Football | 8/29/2025 3:48:00 PM
GREENSBORO – All the talk is almost over.
The conversations and curiosities about who will be the North Carolina A&T starting quarterback during the Aggies season opener against the Tennessee State University (TSU) Tigers at 4:30 p.m. (EST) on Saturday at Nissan Stadium will come to an end.
The questions surrounding how much the Aggies have improved will also come to a stop because A&T will finally get a chance to play football against an opponent under Shawn Gibbs, who will be making his debut as A&T's head coach and as a Division I-FCS coach after spending the previous three seasons as the head coach at Division II Fort Valley State University (FVSU).
And Gibbs, for one, can't wait. He believes his team has made tremendous strides since the Spring Game in April, but he can't be entirely sure how much until he sees them live against the Tigers.
"I'm happy with the work we've put in over the summer," said Gibbs, who went 22-9 at FVSU before returning to Aggieland after spending 11 seasons (2011-21) as an assistant coach for the A&T program.
"They've been focused during camp. We've had some good practices, so I'm excited to see them go play. It's time to stop talking about it and speculating how good we are going to be. We finally get a chance to see how much progress we've really made, so everybody's ready to go."
QUARTERBACKS
A&T's opener against Tennessee State will be a game of unknowns. TSU has had tremendous turnover in its roster since Pro Football Hall of Famer Eddie George, who served as the Tigers head coach over the previous four seasons, left the institution to take the same position at Bowling Green during the offseason. It leaves the Tigers quarterback situation up in the air with Gardner-Webb transfer Jonathan Palmer leading the way, followed closely by Kansas Wesleyan transfer Byron McNair.
For A&T, their quarterback journey has been an interesting one. Redshirt sophomore Kevin White, who opened the 2024 season as A&T's starter before sustaining a season-ending injury at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) on September 21, endured another injury during spring practice. Veteran quarterback Alston Hooker also went down with an injury during the offseason, leaving the Aggies in need of quarterback depth.
A&T added University of Maryland transfer Champ Long to the quarterback room over the spring. Redshirt freshman Braxton Thomas became Long's chief competitor during August Camp. Thomas played in four games last season for the Aggies, including a start at Towson University on November 16.
As White's injury started to heal, he emerged as an option, but Gibbs said during his weekly Monday press conference that either Long or Thomas would start against the Tigers on Saturday.
"I'm not sure if naming a starter right now is what we need to do because both have played at a high level during camp," said Gibbs. "We could go into the first game and play two guys. Both guys are neck-and-neck, and they're both playing pretty well right now. Both do things differently and have different strengths. The thing that they have in common is that they're both good football players."
OFFENSIVE LINE
The offensive line appears solidified going into Game 1. Two Division II transfers, two returners, but first-time starters, and a highly decorated player make up the front assigned to protect Champ and Braxton. Graduate Korion Sharpe is the leader. He is a preseason All-CAA and HBCU All-American. He was a second-team All-CAA performer last season and earned first-team All-Big South honors in 2022.
He will man the right guard position while graduate Jonathan Cannon, Jr. takes over at left guard. Cannon has playing experience but will be asked to step into a more permanent starting role as the 2025 season begins. Virginia State transfer Gabe Navarro starts the season as the Aggies starter at left tackle, and Fort Valley State University (FVSU) transfer Andrew Dorsey will start at center.
Navarro is an academic All-American, and Dorsey, who played tackle at FVSU as an All-SIAC performer, will move to center because Gibbs said it is more of his natural position at the Division I-FCS level. Sophomore Sterling Wiggins rounds out the offensive line after putting together a tremendous spring practice and August camp to earn the position.
The Aggies have some up-and-coming stars along the offensive line, including redshirt freshmen Jodi Freeman, Noah Okoye, and Tim Hammonds. Kellen Culberson provides the Aggies with experience at center, and junior college transfer Tommy Garcia should provide depth at left tackle.
RUNNING BACKS
Gibbs hopes to establish an outstanding running game behind that crew with a running back room that is full of talent. Graduate Wesley Graves enters this season as a fifth-year senior who has rushed for 978 yards in his career and has the most experience. He is coming off an injury last season that limited him to only four games.
Junior Shimique Blizzard took over the running back duties when Graves went down and led the Aggies in rushing with 432 yards. He also scored three times on the ground. He can also catch out of the backfield, making 11 receptions for 80 yards.
The Aggies also added Wofford transfer JT Smith to the mix. Smith rushed for 561 yards and four touchdowns on 141 carries in 20 games played at Wofford. He also caught 33 passes for 216 yards and two scores. Add Jailen Hicks to the mix, and the Aggies have one of the most versatile running back rooms in Division I-FCS.
