August 29th, 2024 7:00am
Welcome to the 2024 season. Some important notes for 2024’s season include:
St. Augustine’s financial difficulties resulted in the Falcons cancelling their football season. The conference responded by scrapping divisions for this season, though the scheduling format still follows the 5/3/2 format (five games against old divisional foes, three “crossover” games from teams in the old divisional format, and two out of conference games).
There was only one head coaching change. Tony Coaxum was surprisingly ejected from his role, and Davon Morgan, formerly the defensive pass game coordinator at FCS Florida A&M, was hired into the role. The deans of the CIAA coaching ranks are Shaw’s Adrian Jones and Fayetteville State’s Richard Hayes, who have been in their roles since 2017. There are some coordinator changes that are noted in the breakdowns below.
Eight of the 11 schools are playing in week zero, embracing the new concept for 2024. That allows schools to insert a bye week into the season (which for three of them, is this week). SAU’s nonparticipation means that some schools actually get two bye weeks.
Preseason Outlook. Starting from the bottom.
11 Bluefield State
Key Losses: LB TJ Gunter, DL Jaylyn Norris (transfer to WSSU), LB Jarves Scruggs (transfer), QB Jai’Que Hart (transfer to FCS South Carolina State)
Key Returners: DB Justin Campbell, QB Isiah Teal, K/P Braxton Vanscoy
Key Transfers: WR/RB Aiden Lee (Cal-Berkeley), RB Ramon Brown (Maryland), DL Henzloy Mcfarlane (Notre Dame College), DB Jalen Edwards (Alabama), LB Jaheim Webb (FL International)
Notables: Teal’s return gives Big Blue a building block. Campbell is amongst the better returning DBs in the conference and was their leading tackler from a year ago..
Question Marks: B-State lost a lot from a year ago, and thus are big unknowns about what this team will look like going into week zero. They lost their top five receivers and also quite a bit of defensive production. Lee is a big target, but didn’t register any stats at Cal.
10 Elizabeth City State
Key Returners: QB Chase Williams, RB Zechariah Adams-Duckson, LB Demorian Smith, LB Tracey White
Key Losses: WR Quinzel Lockhart, WR Ian Edwards, DL Jaylen Dollar, DL Traveon Freshwater, DL Raevonn Freeman
Key Transfers: QB Kofi Kwaw (Seton Hill), WR Kash Foley (Grambling) WR Wesley Calloway (UNC-Pembroke), DR Micah Lowry (Shippensburg), DB Terrell Lindsey (Shepherd), LB Cameron Banks (SW Minnesota State), DL Jordan Evans (Notre Dame College), WR Shamar Sutton (North Carolina A&T), DL Jonari Carroll (Shepherd)
Notables: Adams-Duckson is one of the best returning backs in the conference. The LC duo of Smith and White were near the tops on the team in tackles.
Question Marks: ECSU resembles a Frankenstein with so many transfers, and it is indicative of how many holes that the coaching staff needs to plug on the Viking ship. In addition to the ones listed above, several St. Augustine’s players found a home on the coast. ECSU was a rather scrappy bunch last year, and as a result had a very uneven performance. Can they take a step forward under a new offensive coordinator? Lockhart and Edwards was 2/3s of the receiving production, so who will the QB throw to in order to keep pressure off the run game. Heck, who will be the QB? Williams started the season, but really struggled starting out. Defensive line play lost a lot of production and is questionable going into the season.
9 Livingstone
Key Returners: LB Jaden Echols, WR Angel Carrillo, WR Davontay Deloatch, P Nathan Roubik, K Jason Zapata
Key Losses: WR Matthew Henry (transferred to FCS Western Illinois), QB Marcus Drish
Key Transfers: DB Kevin Larkins Jr (Kentucky)
Notables: Are my eyes deceiving me? That’s KEVIN LARKINS. He terrorized offenses for eight interceptions in his freshman campaign before leaving for the SEC. Key parts of the defense return, starting with tackling machine Echols, LB Terrance McPherson, and DE Kobe Pringle. The Deloatch-Carrillo pair is entertaining in the pass game, and quite productive too. K Zapata is back, and has a big leg that could be deployed in close games.
Question Marks: With Drish gone, who runs the offense? Brendan Hilton does have playing experience from last year, and there are new QBs on the roster too. Over the years, the Blue Bears get talent at WR, but inconsistent QB play left them gasping for yards. Livingstone has a new OC (JC McDonald from Morgan State and Frostburg State).
