Michael Heldman

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

Photo by: Jared Lennon

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Photo by: Nicholas T. LoVerde/Special to Central Michigan

Photo by: Keara Chaperon '22

Position:
Defensive Lineman
Height:
6-4
Weight:
260
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Romeo, Mich.
High School:
Romeo H.S.
Major:
Communication
Twitter:
@heldman_michael
Instagram:
michael.heldman12

CAREER

In his five-year, 52-game, 42-start career, Heldman has made 120 tackles (62 solo), 34.0 tackles for loss for 133 yards, 19.0 sacks for 99 yards, five pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and 29 quarterback hurries … First Team All-MAC honoree as a senior … named a Second Team G5 All-American by Hero Sports in 2025 … concluded career by starting 25 consecutive games on the defensive line … one of only eight players in school history to earn four Academic All-Mid-American Conference selections … one-time CSC Academic All-District honoree (2025) … set the school’s record for quarterback hurries for career (29), season (10 in 2023), and game (5 vs. Massachusetts, Oct. 25, 2025) … in the school’s career records, concluded career ranked No. 16 in games played (52), No. 6 in sacks (19), No. 10 in tackles for loss (34), No. 10 in forced fumbles (4), No. 14 in yards from tackles for loss (133), and No. 11 in yards from sacks (99) … in Central Michigan season records, he ranks No. 4 in sacks (10.5 in 2025), No. 14 in tackles for loss (16.0 in 2025), and No. 2 in quarterback hurries (9 in 2025) … concluded career with four 2.0 sack games and eight 2.0 tackles for loss games.

2025

As a redshirt senior defensive lineman, started all 13 games at defensive end … listed as the starter at defensive end on the depth chart … Named a G5 Second Team All-American by HeroSports … First Team All-MAC selection by the coaches … First Team All-MAC selection by Pro Football Sports & Network … preseason AFCA Good Works Team, Wuerffel Trophy, and NFF William V. Campbell Trophy watch list member … earned CSC Academic All-District honors … earned Academic All-MAC honors … named MAC Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 17) … selected preseason All-MAC by Phil Steele Magazine (Third Team) and Athlon Magazine (First Team) … one of four team captains … on year, ranked No. 5 on the team with 48 tackles (23 solo), a team-high 16.5 tackles for loss for 64 yards, a team-high 10.5 sacks for 48 yards, four pass breakups and a team-high nine quarterback hurries with two forced fumbles … in national statistics, concluded the year ranked No. 12 in sacks (0.81 per game) and No. 14 in tackles for loss (1.27 per game) … in MAC statistics, ranked No. 4 in tackles for loss (1.27 per game) and No. 3 in sacks (0.81 per game) … finished the year with three 2.0 sack games and five 2.0 tackles for loss games … finished with one tackle, 0.5 tackles for loss in the GameAbove Sports Bowl vs. Northwestern (12/26) … totaled three solo tackles, a season-high 3.0 tackles for loss for six yards, and one sack for four yards in season finale vs. Toledo (11/29) … made five tackles (three solo), 2.5 tackles for loss for 10 yards, 2.0 sacks for nine yards, and a quarterback hurry at Kent State (11/19) … finished with four tackles, 2.0 sacks, 2.0 TFL, two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups vs. Buffalo (11/12) … named MAC Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 17 for his efforts against Buffalo … tallied a career-high tying six tackles (one solo) at Western Michigan (11/1) … finished with one tackle, a career-high and school-record five quarterback hurries, and two pass breakups vs. Massachusetts (Oct. 25) … registered five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss for 14 yards, and one sack for six yards at Bowling Green (10/18) … made five tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss at Akron (10/4) … finished with five tackles (two solo), 1.5 sacks for four yards, 1.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry vs. Eastern Michigan (9/27) … tallied five tackles (two solo), 2.0 sacks for seven yards, 2.0 tackles for loss, and forced a fumble vs. Wagner (9/20) … made one tackle for loss at Michigan (9/13) … made one tackle at Pittsburgh (9/6) … made a then-career-high six tackles (four solo) with one sack for 7 yards and 1.0 tackle for loss, and forced a fumble in season opener at San Jose State (8/29).

