Central Michigan WR Tommy McIntosh suffers torn ACL, will miss 2026 season
The productive returning senior for CMU will now go for a medical redshirt to return in 2027.
Mt. Pleasant — Central Michigan senior wide receiver Tommy McIntosh suffered a torn ACL during spring practice and will miss the 2026 season, head coach Matt Drinkall confirmed to Mitten Football on Thursday.
McIntosh suffered the injury amidst practice on April 6, going down in evident pain after his knee gave way while he cut on a route during a skeleton drill. The wideout was immediately in distress and subsequent imaging confirmed the worst fears of all involved.
It also happened to be McIntosh’s first day back out at practice after dealing with a separate knee issue in prior weeks.
“Everybody on the team was just heartbroken for him, because he's an unbelievable competitor who cares,” Drinkall said. “I mean, if you ask everybody on the team, like, who cares the most about this team, who cares the most about their teammates, it is Tommy McIntosh.”
McIntosh figured to be one of the top weapons for Central Michigan in 2026. After transferring to the Chippewas from Wisconsin prior to the 2024 season, McIntosh grew in his role the past two seasons.
In 2025, he finished second on CMU with 31 catches for 422 yards. His three touchdowns tied for second-most on the team as a pass catcher.
Without McIntosh, the focus turns to Langston Lewis, the other returning receiver who produced significantly in 2025. Lewis finished 2025 as CMU’s leading receiver, with 43 catches for 596 yards and three touchdowns.
Nasir Williams, Justin Ruffin Jr. and a handful of other returning wideouts could also step into bigger roles, as could someone like freshman Trav Moore, who is mainly a running back but has versatility to play multiple roles.
But evident solutions to this new roster problem for 2026 doesn’t mean this week’s news isn’t heartbreaking for McIntosh, his coaches and teammates.
As McIntosh lay on the turf fresh off his injury on Monday, Drinkall made his way over, took a knee, and held the receiver’s hand as he lay on the field with a trainer examining his knee.
After practice, Drinkall addressed the injury to the team, noting that McIntosh was going to be navigating the maelstrom of emotions of suffering a season-ending injury before his senior season officially began.
“Tommy's a mature professional who can handle anything,” Drinkall said Monday, “And we'll be here to help him and love him and support him.”
McIntosh is slated to get surgery soon, Drinkall said, with the senior not likely to be available until the first week of December, at the earliest.
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A big-bodied wideout — 6-foot-5, 210 pounds — from DeWitt, Michigan, the plan is now for McIntosh to apply for a medical redshirt, stick with the Chippewas through the 2026 season, and be available as a top wideout for CMU entering the 2027 offseason.
“I said, ‘Hey, you were gonna be one of the best receivers in the conference. Now you're gonna be one of the best coaches in the conference for a year. And then get to un-retire, be one of the best receivers again.’ So we'll get him back and he's a tough son of a gun. He'll be able to handle it,” Drinkall said.
And Drinkall himself feels for a player who he praised for his improvements over the last 18 or so months.
Drinkall likened McIntosh to Ricky Vaughn, the über-talented but oft-uncontrollable pitcher played by Charlie Sheen in the movie “Major League.”
McIntosh was an impressive bundle of physical abilities and raw talent, but needed to hone and channel those abilities into being the best football player he could be. Drinkall felt like McIntosh was really succeeding in that regard.
“He had all the tools, but he could kind of, like — he didn't know how to channel it all, right? And he has worked his butt off, to his credit,” Drinkall said. “He has done all that, and he's like, now he is so influential as a leader.”
Unfortunately for the Chippewas and the senior wideout, McIntosh will be leading from the sideline in 2026.
