Eastern Michigan, Noah Kim hope to reap benefits of veteran QB’s returning experience
Eastern Michigan has a returning quarterback for the first time since 2017, and is enjoying all that comes from Kim's experience and veteran status.
Ypsilanti — When Eastern Michigan got word over the winter that Noah Kim had his waiver approved for an additional season of football with the Eagles, it meant a major problem would be solved.
Without Kim, EMU was going to be without a quarterback who had any college game experience. That problem got wiped out. Now, Eastern Michigan is enjoying the benefits of having a returning quarterback for the first time since Brogan Roback held the reins on the offense in 2016 and 2017.
“So we're further ahead than we were, you know, at this point, really in the last 10 years of Eastern,” offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Piatkowski said. “We're in a good spot.”
Kim, who led the MAC in passing in 2025, enters the 2026 season as the unquestioned leader of the Eastern Michigan offense on the field after taking the job as a transfer last year and starting all 12 games. Kim returning along with a slew of key pieces — center Nic Gallegos and a spate of pass catchers — has put the Eastern Michigan offense in a much more advanced position starting the season than last year. And Kim’s return has come along with a heightened leadership role for the veteran quarterback.
“I feel like the feeling in fall camp this year is a little bit different than last year because the opportunities we had throughout the summer just to be together and be out just playing football on the field, so it kind of feels like we've been practicing and just been together the whole time, the whole entire offseason,” Kim said. “So when we got out here, it's like we hit the ground running and we're picking up where we left off.”