2024

As a redshirt junior defensive lineman, played in all 12 games with 12 starts at defensive end … listed as the starter at defensive end on the depth chart … named a preseason Fourth Team All-MAC selection by Athlon Magazine … named a preseason honorable mention All-MAC pick by College Football Network … earned Academic All-MAC honors … set the school’s career record for quarterback hurries with 20 … led the Chippewas with eight quarterback hurries, finished with 28 tackles (13 solo) with 6.0 tackles for loss for 22 yards, and 4.0 sacks for 20 yards … made at least one tackle in all 12 games … finished with a season-high four solo tackles in season finale at Northern Illinois (11/30) … totaled three tackles vs. Western Michigan (11/19) … made three tackles (one solo) with 1.0 sack and quarterback hurry at Toledo (11/12) … made 1.0 tackle and 1.0 tackle for loss with a hurry vs. Bowling Green (11/5) … totaled four tackles (three solo) with 2.0 sacks for eight yards, 2.0 tackles for loss for 8 yards at Miami (Ohio) (10/26) … finished with two quarterback hurries, four tackles (one solo) with 0.5 sack for three yards at Eastern Michigan (11/19) … made two tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, 0.5 sack, and a quarterback hurry vs. San Diego State (9/28) … finished with two tackles and a quarterback hurry at Florida International (9/7) … totaled two tackles and a quarterback hurry in the season opener vs. Central Connecticut State (8/29).

2023

As a redshirt sophomore, played in 11 of 12 games with five starts at defensive end … listed as either the starter or backup defensive end of the depth chart … Academic All-MAC selection … concluded season with 22 tackles (13 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss for 30 yards, 2.5 sacks for 20 yards, one forced fumble, one pass breakup and a team-best 10 quarterback hurries … set school-record for quarterback hurries in a season with 10 in 2023 … finished with a team-high three quarterback hurries and one tackle in season finale vs. Toledo (11/24) … made two tackles, including one tackle for loss for four yards at Western Michigan (11/7) … totaled two tackles, including 0.5 sack vs. Northern Illinois (10/31) … made two tackles at Ball State (10/21) … made three tackles (three solo), 2.0 tackles for loss for 15 yards, 1.0 sack for nine yards, forced a fumble and had two quarterback hurries vs. Akron (10/14) … made two tackles with a quarterback hurry at Buffalo (10/7) … finished with four tackles (three solo) vs. Eastern Michigan (9/30) … made three tackles at Notre Dame (9/16) … totaled three quarterback hurries with one pass breakup vs. New Hampshire (9/9) … made two tackles, 1.0 sack, and a quarterback hurry in season opener at Michigan State (9/1).

2022

As a redshirt freshman, played in all 12 games with 11 starts on the defensive line … Academic All-MAC selection … started all 11 games at defensive end … made 19 tackles (12 solo), registered 7.0 tackles for loss for 17 yards, made 2.0 sacks for seven yards, forced one fumble and totaled two quarterback hurries … finished with two tackles in the season finale at Eastern Michigan (11/16) … totaled two tackles vs. Western Michigan (11/16) … totaled three tackles (one solo) at Northern Illinois (11/2) … finished with one solo tackle, 1.0 tackle for loss vs. Bowling Green (10/22) … made two tackles (two solo) with 1.0 tackle for loss vs. Ball State (1/8) … made a career-high five tackles (four solo) with a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss for 10 yards, 1.5 sack for four yards and forced a fumble vs. Bucknell (9/17) … made first career start vs. South Alabama (9/1) … made one tackle (solo) with a quarterback hurry in season opener at Oklahoma State (9/1).

2021

Redshirted his first season as a true freshman … appeared in four games on the defensive line … credited with three tackles.

HIGH SCHOOL

A 2021 graduate of Romeo High School, where he played three years of varsity football for Head Coach Curt Rienas … First Team Division 1 All-State selection as a defensive lineman … named All-Region by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association in 2020 … named to the All-Macomb Area Conference Red First Team in 2020 … Macomb County Tier 1 All-Star team selection … nominated for the Anvil Award … recorded 19 sacks, 10 tackles-for-loss and four forced fumbles in 2020 … ranked No. 38 on the Detroit News Blue Chip List … rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.

PERSONAL

Born Michael Heldman on January 2, 2003 … son of Timara Regnerus … committed to Central Michigan on November 24, 2020 … majors in Communication.