8 Shaw
Key Returners: QB Christian Peters, WR Manny Belcher, WR Jon Barnes, DL Saevion Gibbs, DE Brian Patterson, DB Reagzon Mackey
Key Losses: RB Sidney Gibbs, P Devin Versteegen (transfer to WSSU), DB Akeythio Carson, WR Donte Lee (transferred to Liberty), FS Jay Boyd
Key Transfers: LB Quewon Hilliard (Coastal Carolina)
Notables: Peters returning from injury is a big plus for a Shaw Bear offense that sports its best offensive weapons at WR. Belcher is one of the conference’s top WRs and has gamebreaking ability. Gibbs and Patterson are standouts on the defensive line.
Question Marks: Can Shaw stay healthy? Injuries and lack of depth have really hurt the Bears down the stretch the last couple of seasons. Last year’s injuries are this year’s fortunes to start, as they have a number of key players who have game experience. The roster also looks like running back by committee, though Jatoine Fields has game experience.
This set of teams can end up doing really well, or it could go really bad.
7 Lincoln
Key Returners: QB Isaiah Freeman, WR Malachi Langley, WR Zyaire Tart, WR Dah’mear Triplett, RB Amir Gerald, DB Jahad Green, LB Tolu Awoyemi, LB Rodney Stubbs, DL Marvin Latortue, C Thyago Alvarez
Key Losses: DB Eric Best, DB Rontay Dunbar, LB Kemaal Mcmillan, DL Malik Malloy
Notables: Freeman is the talk of the town at Lincoln, with last year’s strong performance. Repeating that performance will be key to whether Lincoln can meet higher expectations (at least for me) for 2024. I suspect most people see Lincoln as a bit of a sleeper. Langley is the top WR in the conference, but the supporting cast of Tart, Triplett, and Eli Riddick are all threats to put up big yards.
Question Marks: The kicking game yet again stands out as a vulnerability for Lincoln given the youth at that position. Every point counts and could be the difference between an over or under .500 season. The Lions’ defense also wasn’t steady enough to avoid shootouts, as teams gashed them on the ground. Has the offseason allowed the front seven to get stronger, particularly given that their opponents have capable to strong running attacks?
6 Bowie State
Key Returners: WR Kyle Parker, WR Christopher “Hollywood” Ferguson, QB Jordan Morse, K/P Justin Zavala, DB AJ Lytton, DB Hasan Mosley, DL Shawan Lewis, LB Sadiq Salawu
Key Transfers: QB James Foster (UNC-Charlotte), K Alen Omerhodzic (Morgan State)
Key Losses: DB Mychale Salahuddin, DL Kameron Blount, DL Cameron Chesley, DL Cameron Proctor, WR Keshane Hinckley, LB Uvel Paul, LB Corey Shell, RB Carleton Stewart, WR James McNeill
Notables: The Bulldogs found something when they inserted Jordan Morse at the QB spot late in the season. Still, expect him to be challenged by Foster, a former QB at Texas A&M and Charlotte. Whomever leads the offense (Morse, Foster, or someone else) has returning weapons at WR. The OL has experience, though it seems that they were more suited last year for pass protection than running the ball. Defensively, there’s plenty of trademark strength in the secondary, and leading tackler and sack monster Lewis is back to anchor the defensive line. The kicking game is solid, as Omerhodzic returns to Bowie after a stint at FCS Morgan State, and Zavala is one of the best kickers in the conference.
Question Marks: BSU suffered heavy losses on defense due to exhausted eligibility, and a question is now about their ability to stop the run. The running game wasn’t all that great last year, and forced BSU to be more one dimensional. Does BSU have the ability to get back to more balanced ways, and/or does it have a more consistent and threatening passing game to cause fits for opposing defenses? If no, then expect BSU to remain in the middle of the conference, if not slip backwards.
5 Winston-Salem State
Key Losses: WR RJ Mobley, K/P Jobanni Esparza, DL Octavis McLaurin
Key Returners: QB Daylin Lee, DB Justin Fleming, DL Camar Kyle, DB Jaylen Ferbee-Gullatte, DE Trevor Willard, DB Dante Bowlding, RB Asa Barnes, LB Jasahn Rankin, OL Darius McDuffie, OL Keith Quick,
Key Transfers: RB Timothy Ruff II (Charleston Southern), RB Tralon Mitchell (Virginia Tech), LB Jamieson Alston (St. Augustine’s), P Devin Versteegen (Shaw), DL Jaylyn Norris (Bluefield State), WR Brandon Person-Boyd (Fayetteville State)
Notables: The Rams have a gauntlet of a schedule starting in week 3 with Ohio Dominican, then Virginia State (on the road), Bowie State and Virginia Union (the ROAD), not to mention Fayetteville State, Johnson C. Smith, heck, even Livingstone. (FCS NC A&T in week 2 is nothing more than a paid scrimmage to me, and its not a factor). That’s part of the reason I have them here. Nonetheless, they are near the top in returners. The OL doesn’t seem to have a lot of depth beyond the starters, but the starters should be plenty good. The defense gets a boost from All-Conference transfer Norris, and Willard returning from injury a year ago. Lee is one of the top quarterbacks in the conference.
