The Hula Bowl will not be the only game this weekend where MAC stars will get one last chance to shine in front of pro scouts.
A total of six MAC players will participate in the 14th edition of the Dream Bowl at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, on Sunday, January 12th at 1 p.m. Eastern time. ESPN+ will be the exclusive streaming network for the broadcast.
The Dream Bowl, which was initially played between Roanoke, Virginia and Denton, Texas over the past 13 seasons, lands a new home in Arlington,
hoping to highlight players from the Group of Five, Division II, Division III and NAIA levels.
The game is not only an opportunity to impress scouts, but to play in an NFL venue with MAC history. The arena colloquially known as Jerryworld played backdrop to the 2016 Western Michigan Broncos’ appearance in the Cotton Bowl against Wisconsin.
James Camden, linebacker, Western Michigan
James Camden’s path to Kalamazoo was long and winding. After earning limited playing time with Cincinnati from 2020 to 2023, Camden transferred to Murray State and excelled, making 51 tackles and breaking up four passes for the Racers.
Camden continued his upward trajectory with the eventual MAC champions, keying to their success with 84 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, and four sacks. Although Camden is undersized for a linebacker, he figures to be a strong special teams contributor.
Koby Gross, fullback/tight end, Ball State
Koby Gross is one of a host of Cardinals making the trip to AT&T Stadium— and may be the most fascinating prospect on this list due to him being listed as a fullback.
Gross transferred to Ball State after earning second-team all-SWAC honors with Florida A&M in 2024 with 24 receptions for 257 yards. His production dropped to 10 catches for 141 yards with the Cardinals this year, but he showed flashes of explosiveness. Gross caught three passes for 81 yards and a touchdown against Akron this year, with one catch going for 41 yards and the touchdown coming from 29 yards out. Gross looks to fill a niche at fullback that many NFL teams are welcoming back to their rosters.
Kiael Kelly, quarterback, Ball State
We went into extensive detail on Kiael Kelly’s selection to the Dream Bowl earlier in the week, but Kelly is Muncie’s version of Slash. Kelly ended his career with 2,191 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns, 1,498 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns, and 11 catches for 39 yards and a receiving touchdown. He looks to prove he can play quarterback at the next level and avoid having to change positions.
Joedrick Lewis, defensive back, Ball State
Lewis proved his ball-hawking ability at his previous school, Southeast Missouri State, breaking up ten passes and making 36 tackles in his last full season in 2023.
Those abilities translated well against MAC competition. Lewis made a seamless transition to cornerback, interception three passes while collecting 29 tackles. Lewis could also be a factor on special teams, with experience as a returner (eight returns for 88 yards between BSU and SEMO.)
Qian Magwood, wide receiver, Ball State
Qian Magwood is another versatile prospect from Ball State. Magwood was a steady presence on the Cardinals offense over the past three years, totaling 83 receptions for 885 yards and six touchdowns. This season was arguably his best, setting a career-high with 320 receiving yards on just 19 catches, good for an impressive 17 yards per reception.
The Cardinals used Magwood in a variety of ways. Magwood carried the ball four times for six yards this year and even threw a 19-yard touchdown pass against UConn. Like his teammate Lewis, he has experience returning kicks and could get some special team reps on Sundays. Magwood has 21 career punt returns for 53 yards, with a long return of 12 yards.
Jake McConnachie, Wide Receiver, UMass
UMass has been the butt of many jokes in college football, but they have a player finishing their career at AT&T Stadium. How many FBS programs can say that?
Jake McConnachie looks to end his career on a high note after finally receiving a chance to contribute with the Minutemen. After catching a single pass in three years for Pitt, McConnachie transferred to Amherst and proved to be an effective compliment to the Minutemen’s go-to receiver Jacquon Gibson.
McConnachie caught 16 passes for 144 yards opn the campaign in total, highlighted by a breakout performance came against Kent State (seven receptions for 67 yards.)
At six-foot-five, McConnachie profiles to be an effective red zone threat at the next level.
