Dequan Finn, currently a seventh-year senior, started his college football journey at Toledo in 2019. He saw limited action during the 2019 and 2020 campaigns, but in 2021, his first full season as the starting quarterback, he gained recognition by scoring 27 total touchdowns. Throughout his time with the Rockets, Finn played in 45 games, throwing for 7,074 yards and 63 touchdowns, while also gaining 1,840 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground.
Finn received Second-Team All-MAC recognition in 2022, was named to the First-Team All-MAC in 2023, and was awarded the Vern Smith Leadership Award—presented to the MAC’s top player—in 2023. After his standout time at Toledo, Finn moved to Baylor, where he appeared in three games, starting two, and then chose to sit out the rest of the season to maintain his eligibility.
As the 2025 season approaches, it’s likely that many within the MAC are anxious about the comeback of one of the conference’s top players, who is now teaming up with Head Coach Chuck Martin and the Miami RedHawks.
Height: 6’2
Weight: 201
Class: 6th year
Hometown: Detroit, MI
High School / Previous Educational InstitutionMartin Luther King High School / Toledo / Baylor
Notable Stats & Accolades:
Career Statistics (Toledo and Baylor): 562/938 (60%) | 7,377 yards | 66 touchdowns / 25 interceptions | 1,902 rushing yards, 27 touchdowns
Vern Smith Leadership Award recipient (2023)
First-team All-MAC (2023)
Second-team All-MAC (2022)
The only quarterback in the history of Toledo to pass for over 2,000 yards and run for more than 500 yards in multiple seasons (2021, 2022, 2023)
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SPEED
In film, one quality that stands out in Finn’s performance is his raw speed. Finn can break away from defenders chasing him—whether he’s evading the pocket or when he’s in the open field. As a runner, this attribute serves as the base of his success and makes him a significant threat in the planned quarterback running game.
While at Toledo, Finn was a tough player to defend when it came to speed option and zone read plays—but particularly on designed quarterback draw plays, where he could easily reach the open field behind groups of lead blockers. For instance, at the :27 mark in the video below, Toledo runs a quarterback draw. As Finn reaches the top of his drop, he plants his foot and follows a lead block from his running back. After properly reading the block, Finn turns and charges into the open field, remaining unguarded on his way to a 70-yard touchdown run.
As a quarterback, Finn’s speed enables him to stay threatening even when a play breaks down, giving him time and space to remain a passer for an extended period—something few others can achieve. During the 2022 game against Ohio State, at the 5:35 mark, Toledo’s offensive line failed to hold its protection, allowing a pass rusher to break free on a typical four-man rush. Instantly, Finn reacts by moving to his left and easily evading the defender. He maintains focus on the field and throws a 40-yard touchdown pass while on the move—a play made possible by Finn’s unique ability to swiftly escape pressure thanks to his speed.
OFF-PLATFORM & ON THE RUN PASSING
As a quarterback, Finn can handle everything in the sense that he can throw from the pocket with a strong, stable base, while also being equally effective when moving or without a clean platform. Once the pocket collapses and Finn gains enough time and space to throw the ball, his skill to make accurate passes without a clear platform makes all the difference in completing a pass on time—rather than having to start over.
At the 9:45 point in the video below, the Illinois defensive line achieves quick penetration with a three-player rush, prompting Finn to start evading the pressure by moving up and through the coverage. As he reaches open space, he spots a suitable target and quickly throws the ball for a touchdown. When he makes the pass, Finn is clearly not on his platform, yet he throws the ball as though he’s in a clear pocket. This skill significantly impacts the play’s result. Without this ability, a play like this might not have been feasible—his capacity to perform swiftly and effectively, even when the defense creates challenging situations, introduces an entirely new level of effectiveness to the offense.
In addition to his ability to throw off-platform, Finn possesses a natural talent for accurately throwing to any part of the field while on the move. This skill was evident when he played for Toledo against Ohio State in 2022. At the 5:07 mark in the video below, Finn moves out of the pocket after sensing pressure from his right side. As he spots his target deep downfield, Finn launches a 50-yard touchdown pass while completely on the run—highlighting his arm strength, physical ability, and innate passing skills.
DOWNFIELD PASSING
Always on film, Finn has demonstrated his capability to throw the ball deep. Whether from the pocket or while moving, he can make accurate throws over the top, covering distances from 20 to 50+ yards.
At the 12:41 point in the video below, NIU is using an off-man coverage setup. At the bottom of the screen, Toledo has its receivers arranged in a “stack” formation, with one receiver positioned directly behind the other, away from the ball. This is an effective strategy against man coverage, as it creates confusion for the two defenders covering the two receivers, forcing them to quickly determine who their assigned player is after the snap.
The goal of the stack formation functions in such a way that the corner initially follows the receiver directly ahead of him on the line of scrimmage, but then quickly realizes his assigned player is the other receiver. At that point, his target has already gained a step on him. Nevertheless, the off-man coverage appearance demands that Finn verify it’s man coverage after the snap, as the other defender positioned over his receivers was 10 yards away from the ball.
After verifying that the other defender is also in man coverage, he quickly throws the pass, resulting in a gain of approximately 45 yards. Finn throws the ball from his own 1-yard line, and it lands on the opposing team’s 45-yard line—covering more than 50 yards and reaching his receiver just as he was breaking free.