Hicks ran track and field this past season for the A&T men's outdoor program. He helped the Aggies win the CAA championship by leading the 4x400-meter relay team to victory at conference championships held at A&T. Therefore, Hicks brings tremendous speed to the Aggies backfield. Plus, he is 6-foot-3, which makes him even more challenging to catch once he gets into the open field.
RECEIVERS
A&T's pass catchers have strong potential, despite not yet posting gaudy numbers. Sophomore Jayvonne Dillard is A&T's returning leading receiver, compiling 393 yards on 33 receptions. Junior Amonte Jones has been chiefly a returner for the Aggies but looks to play a more prominent role offensively this season. Graduate Jamison Warren is the most experienced of the group. He has caught 59 passes for 648 yards and two touchdowns in his career. He is also one of the team captains heading into the season.
The Aggies will benefit from Michael Carlock-Williams and Elijah Kennedy returning from season-ending injuries in 2024. Division I transfer Thomas Brown returns for his second season in Aggieland to provide more depth. Laquan Veney and Cortez Lane also caught passes for the Aggies last season.
Gibbs called junior college transfer Jaylen Baker the prototypical tight end at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. He will give A&T's quarterbacks a big target. Junior Anthony Rucker proved to be a big-time playmaker last season, catching three touchdown passes. Junior Antoine Bell and freshman Tony Sanchez could also rotate in at the tight end position.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Defensively, Gibbs hopes to return the Aggies to their former glory, when they were the envy of FCS football, routinely ranking among the best run defenses in the country. The Aggies ranked in the top 10 nationwide defensively seven times while Gibbs was an assistant coach at A&T from 2011-2021. He called on former A&T linebacker Denzel Jones, the 2015 Celebration Bowl Defensive MVP, and his defensive coordinator the past three seasons at FVSU to return A&T's defense to prominence.
Over the past two seasons as CAA Football Conference members, A&T's lack of size along the defensive front has been an Achilles heel. Juniors Christopher Allen, Jr., and Kelvin Broadhurst should help negate the size issue. What the Aggies lack in size, they hope to make up for in athleticism, starting with another FVSU transfer, Tim Alderman.
In three seasons at FVSU and one at Austin Peay, Alderman has compiled 107 tackles, including 38 tackles for loss and 18 sacks. In 2022, he ranked 32nd in Division II football in tackles for loss and 37th in sacks.
Fifth-year senior Mitchell Etheridge III will also provide the Aggies with athleticism along the Aggies defensive front. Marquis Hood and Mecca Carr-Bordeaux will help Allen and Broadhurst man the middle. Jelani King-Leverette will add some experience, and freshman defensive end Travon Dye looks to have a bright future with the Aggies.
LINEBACKERS
The Aggies may have one of the best linebacker corps in the CAA. Sophomore Jayden Williams is a marvel in the weight room, and his work ethic there translates to his performance on the field. Joshua Iseah enters his third season with the Aggies, earning freshman All-American honors two years ago. FVSU transfer Kamari Blankumsee will play a hybrid linebacker/safety position along with transfer Willie Hamilton. Sophomore Terien George will bring experience and depth to the linebacker position. Junior Charlie Dixon will complete his move from running back to linebacker.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Two long-time Aggies will take care of the cornerback positions in fifth-year seniors Aaron Harris and Ty Williams Jr. Harris was named to the preseason Aeneas Williams Watch List for the best HBCU defensive back. He is also a preseason CAA honorable mention selection as a kickoff returner. Williams, who stands at 6-1, sustained a season-ending injury last season. He moves from safety to corner to help the Aggies defense come down with more 50-50 balls against taller receivers.
Two freshmen will back them up in Jaylen Roseboro and David Macon. Graduate Cam Maddox, running back convert Cameren Dalrymple and Jonathan Kimbrough-Campell will maintain the rover position, and talented sophomore Tre Mittman returns as the starting free safety for the Aggies. Steven Davis II, who is looking to get healthy, will also help at the free safety position.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior Andrew Brown, who has earned the nickname "Money" during his time at A&T, will return as the Aggies placekicker. Sophomore DJ Page will serve as the punter, with Jay Haggins backing up both. Seniors Bryson Ruddy and Damien Jackson, Jr. return as the long snappers, and Jones, Harris, and Kennedy will take care of the return duties.
Now that all the preseason talk is over. There is something Gibbs is dying to see.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how we react when adversity shows its happy face because it is going to come," Gibbs said. "That's the game of football. You must fight through adversity. That will be the biggest indicator of how much improvement we've made. How well do we handle adversity?"
