Image via Eastern Michigan Athletics
We are only a handful of days away from toe meeting leather.
From California meeting Michigan.
From screaming fans meeting their favorite team’s new starting lineups.
Eastern Michigan hosts Sacramento State as one of the few Week Zero games at the FBS level. Not only is it a surprise game on the schedule, but it’s an expensive surprise. Sac State is paying tens of millions of dollars to join the Mid-American Conference, just so it can say that its football team participates in the top half of Division 1 football.
Sac State desperately wanted to live the FBS football life, and so the football gods made a decision. No Pac-12 invite, and nothing from the Mountain West either. Sac State will instead have its first FBS-level snaps played, not just in the MAC, but on the gray turf of EMU.
Since it’s the start of a new week of a new football season, here is the beginning of a season-long, weekly read of the team’s depth chart.
Previous team depth charts: Preseason
OFFENSE
Bold = listed starter(s)
Italics = First-year freshman or transfer.
Notes:
WR: After being listed as a potential backup receiver in the preseason, JT Beasley (Northeast Mississippi C.C. transfer) is unlisted.
Four more players listed on preseason depth chart but not this one: OL Elijha Payne (Delaware State), OL Joshua Anderson (16 career starts), OL Carter Miculka (freshman), and OL Adham Abouraya (second-year transfer). Hm.
QB2: Jace Stuckey and Brogan McCaughey battling for backup spot behind Noah Kim.
True freshmen: WR Carl Jean-Bart, OL Samuel Adjin, OL Nily Taylor, and TE Armaad Sharp listed as backups on the season-opening depth chart.
Quarterback
#1 Noah Kim (12 career starts with EMU/0 this year) — Second-year transfer from Coastal Carolina. Also played at Michigan State (2020-2023).
#12 Jace Stuckey (0/0) — Third-year signee.
#10 Brogan McCaughey (Yale/0) — Incoming transfer.
Running back
#15 Amareon Blue (0/0) — Second-year signee.
#24 Joey Mattord (1/0) — Fourth-year signee, 1 start last year.
#28 Braydon Bennett (Virginia Tech/0) — Incoming transfer. Also played at Coastal Carolina. Two-time All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention (2021, 2024).
X Receiver
#2 Nick Devereaux (10/0) — Fifth-year transfer from Davenport (D2, 2021). Last year: Third Team All-MAC.
#86 Dalin Wilkins (0/0) — Third-year signee.
Z Receiver
#5 Harold Mack (4/0) — Second-year signee. Last year: 4 starts.
#85 Kozy Isaac (0/0) — Second-year signee.
#11 Antonio Floyd (0/0) — Third-year signee. Last year: 3 games.
H Receiver
#3 Benson Prosper (2/0) — Second-year Hutchinson C.C. transfer. Also played at Highland C.C. (2023). Last year: 2 starts.
#89 Carl Jean-Bart (Fr./0) — Freshman.
Y Tight End
#9 Joshua Long (10/0) — Second-year transfer from El Camino College (2024). Last year: Second Team All-MAC.
#88 Tanner Lemaster (0/0) — Second-year transfer from Kentucky (2023-24). Last year: 10 games.
#14 Armaad Sharp (Fr./0) — Freshman.
Left Tackle
#71 Tyler Brumfield (Oklahoma State/0) — Also spent 2022-24 seasons at Snow J.C. Missed 2025 to injury.
#70 Samuel Adjin (Fr./0) — Freshman.
#77 Cole Powell (0/0) — Second-year signee.
Left Guard
#55 Guzzy Kayed (St. Francis, FCS/0) — 18 games, 9 starts at St. Francis. Also spent the 2023 season at Emory & Henry (D2).
#78 Dennis Strey Jr. (0/0) — Fifth-year signee. Career 17 games played.
Center
#65 Nicholas Gallegos (9/0) — Fifth-year signee, 9 starts last year.
#52 Richardo Wourman (Wayne State, D2/0) — Incoming transfer.
#56 Chad Troxler (Bakersfield C.C./0) — Incoming transfer.
Right Guard
#72 Cole Dellinger (Michigan State/0) — Spent three seasons at MSU.
#78 Dennis Strey Jr. (0/0) — Fifth-year signee. Career 17 games played.
#76 Nily Taylor (Fr./0) — Freshman.
Right Tackle
#68 Tyler McMillan (Illinois/0) — Also played at Southeast Missouri State (FCS, 2024), Northwestern State (FCS, 2023), and Mississippi Valley State (FCS, 2021-22)
#70 Samuel Adjin (Fr./0) — Freshman.
#77 Cole Powell (0/0) — Second-year signee.
DEFENSE
Notes:
Unlisted here, but listed on preseason depth chart: DT Noah Patterson.
DL Makhi Gilbert was not healthy enough to be listed on the preseason depth chart, but is set to start the first game of the year.
Defensive End
#33 Carter Evans (13/0) — Sixth-year signee. Career: 13 starts.
#90 Hector Gonzalez (2/0) — Third-year signee. Last year: 2 starts.
Defensive Tackle
#5 Makhi Gilbert (4/0) — Second-year transfer from Samford. Last year: 4 starts.
#52 Javon Thomas (0/0) — Third-year signee. Last year: 9 games.
Nose Tackle
#58 Peyton Christian (Lamar, FCS/0) — Incoming transfer with 15 career starts made (2023-25).
#99 Warren-Stevens Tayou (0/0) — Second-year transfer from West Georgia (FCS, 2025) and Northern Arizona (FCS, 2023-24).
Maxx End
#54 Quincy Byas (3/0) — Second-year signee. Last year: 3 starts.
#88 Ronn Hardin (1/0) — Second-year transfer from Mt. San Antonio (JUCO, 2023-24). Last year: 1 start.
#43 Marvell Eggleston (0/0) — Third-year signee. Last year: 11 games.
Mike Linebacker
#3 Barry Manning (14/0) — Fifth-year signee. Career: 14 starts.
#51 Elgin McDuffey (East Central C.C./0) — Incoming transfer (2024-25).
Will Linebacker
#11 Zach Mowchan (9/0) — Sixth-year signee. Career: 9 starts.
#40 Bryce Eliuk (2/0) — Fourth-year signee. Last year: 2 starts.
Bandit Safety
#6 Bryce Llewellyn (13/0) — Third-year transfer from Charleston Southern (FCS, 2022-23), 14 starts with EMU. Last year: Second Team All-MAC.
#20 Ray Hester (0/0) — Third-year signee. Last year: 12 games.
Star Safety
#8 Jaivian Norman (10/0) — Fourth-year signee. Career 22 games, 9 starts.
#29 Donmiel Rogers (3/0) — Third-year signee. Last year: 8 games, 3 starts.
Free Safety
#13 Jason Marshall (4/0) — Fifth-year signee. Career: 24 games, 4 starts.
#4 Juan Salas Jr. (6/0) — Second-year transfer from Mt. San Antonio College (JUCO, 2024) and Southwest Baptist (D2, 2023)
Cornerback
#16 Caleb Coley (0/0) — Second-year transfer from Michigan State. Last year: 8 games, 4 starts.
#25 Rayquan Adkins (Iowa Western/0) — Incoming transfer (JUCO, 2024-25) who also spent freshman year at Cincinnati (2023).
Cornerback
#17 Caleb Dobbs (0/0) — Fourth-year signee. Last year: 11 games, 3 starts.
#7 Jordan Toney (0/0) — Third-year signee. 10 games, 3 starts in 2024.
Listen more: Y11 Audio!
Y11 AUDIO
Week Negative One
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punter
#39 Daniel Hull — Third-year transfer from Missouri (2023).
#38 Van Krisiloff — Freshman.
Kicker
#46 Rudy Kessinger — Third-year signee.
#33 Adam Samaha (Akron) — Incoming transfer. Also kicked at Michigan (2023-24) and North Carolina (2025 spring).
Long Snapper
#42 Jack Kautz — Second-year transfer from Missouri (2022-24).
#43 Reeves Taylor (Independence C.C.) — Incoming transfer.
Kickoffs
#37 Nathan Dibert — Second-year transfer from LSU (2022-24).
#33 Adam Samaha (Akron) — Incoming transfer. Also kicked at Michigan (2023-24) and North Carolina (2025 spring).
Kick Return
#2 Nick Devereaux — Fifth-year transfer from Davenport (D2, 2021). Last year: Third Team All-MAC.
#3 Benson Prosper — Second-year Hutchinson C.C. transfer. Also played at Highland C.C. (2023). Last year: 2 starts.
Punt Return
#25 Quinn Fracassi (Valparaiso) — Incoming transfer. Returns to EMU (2022-24).
#5 Harold Mack — Second-year signee.
Holder
#39 Daniel Hull — Third-year transfer from Missouri (2023).
#38 Van Krisiloff — Freshman.
