It worked incredibly well the first time, so why not try again?
For the second straight offseason, the Western Michigan Broncos are turning to an underutilized defensive end in Houston, looking to make him a star in Kalamazoo. Western Michigan landed Houston defensive end Zavian Tibbs in the transfer portal, attracting a native of Killeen, Texas, 1,200 miles to the northeast.
It’s déjà vu from last year’s portal cycle when Western Michigan acquired Houston defensive end Nadame Tucker from the transfer portal. Tucker recorded just 10 tackles and one tackle for loss in three seasons in Houston, but during his one-year stint in the MAC, he became a likely NFL Draft selection. Tucker won the Vern Smith Leadership Award (essentially the MAC MVP) and the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, producing an FBS-best 14.5 sacks and an FBS-best 21.0 tackles for loss in a monster breakout campaign. He added 55 tackles and four forced fumbles to a loaded stat line.
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Tibbs and Tucker shared a defensive room in Houston in 2024. Tibbs, who played JUCO ball at Kilgore College in 2023, spent two years with the Cougars, totaling 11 combined tackles. For his final year of eligibility, he is aiming for a breakout season similar to the one his former teammate experienced after his transfer. Western Michigan fielded one of the nation’s best defenses under first-year coordinator Chris O’Leary, ranking 10th in points per game and 17th in yards allowed per game during a MAC championship run.
By retaining their starting quarterback and starting with running, the Broncos enter their title defense season with plenty of momentum. Tucker will be their toughest backup, but Tibbs is considering the challenge of becoming the primary passer at a school more than a thousand miles from his hometown.
