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5 things to know about the Akron Zips heading into 2023 college football season
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- 5 things to know about the Akron Zips heading into 2023 college football season
AKRON— The University of Akron football team is set to open the 2023 season on Sept. 2 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a 2 p.m. kickoff against host Temple .
Akron coach Joe Moorhead enters his second season looking for improvement from all facets of the team after the Zips compiled a 2-10 record last season.
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Moorhead and his staff are in the process of rebuilding an Akron football program that has had a losing record in each of the past five seasons. Akron's most recent winning season was in 2015 , when Terry Bowden led the Zips to an 8-5 record and a win over Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl .
Since then, the best Akron has done is a 7-7 mark in 2017 . That Zips squad won a Mid-American Conference East Division championship and ended the season with a loss to Florida Atlantic in the Boca Raton Bowl.
The Zips topped Saint Francis (Pa) 30-23 in the 2022 season opener and Northern Illinois 44-12 in the penultimate game of the season . Half of Akron's losses last season — to Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Kent State , Eastern Michigan and Buffalo — were by seven points or less.
Here are five things to know about the Akron football team:
Akron Zips quarterback DJ Irons runs against Central Michigan on Oct. 15, 2022, in Akron.
Who are the returning All-MAC players for the Akron football team?
Akron has two players returning who were All-MAC selections last year: wide receiver Alex Adams and quarterback DJ Irons . Adams is in his second year at Akron after playing two years at Louisiana State University, and Irons is in third year at Akron after arriving in Tom Arth's 2021 recruiting class.
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Adams and graduated linebacker Bubba Arslanian earned All-MAC first team honors in 2022. Irons was an All-MAC third-team selection along with graduated wide receiver Shocky Jacques-Louis and graduated offensive lineman Anthony Whigan.
Irons, wide receiver Daniel George , safety KJ Martin Jr. and defensive end Ryan Johnson were selected as captains.
Akron wide receiver Alex Adams makes a first-half catch against St. Francis (Pa.) defensive back Travell Cook on Sept. 1, 2022.
Who are the Akron Zips players to watch on offense?
Adams continues to be highly regarded as a first-team selection on the Phil Steele 2023 preseason All-Mid-American Conference teams and the Athlon Sports 2023 preseason All-MAC teams.
Phil Steele also named tight end TJ Banks to his preseason second team All-MAC, Irons and George to his third team All-MAC, running back Lorenzo Lingard and kick returner-running back Blake Hester to his fourth team All-MAC.
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Athlon Sports also has Lingard, George, Banks, Hester and offensive lineman Nate Williams as third team All-MAC and Irons as fourth team All-MAC.
Lingard played football as a reserve at the University of Miami and the University of Florida between 2018 and 2022.
Drake Anderson is another running back expected to make an impact after playing collegiately at Northwestern and Arizona between 2018 and 2022.
The coaching staff likes what it has at quarterback with Irons, Jeff Undercuffler Jr. and Tahj Bullock. Undercuffler is in his second season at Akron after previously playing at Albany. Bullock was at Virginia Tech the past two years.
Akron wide receiver Daniel George runs after a catch against Central Michigan on Oct. 15, 2022.
George enters his second season at Akron after transferring from Penn State before last season. He said the Zips "have a lot of new pieces coming in here that fit right in."
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"I feel like everybody is bought in [at the wide receiver position]," George said after the Akron spring game on April 29. "It started last year with Shocky. Shocky instilled a "dog mentality" into us. We dominate everybody. We don't come out to play around with everybody. We come out to dominate. I just try to carry on what Shocky left with us and elevate it even more.
"We come in daily and go to work. Whether we have practice or not, the receiver crew is in here working, whether it is on the field, in the weight room or in the film room. Every guy is committed to getting better, not only for themselves but for the team. I feel like it is trickling throughout the whole team."
Akron coach Joe Moorhead watches as quarterback Jeff Undercuffler Jr. takes a snap in the 2023 spring game Saturday.
Who are the Akron Zips players to watch on defense?
Johnson and defensive back Nate Thompson are projected to be fourth team All-MAC on the Phil Steele 2023 preseason All-Mid-American Conference teams.
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Athlon Sports 2023 preseason publication has Thompson — in his second season at Akron after playing at Duke from 2018-2021 — as a fourth team All-MAC selection.
Martin enters his second season at Akron after transferring from West Virginia before last season. He said the Zips "are progressing very well" and the defense "is very competitive."
"We have a lot of experience under our belt that make us more comfortable in situations that we lost in before, so we have learned from those situations and we are more disciplined, more sound and focused," Martin said after the Akron spring game.
Cornerbacks Tyson Durant and Darrian Lewis are also returning players who should make a difference defensively.
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Defensive linemen Terray Jones and Lama Lavea are new to the program as are transfers from Tennessee State and New Mexico State, respectively. Linebacker Shammond Cooper is another newcomer who was at Illinois.
Akron's Jasaiah Gathings makes a catch in the red zone as Devonte Golden-Nelson defends during practice, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023.
Where did the coaches predict Akron would finish in the MAC East?
The MAC coaches picked Akron to finish second to last in the MAC East in 2023, one spot ahead of Kent State. Ohio was projected to win the East with Miami second, Buffalo third and Bowling Green fourth.
MAC coaches tabbed Toledo to win the MAC West with Eastern Michigan second, Northern Illinois third, Central Michigan fourth, Ball State fifth and Western Michigan sixth.
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Seven of the 12 coaches picked Toledo to win the MAC championship.
Who is on the Akron Zips football schedule in 2023?
Akron's home opener against Morgan State kicks off at 6 p.m. Sept. 9. The Zips' other road games against Kentucky , Indiana , Central Michigan, Bowling Green, Miami and Eastern Michigan.
Akron's other home games are against Buffalo, Northern Illinois, Kent State and Ohio.
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .
Akron quarterback Taj Bullock throws a pass in practice, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Akron Zips: 5 things to know before 2023 college football season
