A&T Opens Football Season at Duke's Mayo Classic

The Aggies and the Eagles will play football against each other for the 100th time.

Kevin L. Dorsey

Zach Leslie returns for his senior season.

Football | 9/1/2022 11:03:00 AM

Date: Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
Radio: Donal Ware (pxp); Al Swann (analyst); Billy Covington
Radio Stations: WKEW 1400 AM; 96.3 FM
Audio Stream: www.tobaccoroadsportsradio.com
TV/Stream: Bill Roth (pxp); Tyoka Jackson (analyst)
Platform: ESPN3/ESPN+/ESPNU (tape delayed at 10pm)

EAST GREENSBORO – There is a lot of talk about who will eventually man the quarterback position for the Aggies this season. But the key to the 2022 season could be the Aggies defense. The Aggies will archrival North Carolina Central University (NCCU) on the 100th anniversary of the game on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers.

When A&T hits the field, fans will get a chance to look at the retooled defense. It is a veteran unit complimented by young talent and some newcomers. The mainstays with championship and experience as starters include defensive ends Jermaine McDaniel (Dillon, S.C.), Devin Harrell (Gastonia, N.C.), linebackers Joseph Stuckey (Hillsdale, N.J.) and Jacob Roberts (Charlotte, N.C.) and cornerback Amir McNeill (Laurinburg, N.C.). The Aggies added some new might to the 'D,' however, during the offseason.

Head coach Sam Washington understands the defensive back unit struggled last season. Therefore, he and his staff went out and got help. Thus, the Aggies signed Kansas transfer cornerback Karon Prunty (Portsmouth, Va.). Prunty had one of the best freshman seasons in Jayhawk history, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention accolades and 247Sports True Freshman All-American honors. A&T also added East Carolina free safety transfer David Laney (Henrico, Va.). In addition, Rover Mychale Salahuddin (Washington, D.C.) transferred to A&T out of Pitt two years ago and played a reserve role in the secondary for the Aggies last season.

Another addition for the Aggies came in the coaching department. Jason Makrinos became the Aggies new secondary coach and earned praise from a veteran secondary coach in Washington.

"The secondary is where my heart beats, and I think we found the best defensive backs coach out there," said Washington about Makrinos. "He does a great job explaining the details and adding a little caviar to what we've done in the past."

Another new starter to watch is Ty Williams, Jr. (Detroit, Mich.) at free safety. He played well on special teams last season and had a tremendous spring and August camp to propel himself up the depth chart. In addition, Janaz Sumpter (Hemingway, S.C.) and Aaron Harris (Elizabeth City, N.C.) will get work at cornerback.

"But I always say, the best pass defense is a pass rush," said Washington.

The Aggies have that too. In addition to Harrell and McDaniel, the Aggies have Janorris Robertson (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Henry Daniel (Creedmoor, N.C.) at the defensive end positions. Robertson and Daniel played quite a bit last season and showed they are likely the future at the position.

HEAD COACH SAM WASHINGTON: The 2022 season will mark Washington's fourth season on the sideline and his fifth overall. He is 24-11, winning the 2018 MEAC coach of the year honor. Washington owns two conference championships and two HBCU national championships. He also has the best two-year start (19 wins) of any head coach in A&T history.

AGGIES TO WATCH

RB Bhayshul Tuten – He compiled 786 all-purpose yards last season as a freshman. He did all that as the No. 3 running back on the Aggies depth chart. This season he is RB 1, which will make him even more of a weapon.

RT Tairiq Stewart – Tuten will rely heavily on Stewart and his remarkable ability to run block. He is likely the Aggies most aggressive offensive lineman, and the run game could benefit heavily from his presence in 2022.

WR Sterling Berkhalter – He is tall, fast, and can make difficult catches in traffic. He is surrounded by a talented group of receivers, which limits double teams for him.

NCCU EAGLES: A break here or a break there, and the Eagles very likely could have been playing in the Celebration Bowl last season. NCCU got off to a 2-4 start last season but came on strong toward the end of the season, which bolds well going into the 2022 season. The Eagles won four of their last five, their only loss coming to eventual HBCU national champion S.C. State, 27-24, at home. The Eagles are picked to finish second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

Trei Oliver is in his third season overall and his second season on the field. He led the Eagles to a winning season in 2021 with a 6-5 record overall and a 4-1 mark in the MEAC. Oliver served as an assistant coach at A&T from 2011-15. He is 10-13 overall as a head coach.

EAGLES TO WATCH

RB Latrell Collier – Collier shared the running back responsibilities last season, but like Tuten from A&T, 2022 could be his year to step into the forefront.

CB Brandon Codrington – He is a dynamic player for the Eagles. He compiled 787 all-purpose yards as a punt/kickoff returner last season. He also totaled 41 tackles, four pass defenses and returned a fumble 29 yards last season.

PK Adrian Olivo – Saturday could come down to the kicking game and the Eagles have an excellent kicker. Olivo hit 11 of 12 field goals last season, including 6-for-6 field goals of 30-plus yards.

THE QUARTERBACKS: The Aggies will likely play two QBs on Saturday in Zach Yeager and Jalen Fowler. Fowler, who has been in the program since 2017, brings with him experience and the knowledge of the playbook. Yeager brings the leadership intangible and a lively arm. The two will give the Eagles two very different looks on Saturday.

NCCU doesn't have a tough decision to make at QB. Davius Richard is the guy, and he is looking to cause problems with his legs and his arm. He threw for 2,098 yards with 15 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He also ran for 355 yards and averaged 4.0 yards per carry.

THE MATCHUP: Rod Broadway's influence will play a significant role in Saturday's game. A&T coaches Sam Washington (head coach), Chris Barnette (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Thomas Howard (inside linebackers), Ron Mattes (offensive line) and Terry Lantz (outside linebackers) all coached under Broadway at A&T. NCCU head coach Trei Oliver and defensive coordinator Courtney Coard also coached under Broadway at A&T. Former All-MEAC standout Tony McRae, who is assisting the Eagles this season, played under Broadway from 2012-15.

GAME NOTES:

The Aggies have won four straight over their archrival and seven of the last 10.
The Aggies defeated the Eagles 37-14 last season at Truist Stadium. The Aggies have outscored the Eagles 160-24 in the previous four meetings.
Saturday will mark the first neutral site game since 2008 when the Eagles defeated the Aggies 28-27, ironically enough, in Charlotte. The two teams played at American Legion Memorial Stadium, and the Aggies lost on a failed two-point conversion.
The Aggies will play in their second and final season in the Big South Conference this season. A&T tied for third last season but is picked to win the league in 2022. A&T announced in 2022 that it would move from the Big South to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
A&T comes into the season as its conference's preseason favorite for the sixth time in eight seasons. The Aggies were the preseason MEAC favorites in 2020 before the pandemic caused the cancelation of the season.
The Aggies will likely face the No. 1 team in the nation next week in North Dakota State. The Bison have won nine FCS national championships and have two quarterbacks currently starting in the NFL.

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