Quarterback, Kent State, 2023–⁠26

Dru Deshields

Number
No. 12
Height
6′2″
Weight
195 lb
Class (2026)
Junior
Hometown
Beloit, OH

Dru Deshields plays quarterback for Kent State. Last time out, at South Florida: 17 of 30, 165 yards; 9 carries, 12 yards. Deshields leads Kent State in passing touchdowns and passing yards this season.

2026 so far

1,140 passing yards, 4 TD

Last game: 17 of 30, 165 yards; 9 carries, 12 yards at South Florida, L 2–⁠29

Next game: vs. Akron, Oct 24

Game by game this season, passing yards
  1. 63@SC
  2. 248WOF
  3. 35@OSU
  4. 189BALL
  5. 217OHIO
  6. 223@WMU
  7. 165@USF

Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.

Career highs

317passing yards, career highat Akron, 20255touchdown passes, career highat Akron, 20252rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Wofford, 2026

Passing

Passing yards, season by season, with his team’s record

* The season in progress, so far.

SeasonTeamCmpAttPctYdsY/ATDInt
2025Kent State13624056.72,0308.5183
2026Kent State10618557.31,1406.246
Career24242556.93,1707.5229

Rushing

SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2025Kent State61380.6315
2026Kent State581893.3326
Career1192271.9626

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2023Kent State12QBRS
2024Kent State12QBFr.
2025Kent State12QBSo.
2026Kent State12QBJr.6′2″195

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. passAdj. rush
2025Kent State2940.2863rd (n=314)0.2483.146%0.290.08
2026Kent State2390.0824th (n=273)0.2119.153%0.100.19

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Passing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessDepthAfter catchDeep throwsDeep completed
2025Kent State39%11.2 yds7.4 yds25 of 12240%
2026Kent State38%8.8 yds4.2 yds27 of 17948%

Success: passes that kept the offense on schedule. Depth: how far downfield his passes traveled in the air, on average. After catch: yards his receivers gained after the catch, per completion. Deep throws: the play-by-play gives depth and direction for about half of a passer’s throws; this is how many of those went deep, and how many of the deep ones were caught. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Rushing detail

SeasonTeamSuccessLine yardsSecond levelOpen fieldStuffed
2025Kent State42%2.901.100.0021%
2026Kent State42%3.601.401.0013%

Where his yards came from, per carry: line yards are the ones credited to the blockers (the first few, and losses), second level the yards 5 to 10 past the line, open field those beyond 10. Success: carries that kept the offense on schedule. Stuffed: carries stopped at or behind the line. From CollegeFootballData, FBS games, 2025 on.

Game by game

2026 Kent State 7 games, 1,140 passing yards, 4 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Sep 5atSouth CarolinaL 0–⁠571220630027
Sep 12vs.WoffordW 36–⁠1516252481274
Sep 19atOhio StateL 3–⁠5961535016
Sep 26vs.Ball StateW 26–⁠1316251892076
Oct 3vs.OhioL 10–⁠132035217020
Oct 10atWestern MichiganL 7–⁠38193522311−6
Oct 17atSouth FloridaL 2–⁠2917301650012
2025 Kent State 11 games, 2,030 passing yards, 18 TD
DateOpponentResultCmpAttYdsTDIntRush
Aug 30vs.MerrimackW 21–⁠17610118102
Sep 6atTexas TechL 14–⁠627151161022
Sep 13vs.BuffaloL 28–⁠3122322792037
Sep 20atFlorida StateL 10–⁠6691812911−9
Oct 11vs.MassachusettsW 42–⁠6101814840−6
Oct 18atToledoL 10–⁠45122315911−20
Oct 25vs.Bowling GreenW 24–⁠2113221601015
Nov 5atBall StateL 13–⁠171527212008
Nov 11atAkronW 42–⁠35172531750−7
Nov 19vs.Central MichiganL 16–⁠28142818500−6
Nov 28atNorthern IllinoisW 35–⁠311122207212

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

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