Tag: HBCU Football

Tennessee State’s DeVaughn Slaughter named OVC-Big South Freshman of the Week

Brandon King

Tennessee State wide receiver DeVaughn Slaughter was named Ohio Valley BIG South freshman of the week for his own field exploits this past week. In the Tigers 24-21 season opening win over North Carolina A&T Slaughter caught an 82-yard touchdown pass that tied the game at 7 in the first quarter. He fined the game with 4 receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown.  He also was impactful in the return game, averaging 17.5 yards per return on a pair of kickoffs. Slaughter finished with 129 yards of all purpose…

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Big plays power Tennessee State past North Carolina A&T in John A. Merritt Classic

Brandon King

image via TSU Athletics Tennessee State and North Carolina A&T locked horns in the 2025 John A. Merritt Classic, the first time the two schools had met since Tennessee State laid a 37-7 beating on the Aggies in the 2010 Circle City Classic. Buoyed by big plays, the Tigers were able to defeat North Carolina A&T 24-21 in a winning start to the Reggie Barlow era.  North Carolina A&T struck first, taking a 7-0 lead when Wesley Graves burst through the middle and took it 40 yards to the end…

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Albany State to kick off 2025 season against Shaw

Staff

image via Albany State Athletics Courtesy Albany State Football The Albany State Golden Rams are set to open the 2025 football season this Saturday, August 30, on the road against the Shaw University Bears. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, N.C.Game Information: Led by Head Coach Quinn Fordham Gray, Sr., entering his third season, the Golden Rams start the 2025 season aiming to take the series lead back and set an early tone for a season filled with high expectations. Albany State has a strong core of returning talent, including Quarterback Isaiah…

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Norfolk State drops season opener and start of Michael Vick era, 27-7 to Towson

Staff

image via Nick Sutton Courtesy of Noah Schlekeway, Assistant SID, Norfolk State Athletics 27 Winner TU 7 NSU Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F TU 10 3 0 14 27 NSU 0 0 0 7 7 Norfolk State dropped its highly anticipated season opener under new head coach Michael Vick 27-7 to Towson on Thursday night at William “Dick” Price Stadium in front of 19,469 fans. Senior quarterback Otto Kuhns led the Spartans’ offense, completing 19-of-27 passes for 219 yards. DreSean Kendrick posted 11 receptions for 125 yards, while Kam’Ryn Thomas added seven catches for 105 yards…

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Tennessee State’s QB1 Still Up in the Air as Saturday Approaches

Brandon King

Outside of head coach, deciding on who’s going to be the quarterback is one of the most important decisions for a football team. like so many other teams crossed the country Tennessee State has yet to come to the decision of who will occupy QB one. Head coach Reggie Barlow touched on the quarterback situation in Tuesday morning’s Big South-OVC Football Coaches Call and seemed to allude to it being a three-man race for QB1.  “[Jonathan] Palmer is a smart kid [and] we are happy to have him here. He’s…

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North Carolina Central Tops Southern 31–14 in MEAC/SWAC Challenge

Brandon King

image via Doug Burt 31 Winner NCC 14 SUB Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F NCC 7 10 14 0 31 SU 7 7 0 0 14 It has been 251 days since the clock hit 0:00 in the 2024 Celebration Bowl and the 2025 season kicking off with the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, pitting the Jaguars of Southern University against the Eagles of North Carolina Central University. Led by then first-year head coach Terrence Graves, last season Southern recorded an 8-5 overall record, including 7-1 in the SWAC, on the path to…

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Should Tennessee State follow Tennessee Tech’s Lead by Leaving the OVC and Seek Expansion Membership in a Different Conference? As a Member of the SWAC, what would a Tennessee State Football Schedule Reveal in 2026?

Brandon King

Since Eddie George, former NFL star and current head coach at Tennessee State University, made his comment about the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) being a “dying conference” in 2021, the OVC has indeed seen a notable shift in membership. As of 2023, the OVC has lost several schools, and his comment has proven to be somewhat prophetic in highlighting the conference’s struggles with realignment and stability. Here’s a breakdown of the schools that have left or are set to leave the OVC since that remark: 1. Tennessee Tech (2026) –…

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Tennessee State HBCU All-American enters transfer portal

Brandon King

Less than two weeks before Tennessee State kicks off the season against North Carolina A&T in the John Merritt Classic, TSU defensive back Camani Cobbs announced he was entering the transfer portal.  The redshirt sophomore made his decision public in a straight-to-the-point Twitter post that read in part, “Thank you Tennessee State University for allowing me to develop and build as a man on and off the field.” Last season the Southeast Missouri transfer appeared in 8 contests for the Tigers, recording 3 pass breakups, 7 total tackles, (6 solo),…

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Delaware State adds 4-star wideout

Brandon King

According to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports former Oregon wide receiver Ryan Pellum has committed to Delaware State.  Pellum was a 4-star rated prospect coming out of Millikan High School (Long Beach, CA). He was the no. 171 overall recruit in the 2024 class, the no.28 receiver in his class, and the no.12 overall player from California. As a senior, he hauled in 66 passes for 991 yards and 11 touchdowns and was invited to the Polynesian Bowl for his gridiron exploits. This came on the heels of a junior…

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Jackson State listed at no. 17 AFCA FCS Top 25 Rankings

Brandon King

Defending SWAC and HBCU National Champion Jackson State opens the 2025 season ranked 17th in the AFCA FCS Top 25 Rankings.  Last season JSU recorded a 12-2 overall record and a perfect 8-0 record within the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Jackson State received a total of 200 votes. Other HBCUs receiving votes included South Carolina State with 25, Tennessee State got 14 votes and North Carolina Central received 13 votes.  Jackson State opens up the defense of its championship on August 30 at home against Hampton.  AFCA FCS Preseason Top 25 {August…

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