Football | 4/11/2026 8:23:00 PM

GREENSBORO – When you break it all down to its very essence, Saturday morning really marked the North Carolina A&T football team's 15th practice of the spring at Truist Stadium.

But once a cool marketing name joins the event – the Blue & Gold Spring Game – and many Aggies fans show up to watch in person or tune in live on FloCollege, the day becomes a bigger deal to Aggie Nation than a typical practice. For many, it offers their first glimpse of A&T football before the 2026 season.

Even so, the A&T coaching staff maintained their priorities. First, they wanted to keep everyone healthy. Second, they emphasized that the Aggies are not a finished product: more players arrive over the summer, some are still seeking clearance to play, and others are sidelined by injury. Third, the coaches put the team in various simulated game situations to create the urgency they'll face in the fall.

It is a brilliant twist to the festivities, considering in recent years of Aggies football, they have been in some close ballgames where a mental mistake, a penalty, or a turnover in a crucial part of the game on a crucial part of the field has been the difference between winning and losing. Therefore, the situations on Saturday included starting fast, where the Aggies want to get on the scoreboard first, or even if they are scored on early, they want to respond quickly.

"We want to continue to work on the little things that win football games," said A&T head coach Shawn Gibbs. "Getting in and out of the huddle … getting the play calls in … Understanding the situation we're in. It's a constant process, and we're all involved in it. Right now, we are going to continue to try to get better."

The Aggies scored in a trailing 7-0 situation when the staff placed the ball on the offense's 45-yard line. Champ Long found Mark Tillman across the middle for a 12-yard touchdown pass. During a gold situation, when the staff tested the team's ability to get the ball from the 30 into the red zone, the defense made a big play. Steven Davis II scooped up a fumble and likely would have returned it for a touchdown, but the officials blew the play dead because it was a scrimmage.

That play led the Aggies into a sudden change situation, in which the staff placed the ball on the defense's 20-yard line to simulate the offense getting the ball deep in the opponent's territory after a turnover. On the drive, Jy Walls found Tony Sanchez on the sideline for an excellent pass and catch. Jailen Hicks scored on a rushing touchdown, but the officials nullified the play for a penalty. Eventually, Walls connected with Tillman on a 7-yard TD pass, though some could argue Tillman's bobble of the ball could have allowed an interception.

"We got a lot of work to do like every other day," said Gibbs. "But that's what the spring is for. This isn't a finished product. This isn't the entire team we'll have out there in the fall. It's just our 15th practice. I guess everybody else is looking at it like a game, but it's just another opportunity for us to get better. We did that in spots, but we still have a lot of work to do."

Coming off a season where there was no 100-yard rushing game by an Aggie since the 2004 season, the Aggies used the combination of JT Smith, Hicks, Shimique Blizzard, Teriq Mclaughlin, and Jayden Williams, who converted from linebacker to running back, to put together some explosive runs on Saturday. They mostly ran behind an offensive line featuring Noah Okoye, Andrew Dorsey (2025 starter), Ahmarion McLeod (Elon transfer), Tim Hammonds, and Eli Williams (S.C. State transfer). Phinnell Marshall, CJ Ragland, and Desmond Jackson (Coastal Carolina transfer) also joined the effort throughout the day.

"I think our offensive line has gotten better. I've seen a lot of progress in the way they do things," said Gibbs. "I think (first-year offensive line coach Donovan Jackson) has done a good job in the short amount of time he's had them because we have a bunch of new guys up there. But even over there, we have three or four guys who are out due to injury."

We've got to find a way to create some more explosive plays," said Gibbs, continuing to focus on the run game. "We had some good runs, but that's not A&T running back football. We don't settle for 20-yard runs. We are used to 40- and 60-yard touchdowns. So that's what we've got to get to. And we'll do that this offseason. We'll get bigger, faster, stronger…"

A&T's quarterback situation will be an interesting topic as August approaches. They played four on Saturday, including Jy Walls, Long, Kevin White, and Alston Hooker. Braxton Thomas is still recovering from an injury he sustained last season at UCF. Amonte Jones and Jayvonne Dillard look to be among the favorite targets at wide receiver, with Sanchez, Tillman, and Rory Jones-Amen-Hetep also getting some looks on Saturday.

Hooker connected with Jayden White for a two-point conversion during the overtime situation.

"We script to make sure they are getting an equal amount of reps with the first group," said Gibbs about his quarterback situation. "We try to do an equal amount of reps through practices and scrimmages. It has been a good competition. I think a couple of guys have kind of separated themselves. It's going to be a continuous competition, but we'll figure it out, and we'll put somebody out there that can win a game for us in the fall."

Defensively, the Aggies looked sharp. Amondi James, Cameren Dalrymple, Davis, Dray Duncan, and Terien George made plays for the Aggies on Saturday. The officials quickly blew plays dead, but the A&T defense reached the quarterback several times. The Aggies, who grew accustomed to fielding one of the top defenses in FCS football when Gibbs served as an assistant coach from 2011-21, hope to return to that glory.

"I do feel good that we have a number of guys who can win some football games for us. But (the defensive backs) have improved tremendously," said Gibbs. "I think our DB room has made tremendous improvements. Defensively, we have more talent, more size, and more length, and I trust (defensive coordinator Denzel Jones), and our defensive coaches will have our guys ready. But I have high expectations of our offense and our defense. I think we were okay.

But, of course, I'm looking at stuff like how we are getting in and out of the huddle. Are we having crucial penalties in crucial situations? I'm pleased with the progress we've made this spring. It was a decent day. We are way better than what we showed."

Hopefully, Aggie Nation and the A&T coaching staff got what they needed out of Saturday.