Football | 8/21/2026 1:15:00 PM

GREENSBORO – The 2026 North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University football season is two weeks away; therefore, most of the preseason accolades have been secured.

Most of A&T's preseason accolades were showered on senior wide receiver/return specialist Elijah Kennedy. BoxToRow closed out those preseason honors by naming Kennedy a preseason HBCU All-American. Earlier in the preseason, Kennedy made Stats Perform HBCU Player of the Year Watch List. Kennedy also made the Phil Steele preseason All-American second team as a punt returner.

He also made Phil Steele's preseason All-CAA first team twice. First, as a punt returner, and second as an all-purpose player thanks to his additional responsibilities as a kickoff returner and a wide receiver.
Kennedy had a marvelous 2025 season after missing the 2024 season because of a severe injury. His triumphant return earned him numerous acknowledgments following the 2025 campaign. Boxtorow listed him as an HBCU All-American as a return specialist and then gave him an honorable mention All-American nod as a punt returner. The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) head coaches voted him first-team all-conference as a punt returner and third-team all-conference as a kickoff returner.

Additionally, FCS Preform named him a second-team All-American as a punt returner.

Kennedy returned 18 punts for 294 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 16.1 yards per return to lead the conference and rank second nationally. He also ranked second nationally and first in the CAA in punt returns for touchdowns (2). As a kickoff returner, Kennedy returned 36 kickoffs for 705 yards and a touchdown, averaging 19.58 yards per return to rank ninth in the league.

In addition, Kennedy led the nation in combined return yards (979). He is also one of A&T's top receivers, which helped him rank seventh in the conference in all-purpose yards per game (107.92). On September 27 at Maine University, Kennedy returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown to help the Aggies' comeback efforts, which fell short 37-30 against the Black Bears. Four weeks later, the Aggies' comeback against the Campbell Fighting Camels succeeded thanks to Kennedy. He opened his historic fourth quarter with a 96-yard punt return for a touchdown that tied the game at 21-21.

His 96-yard return tied the program record for the longest punt return for a touchdown. After Campbell kicked a field goal to reclaim the lead, he returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for the game-winning touchdown. For his efforts, he earned CAA Special Teams Player of the Week on October 27.

Kennedy's other preseason accolades include making the FCS Stats preseason All-American team as a return specialist and the CAA's preseason first team as a punt returner and the third team as a kickoff returner. The other Aggies who made Phil Steele's preseason All-CAA team include Kennedy as a second-team kickoff returner, junior Jayvonne Dillard as a second-team wide receiver, senior Andrew Dorsey as a third-team offensive lineman, and senior Steven Davis II as a third-team defensive back. 

A&T opens the 2026 season at 6 p.m. Saturday, August 29, at home inside Truist Stadium against the Morgan State Bears.