Question Marks: Losing Mobley hurts; can someone step up in the WR corps? Does the change in offensive coordinator hinder the Rams’ offensive production? Does WSSU know how to finish games, as they wilted in the fourth quarter in several games? WSSU should be a team that surprises quite a few schools, or one that could have Coach Robert Massey’s warm seat get hotter from a restless fan base if he can’t get over .500 (something WSSU hasn’t accomplished since 2018).
4 Johnson C Smith
Key Returners: LB Benari Black, DB Latrae Bass, WR Brevin Caldwell, LB Jack Smith, S Tynan Tucker, OL Tyler McBeth, OL Quinton Pettiford
Key Losses: DB/PR Dirk Cureton, WR Reggie Bryant, RB Tim Newman, RB Jacob Newman, QB Tyrell Jackson
Key Transfers: WR Deandre Proctor (SAU), RB Avonte George (SAU), RB Quavaris Crouch (Michigan State), RB Kamarro Edmunds (ECU) , K/P Jacob Meneses (Fayetteville State), WR Brian Morgan (Fayetteville State)
Notables: JCSU was last year’s Division 2 statistical champion in total defense (224 yards/game), and they returned much of its defensive production from a year ago, particularly at the linebacker and defensive back levels. Getting Meneses is a big coup, as he has game-winning kicking experience during his time at Fayetteville State. Proctor is a swiss-army knife that hurt defenses during his time at St. Augustine’s.
Biggest Question: JCSU’s Achilles heel from a year ago was lack of depth, and it really showed when their starting quarterback went down. Offensive production suffered when they had to rely on inexperienced passers and opponents keyed in on the running game. The coaching staff went shopping in the offseason, and brought in QBs Darius Ocean (from FCS Rhode Island), Kennique Bonner-Steward (was at Fayetteville State in 2023), or Cam Kromah, who has been in the system in a couple of years. Who starts is a mystery. The running game is also one that has unknowns with the brothers Newman gone.
The Preseason Contenders
3 Virginia State
Key Losses: QB Jordan Davis, RB Upton Bailey, RB Kimo Clarke, WR Roy Jackson III, DL Miqueal Pillow-Smiley, LB Carl Poole
Key Returners: LB Chantz Baylor, WR Tylique Ray, QB Romelo Williams, Rover Kymon Pope, WR Tayshaun Porter, OL Harlen St. Louis, OL Onwuazor, KJ McNeil
Notables: The transfer portal giveth, and it taketh away. Pope left in the offseason, only to return to VSU. His return strengthens the VSU defense. Offensively, Williams’ return gives the Trojans a steady hand. The OL is a strength too.
Biggest Questions: The kicking game looks more adventurous than a Tomb Raider video game, and that’s a familiar feeling for VSU. VSU’s bread-and-butter running game also looks questionable going into the season, and someone will need to establish themselves as a bell cow to keep the Trojans in the running the conference crown. Depth behind Williams is unproven.
2 Fayetteville State
Key Transfers: WR Julius Cobbs (Carson-Newman)
Key Returners: DB Kolby Merritt, LB Elijah Casey, WR Davis Baros, DE Shawn Robinson, DE Shi Gaskin, DB Dylan Morris, P Josiah Boyd
Key Losses: WR Barry Elliott, DL Quran Blount, LB Gerald Simpson, K/P Jacob Meneses (to JCSU), DL Quran Blount
Notables: Fayetteville State is the hallmark of consistency. Its defense has averaged surrendering less than 20 points a game each season since 2019. A lot of credit goes to defensive coordinator Dominic Anderson. The Broncos arent made for TV, but they are made for stopping offenses in their tracks. The defensive line is where it starts for them, where Robinson and Gaskins, the top two sack leaders on the team, return and anchors the defense. The secondary should be relatively strong too given what is returning. On offense, the offensive line should be a strong suit, and P Josiah Boyd should help with field position after averaging 38 yards a punt a season ago.
Question Marks: Fayetteville State is the hallmark of consistency. The offense is such an enigma, even moreso this year. QB Joe Owens is the likely starter on day one, but its hard to conjure scenarios where fellow QBs Demari Daniels and Caden Davis don’t see the field for stretches at a time, especially if Owens struggles early. The running game is likely by committee, with Julian Milligan, Syheam McQueen, and Bryce Council likely seeing carries. I don’t expect big points out of FSU, but maybe something will surprise us this year? The kicking game turns to a new kicker with Meneses’ transfer, and he will have some big shoes to fill – FSU is no stranger to needing the kicking game to bail them out. Oh, and he is the obligatory “FSU has a new offensive coordinator” sentence. Did you think I really forgot? This time, its Kevin Magourik, former FCS South Carolina State offensive coordinator. If anyone can juice up the running game, it would be him.
