safety
#4 Juan Salas Jr. (9/3)
#10 Tylan Boykin (0/0)
Cornerback
#25 Rayquan Adkins (4/4)
#16 Caleb Coley (4/0)
Cornerback
#17 Caleb Dobbs (7/4)
#7 Jordan Toney (3/0)
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punter
#39 Daniel Hull
#38 Van Krisiloff
Kicker
#46 Rudy Kessinger
#33 Adam Samaha
Long Snapper
#42 Jack Kautz
#43 Reeves Taylor
Kickoffs
#37 Nathan Dibert
#33 Adam Samaha
Kick Return
#2 Nick Devereaux
#3 Benson Prosper
Punt Return
#4 Quinn Fracassi
#5 Harold Mack
Holder
#39 Daniel Hull
#38 Van Krisiloff