HBCU Football: Five Questions about the MEAC ahead of the 2024-25 season

Can the Howard Bison sustain its momentum as a Program?

Howard University football rode a bruising run game and some game-breaking talents on both sides of the ball to an MEAC Championship and an HBCU Celebration Bowl berth last year, eventually falling to the Florida A&M Rattlers out of the SWAC, in a tightly contested game for the HBCU National Championship.

Howard head coach Larry Scott returns much of the backfield firepower for the Bison, led by arguably one of the best running back tandems in all of FCS Football in Eden James and Jarrett Hunter.

Wide receiver Kasey Hawthorne also returns to lead an equally talented receiving corps. Gone is QB Quentin Williams, who was a bit of an enigma at times leading that offensive group.

North Carolina A&T transfer Zachary Yeager, redshirt sophomore Ja’Shawn Scroggins, and Ball State transfer Kaden Cobb all look to vie for the starting job come the fall. There’s also a good deal of talent on the defensive side of the ball at the skill positions, led by Kenny Gallop Jr.

Both the offensive and defensive lines for the Bison were a strength for the team, but there were some NFL-sized losses there as well.

How well the Bison replenish those losses will speak volumes toward their chances at a 2nd-straight MEAC title, and a return trip to the Celebration Bowl.

What does the Post Davius Richard era look like for North Carolina Central?

North Carolina Central’s recent run of MEAC dominance is the brainchild of head coach Trei Oliver, whose tenure has been one of the best in recent MEAC football memory.

All-everything quarterback Davius Richard was the lynchpin for that success, becoming one of the most prolific dual-threat offensive players in all of FCS football over the course of his career.

Richard has moved on to the professional ranks, but Senior triggerman Walker Harris looks to make his mark on the program after waiting in the wings for the past few seasons.

There was a ton of activity in the transfer portal for the Eagles, with some Power 5 schools reaping the benefits (lineman Corey Bullock transferred to Big 10 squad Maryland; Torricelli Simpkins III transferred to SEC member South Carolina).

There were some notable portal additions to this year's team as well with University of Tennessee transfers Miles Campbell (tight end), Mekhi Bigelow (Linebacker), and Marshall transfer running back Arthur Rogers Jr. among the headliners to join this year's roster.

Roster turnover notwithstanding, there's enough talent there for legit Celebration Bowl and/or FCS Playoff aspirations. Which destination depends on how this new edition of Eagles post=Richard gels and grows together.

Will Morgan State take the next step forward?

When Morgan State head coach Damon Wilson arrived from Bowie State, he made it pretty clear that he wanted to replicate the success he attained at the Division II level.

The first few seasons under his watch have seen an amount of growth that the Bears program hadn't seen in almost a decade.

A big part of that growth has been the establishment of one of the more punishing defenses in FCS football, thanks to Wilson's vision and the talents of defensive coordinator Antone Sewell.

Senior defensive lineman Elijah Williams and linebacker Erick Hunter are bonafide NFL prospects who headline a returning unit that looks to be just as imposing this season.

The 800-pound bear in the room is whether Morgan State's offense can grow to complement their defensive prowess. H

opes for an offensive resurgence start with talented sophomore quarterback Tahj Smith, who was pressed into service last year and showed flashes of the play-making potential that had Morgan State fans excited for the future of the program.

Maybe more promising is the potential development of an offensive line that's made up of recruiting wins from the talent-rich local recruiting grounds of the Washington D.C. Metro area.

There are DEFINITE hopes for a MEAC title and beyond, if those questions on the offensive side of the ball are answered.

What will Chennis Berry's 1st season at South Carolina State look like?

One of the more pressing questions for the conference going into the 2024-25 football season has to do with the potential resurgence of a league powerhouse.

South Carolina State football lost a coaching legend in Buddy Pough and gained arguably the brightest coaching star to join the HBCU FCS coaching fraternity in recent memory with former Benedict College head coach Chennis Berry.

Berry's resume?

Well...It's hard to argue with building an HBCU Division II National Championship program.

He brings that legacy to an already storied football program. Berry's squads at the D2 level were uncompromising on both sides of the ball, employing extremely talented offensive and defensive line play and a dedication to the run game on the offensive side of the ball.

South Carolina State's new signal caller Eric Phoenix had a huge part in the building of that National Championship legacy at Benedict, and he'll be called upon to translate that pedigree to MEAC play.

He'll have a potential game-breaker at tight end in KeShawn Toney to throw to, as well as what's shaping up to be an offensive backfield that's ready to contribute from day one.

Linebacker Aaron Smith is a notable returnee to a defensive unit that will be called upon a lot under the new regime.

Wildcards aren't a new thing when it comes to MEAC play, so the idea of South Carolina State football factoring into the quest for the Celebration Bowl shouldn't be a surprise. The road to the HBCU D1 National Championship may very well go through Orangeburg.

Will Norfolk State and Delaware State factor into the quest for MEAC supremacy?

In a conference where wins against league competition are at a premium, both Delaware State and Norfolk State had 2023-24 campaigns that their fan bases would rather forget.

Dawson Odums came to Norfolk with a reputation as an offensive guru after helping to establish one of the more potent offensive systems in HBCU football at Southern University in Baton Rouge.

The results on that side of the ball have been inconsistent at times, while the Spartans have been extremely vulnerable defensively. Veteran QB Otto Khuns is back, though there looks to be substantial competition from Florida A&M transfer Cameron Sapp for the starting gig.

The potential is there for a productive season offensively. The solutions are less clear on the defensive side of the ball.

If the Spartans are gonna improve from that 3-8 record, those answers on the defensive side of the ball need to come in short order.

Delaware State head coach Lee Hull and staff have a lot of the same questions to answer for the Hornets, who rode gritty defensive play to a 5-6 overall record.

The questions for the Hornets reside on the offensive end of the ball, where production was inconsistent at best. It's going to be an intriguing proposition to watch how these two programs address those deficiencies going into the 2024-25 season.

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is shaping up to be another tooth-and-nail affair for the 2024-25 football season. It's been one of the more competitive and entertaining conferences in all of FCS football the past few seasons and that doesn't look to change this year.

The Celebration Bowl and a potential at-large berth in the FCS playoffs could be in play for the top two finishers in the league, as Howard and North Carolina Central demonstrated last year.

That dynamic will add even more spice to what's shaping up to be another outstanding year for the conference as a whole.

Read more: