With a brand new head coach, Central Michigan will travel to Ann Arbor on Sept. 13 as a relative unknown. Here’s a look at Michigan Football’s Week 3 opponent and what the Chippewas have been up to this offseason:
The Central Michigan Chippewas have not had a winning football season since 2021. Nonetheless, there is newfound hope in Mount Pleasant, as former head coach Jim McElwain retired after six seasons. Coming into the fold is a completely new type of coach — Matt Drinkall , who was previously the offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator at Army West Point.
That is not to say the Chippewas are going to run the triple option, but a younger, fresher mind to lead a struggling program back to MAC relevancy is exactly what CMU’s fan base needs. With low expectations this season, that could make for the perfect recipe as CMU travels to Ann Arbor in Week 3 to take on the Michigan Wolverines .
Here’s a brief look at where things stand with the Chips and what Michigan fans might be able to expect in this game.
The Basics
Game info: Saturday, Sept. 13, Noon ET (Big Ten Network)
2024 record: 4-8
2025 projected wins: 5.5 (per FanDuel)
Last matchup: 2013: Michigan won, 59-9
Roster Moves
Notable draft losses: CB Donte Kent
Notable portal losses: OL Davis Heinzen, WR Isaiah Atchison, DL Pius Odjugo, WR Evan Boyd, WR Chris Parker, OT Jemeil Jackson, LB Nolan Ziegler, QB Tyler Jefferson, DL Jonah Pace, TE Gavin Harris, QB Bert Emanuel Jr.
Notable portal additions: DL Joey VanWetzinga, OT Jacob Russell, P Declan Duley, RB Trey Cornist, DL Dylan Fisher, QB Angel Flores, TE Rusty VanWetzinga IV, CB Kalen Carroll, OL John Iannuzzi, S Elijah Gordon, S Maddix Blackwell
State of the Program
Any time there is a coaching change, especially at a program that has struggled recently, there is going to be a ton of roster movement to implement the new coach’s philosophy. That could not have been more apparent in Mount Pleasant this offseason.
The Chippewas lost some notable athletes, like starting left tackle Davis Heinzen, who transferred to Wisconsin . The next was the wide receiver group, as leading target Chris Parker left for UConn , while Evan Boyd went down the road to Michigan State. Not to mention, CMU had its starting cornerback and punt returner Donte Kent get drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft .
Nonetheless, a changing of the guard was needed, and bringing in a young, offensive-minded coach already showed its perks this offseason, retaining some key pieces on offense while grabbing a few key players from the portal .
The first big question will surround the quarterback spot. Drinkall convinced Joe Labas to return for his senior season despite a rough year in 2024 where four different quarterbacks saw playing time. He will have another shot at the starting job, but he will be competing against Northern Arizona transfer Angel Flores. Both Labas and Flores will get a shot, but Labas should have the upper hand with his overall experience.
One area Dinkall should feel very good about is the running back position. The Chippewas brought in Tulane transfer Trey Cornist, who should be the main man on the ground. As just a freshman for the Green Wave in 2024, he took had carries for 149 yards and one touchdown, averaging 6.8 yards per carry in limited work. As the featured back in 2025, he should have plenty of opportunities to shine in a run-heavy offense.
Defensively, the Chippewas are going to need a lot to go right. They had a rough 2024 season, struggling to stop the run and create takeaways. If they don’t want to continue that trend, they will need to rely heavily on Iowa transfer Joey VanWetzinga, as well as former Ohio Dominican tackle Dylan Fisher to add pop on the defensive line. They will also need Caleb Spann and Elijah Rikard in the secondary to perform at a high level, along with their best player on defense, linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski.
As for the overall outlook, it may be too high of expectations for the Chippewas to reach the MAC Championship for the first time since 2019, but if the offense can get rolling by the end of the season, they should have a chance at reaching the over 5.5 wins.