1 Virginia Union
Key Returners RB Jada Byers, RB Curtis Allen, LB Shamar Graham, DL Isaac Anderson, S Donald Gatling, P Marvin Holmes, K Brady Myers, S William Davis
Key Transfers: QB Mark Wright (was at Virginia State), DT Mike Jones (Catawba), WR Malakei Sumner (Lenoir-Rhyne), DE Lancine Turay (Temple), Maurice Freeman (Liberty), S Muheem McCargo (Temple)
Key Losses: QB Christian Reid, WR Said Sidibe, RB Rashard Jackson
Notables: Blah blah blah Jada Byers blah blah blah. Yes, he is back for his fourth season in four years at VUU, and is one of the most prolific running backs in Division II. The Harlon Hill Candidate has quite the supporting cast with a very experienced offensive line group. Its not just about Byers though, as his stablemate Curtis Allen is rather good at racking up the yards and providing VUU with depth. Adding Sumner should help with the passing game. The defense looks rather strong on paper, and is a whos who of firepower, from Anderson, Davis, Graham, and Gatling, among others. The kicking game is stable, with Holmes being one of the best punters in the league, and Myers having plenty of game experience. Fun fact: The Danish are coming, with two OL from Denmark on the line.
Question Marks: Who is going to run the offense? Signs point to RJ Rosales, who shared playing time with last year’s starter. If not him, then the options are Wright, who started at VSU before getting hurt but didn’t play particularly well, and two redshirt freshmen. The passing game must improve if VUU wants to be a threat in the conference and beyond.
Week 0 Games, in order of importance
Virginia State at Benedict (Hall of Fame Game - Sunday at 4pm)
Benedict is a shell of its former self now that Chennis Berry is now gone, along with a lot of its offensive and defensive stars. Those losses include the starting quarterback, tailback, top three receivers, and the feared defensive line combo of Jayden Broughton and Loobert Denelus. VSU has a lot of its own question marks, but it seems like they also arent a slouch with what is coming back. Advantage: VSU
Johnson C. Smith at Tuskegee (Red Tails Classic – Sunday at 7pm)
That JCSU is this high up on the list of interesting games says a lot. Its against football blueblood in Tuskegee, who finished last season in a respectable manner. While both mascots are Golden, one of them is going to tarnish in this game. This game is such a great test for JCSU’s run defense, as Tuskegee has RBs Johnny Morris and Zina Mulbah returning from a year ago, and they combined for well over 1000 yards rushing. I’ll be pleasantly surprised with a JCSU win, but I don’t know if I am ready to go there yet with the questions on offense. Advantage: Tuskegee
#18 Virginia Union at Kentucky State (Saturday at 3pm)
Kentucky State has two disadvantages in this matchup. They are lining up against a stingy run defense, and were just pedestrian in running the ball well last year at 118 yards a game. That’s not great when they have a negative TD/INT ratio. Additionally, the run defense was gashed for almost 5 yards a carry. Also not good with what VUU has in the stable. Advantage: VUU
Winston-Salem State at Bluefield State (Saturday at 6pm)
This game is a non-conference battle of two conference foes. B-State was shut out last year and is looking for revenge. WSSU doesn’t play particularly well on the road. This game will be a game of adjustments for WSSU given B-State’s unknowns, and a seeming desire to want to run the ball. I don’t see this game as 60-0 as some folks have said. Nonetheless, I’m going with what we know, and that is looks as if the Rams are the better team in all three phases on paper. Advantage WSSU
Elizabeth City State at Shaw (Saturday at 1pm)
This game is evenly matched, with two teams wanting to start the season on the right path. I’m curious as to whether Shaw can keep the chains moving in third down scenarios. Shaw was an atrocious 25 percent conversion rate a year ago in this area. For ECSU, its just going to be fascinating to see what the offensive philosophy will be. I think this one will come down to fewer mistakes. Shaw will have to show us something in the kicking game, because they didn’t make a field goal last season. Luckily, I don’t think they will need to, because I think they will have enough to skate past the Vikings. Advantage: Shaw
#24 Charleston at Livingstone (Saturday at 6pm)
Its a lot to ask Livingstone to upset Charleston, mainly because the Golden Eagles were a playoff team that returns quite a bit. Just start with 1500 yard rusher Chavon Wright, and add in an experienced quarterback in Javonte Howard (2700 yards passing) and a defense that gave up only 3.2 yards a carry a year ago. It would be a monumental upset if Livingstone won, as they will need a lot of offense to do it. Advantage: Charleston
Should be a fun opening weekend. I look forward to being your guide again this season.