Toledo racks up 14 All-MAC selections, including the conference’s MVP Dequan Finn and Offensive Player of the Year Peny Boone.
The 2023 All-MAC teams and individual awards were revealed by the conference on Wednesday, three days prior to the annual MAC Championship Game in Detroit.
Individual Awards
The individual awards were voted on by the MAC’s 12 head coaches:
- Vern Smith Leadership Award (MAC MVP): Dequan Finn, QB, Toledo
- MAC Offensive Player of the Year: Peny Boone, RB, Toledo
- MAC Defensive Player of the Year: Matt Salopek, OLB, Miami (OH)
- MAC Special Teams Player of the Year: Graham Nicholson, K, Miami (OH)
- MAC Freshman of the Year: Jalen Buckley, RB, Western Michigan
- MAC Coach of the Year: Jason Candle, Toledo
All-MAC Teams
The MAC released First, Second, and Third team selections:
All-MAC Breakdown by Team – Total (First, Second, Third)
- Toledo – 14 (10, 1, 3)
- Miami (OH) – 12 (3, 7, 2)
- Bowling Green – 10 (2, 3, 5)
- Ball State – 7 (2, 2, 3)
- Western Michigan – 7 (2, 1, 4)
- Central Michigan – 7 (1, 5, 1)
- Ohio – 6 (3, 1, 2)
- Eastern Michigan – 6 (1, 4, 1)
- Northern Illinois – 5 (2, 2, 1)
- Akron – 5 (1, 2, 2)
- Kent State – 4 (1, 1, 2)
- Buffalo – 4 (1, 0, 3)
Additional Notes
- First Team All-MAC consists of 10 Toledo players. No other MAC school has more than three representatives on this team.
- Toledo leads all teams in overall selections at 14. The Rockets ranked first in overall selections in 2022 with 10 and tied for first in 2011 with 11. Thus, this is their third-straight year showcasing the most All-MAC players. Toledo’s 14 selections are the most by any MAC school in the 21st century.
- Dequan Finn is the first Toledo player to win the Vern Smith Leadership Award recognizing the top player in the MAC since Logan Woodside in 2017. Finn is the third-straight quarterback to claim this award, following Kurtis Rourke and Dustin Crum.
- Peny Boone is the first Toledo player to win MAC Offensive Player of the Year since Logan Woodside in 2017. Boone is the fourth running back in the last five years to claim this award.
- Matt Salopek is the first Miami (OH) player to win MAC Defensive Player of the Year since Quinten Rollins in 2014. Salopek is the 17th Miami player to receive this honor, which ranks first among all MAC teams.
- Graham Nicholson is the second Miami (OH) player to win MAC Special Teams Player of the Year, joining punt returner Ryne Robinson who won in 2004. Nicholson is also a Lou Groza Award finalist for nation’s best kicker after connecting on all 23 field goal attempts this season.
- Jalen Buckley is the first Western Michigan player to win MAC Freshman of the Year since Jamauri Bogan in 2015. Buckley is the fourth-straight running back to claim the award. Western Michigan now has claimed this award a MAC-high 10 times, bringing home MAC Freshman of the Year honors five times since 2012.
- Jason Candle is a second-time recipient of the MAC Coach of the Year, also winning the award during Toledo’s 2017 MAC title season. He is one of 12 multi-time winners of the award, joining P.J. Fleck and Lance Leipold as those to do it in the 21st century. Toledo has claimed this honor more than any other MAC school, winning the MAC Coach of the Year for the 11th time.
- Seven back-to-back First Team All-MAC selections include:
- Toledo ILB Dallas Gant
- Toledo SS Maxen Hook
- Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
- Northern Illinois OT Nolan Potter
- Toledo G Nick Rosi
- Eastern Michigan P Mitchell Tomasek
- Ohio WR Sam Wiglusz
- Nine three-time All-MAC selections include:
- Buffalo KR Ron Cook Jr. (2023 Third, 2021 Third, 2020 Third)
- Ball State RB Marquez Cooper (2023 Second, 2022 First, 2021 Second)
- Eastern Michigan OT Brian Dooley (2023 Second, 2022 Second, 2021 Third)
- Northern Illinois DT James Ester (2023 Second, 2022 Third, 2021 Third)
- Toledo SS Maxen Hook (2023 First, 2022 First, 2021 Third)
- Northern Illinois OT Nolan Potter (2023 First, 2022 First, 2021 Second)
- Toledo G Nick Rosi (2023 First, 2022 First, 2019 Third)
- Northern Illinois WR/KR Trayvon Rudolph (2023 Third, 2021 Second, 2020 Second)
- Miami (OH) OLB Matthew Salopek (2023 First, 2022 Third, 2021 Second)
- Toledo G Nick Rosi is the only 2019 All-MAC selection to receive the honor in 2023. Northern Illinois WR/KR Trayvon Rudolph and Buffalo KR Ron Cook Jr. are the only 2020 All-MAC selections to receive the honor in 2023.