From 2019 to 2023, Dequan Finn played five seasons at Toledo before returning to the MAC to play for Miami (OH) after a brief stint at Baylor. He was supposed to line up opposite his former program for the first time when Toledo came to Oxford on Wednesday. But fans were forced to double-check the sidelines instead. Finn never played. Instead, Henry Hesson took over the QB duties. By Friday morning, the mystery was solved.

Miami (OH) head coach Chuck Martin revealed that Finn is no longer with the team. But there’s more to it. Martin revealed that Finn moved on from the program to prepare for the NFL.

“Dequan’s moving on,” Martin said. “We had 11 good months with him. Dequan did some awesome things. He’s an awesome young man. We spent a lot of time together. At this point, he’s gotta move on. He’s got a shot to play at the next level. He’s gonna train to get ready to do that. We appreciate what he did for us, we wish him the best, but we will not see him the rest of the year.” 

Miami (Ohio) QB Dequan Finn is moving on from the program as he begins preparing for the NFL, head coach Chuck Martin announced.

Former Toledo and Baylor transfer finishes his college career with 8,841 passing yards, 2,302 rushing yards and 106 total TDs.… pic.twitter.com/ho3m5camSb

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) November 14, 2025

That brings an end to a great college career in which he amassed 8,841 passing yards, 2,302 rushing yards, and 106 total TDs. At Miami (OH), Finn’s 11-month tenure brought in veteran expertise and genuine hope to the RedHawks’ quarterback room. The illness that kept him from playing against Toledo was just the final chapter in his college football career.

This season, Dequan Finn has started eight of Miami’s ten games. He has rushed for 395 yards and scored four touchdowns while passing for 1,451 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions. Before that, he was one of the MAC’s finest playmakers at Toledo, where he won the league’s MVP award that fall and earned All-MAC honors in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, he even won the trophy after playing in two MAC Championship Games. He is no longer on Miami’s roster, and the next time we see him, he will be preparing for the NFL. For now, Senior Henry Hesson will start in Finn’s place.

Miami turns to Henry Hesson

With Dequan Finn out and officially leaving the team, Miami needs a quarterback and that’s where Henry Hesson comes in. After Finn was ruled out due to sickness on the MAC availability report, redshirt senior Henry Hesson took over for the seventh-year starter. But any quarterback, let alone one making only his third college start, finds tough to take on Toledo’s elite defense. Although Miami’s offense struggled from drive to drive, Hesson battled throughout the evening and finished with 147 yards, three interceptions, and six sacks.

In terms of total yards allowed, Toledo’s defense was among the best in the country, and they literally played like that. Miami punted four times and was only 5-for-16 on third down and 2-for-6 on fourth. The Rockets shut the door every time the RedHawks gained even a little momentum. Miami’s defense attempted to flip the game with back-to-back interceptions from Eli Coppess and Eli Blakey, but the offense was unable to convert. “We didn’t have a good enough plan, and that starts with me,” Chuck Martin admitted afterward. “Disappointing, absolutely, from an offensive standpoint. We knew they were coming in third in the country on defense.”

Hesson’s third interception in the fourth quarter sealed the 24-3 loss, which was the RedHawks’ second consecutive MAC loss and further crippled their fading chances of winning a title. Martin didn’t sugarcoat it. “We’re a beaten-down team right now,” he stated, pointing out that Toledo further buried them after their defeat to Ohio last week placed them behind schedule. The competition for the No. 2 place is still ongoing, though, as Miami, Toledo, Ohio, CMU, Buffalo, and Western Michigan are all 4-2 in league play with only one game remaining. With Buffalo up next, Hesson, who is now formally Miami’s starting QB going ahead will get his chance to stabilize the RedHawks.