2024 MEAC Football Preview

Zachary McKinnell, Timothy Rosario | Jul 31, 2024

David Sierra (Howard Athletics)

It was another successful year for the MEAC as Howard made the first Celebration Bowl appearance in program history, while North Carolina Central made a run to the FCS Playoffs. The conference also had multiple statement wins in non-conference play, including wins over Elon, Richmond, and Campbell.

There are plenty of interesting storylines entering next season, including Howard and North Carolina Central's battle for MEAC supremacy and two potential dark horses that are primed to make an unexpected run for the conference title.

Below are FCS Football Central's official MEAC predictions and a full preview of the MEAC ahead of the 2024 college football season.

Howard, North Carolina Central Battle For MEAC Supremacy

North Carolina Central Eagles quarterback Walker Harris / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Howard and North Carolina Central are the projected favorites to win the conference ahead of the 2024 season. These two programs have combined for a 14-2 record against the rest of the conference over the past two years, each making the first Celebration Bowl appearance in program history. Each program received four first-place votes in the preseason MEAC projected order of finish, with North Carolina Central projected as the early favorite to win the conference.

The Eagles will have a new starting quarterback for the first time since 2019. Senior Walker Harris has served as Davius Richard's backup for three seasons and will finally step into the QB1 role for the Eagles. In his lone start in 2023, Harris completed 60.7% of his passes for 263 passing yards and five touchdowns against Mississippi Valley State.

Harris will still be surrounded by plenty of talent, led by wide receivers Joaquin Davis and Quentin McCall. Davis led the Eagles with six receiving touchdowns, while McCall has recorded 643 receiving yards over the past two seasons. J'Mari Taylor will step into the starting role at running back but has plenty of experience as a rotational player. Taylor earned All-Conference honors in 2022 after recording over 400 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He is a versatile weapon out of the backfield that can make a huge impact as a receiving back.

Howard also enters the season with a question mark at quarterback after Quinton Williams' departure. There will be an interesting battle throughout fall camp between Jaylon Tolbert, who served as Williams' backup, and former North Carolina A&T quarterback Zach Yeager. The Bison also have former Ball State quarterback Kaden Cobb and Ja'Shawn Scroggins on the roster.

Despite the massive question mark at quarterback, the Bison return plenty of talent at the skill positions. Eden James and Jarett Hunter combine to form one of the most talented running backs rooms in HBCU football. The duo combined for over 1,200 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023. Wide receiver Kasey Hawthorne is one of the most versatile athletes in the conference. Hawthorne led the Bison with 535 receiving yards, earning All-Conference honors in back-to-back seasons.

This matchup has determined the MEAC championship over the past two seasons and could be the most crucial game in the conference in 2024. The Eagles will host the Bison on Nov. 15, which will be televised on ESPNU at 8 p.m. ET. North Carolina Central has dominated this series, winning nine of the past 10 games over Howard. This game could also have FCS Playoff implications as North Carolina Central has another out-of-conference schedule that could position the Eagles for another postseason appearance if they do not win the conference.

Can Morgan State, South Carolina State Emerge As Dark Horses?

Morgan State DL Elijah Williams / Morgan State Athletics

While many people have focused on the past two defending champions, there are two potential sleepers lurking ahead of the 2024 season. South Carolina State and Morgan State both received first-place votes in the media day poll, and each program has the potential to step into the dark horse role next season.

South Carolina State enters a new era after legendary head coach Buddy Pough announced his retirement ahead of last season. Pough led the Bulldogs to three HBCU national championships and eight MEAC titles over 22 seasons as the head coach. Former Benedict head coach Chennis Berry will lead the program after a successful four seasons with the Tigers.

Even after the coaching change, the Bulldogs return 15 players with starting experience from last season. The offense will be led by one of the best offensive lines in HBCU football, which is anchored by All-American guard Nick Taiste. Six offensive linemen with starting experience return after paving the way for the No. 1 rushing offense in the conference in 2023. Despite losing Freshman All-American Jawarn Howell to the transfer portal, the rushing attack is expected to shine once again. Tyler Smith and Josh Shaw combined for over 700 rushing yards and five touchdowns last season.

Inconsistency at the quarterback position was the biggest issue for the Bulldogs in 2023. Berry signed former Benedict quarterback Eric Phoenix this offseason, who played last season at Murray State. Phoenix led Benedict to the SIAC Championship in 2022, earning All-Conference honors after throwing for over 2,000 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, and four rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Justin Smith-Brown also returns after leading the Bulldogs with 357 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Defensively, the Bulldogs have more question marks as South Carolina State must replace multiple key contributors at multiple levels. Defensive back Jamare Benjamin led the Bulldogs with three interceptions last season. Linebacker Aaron Smith will lead the defense and enter next season as one of the top NFL prospects at the FCS level.

Morgan State is one of the most interesting teams in the FCS entering next season. The Bears were led by one of the best defenses in the country, but the offense prevented Morgan State from competing for the MEAC title. The defense is expected to be among the best in the nation once again, but the biggest question for the Bears will be if the offense can find any consistency under new offensive coordinator Apollo Wright.

The Bears will be led by All-American linebacker Erick Hunter and All-American defensive lineman Elijah Williams. Hunter led the Bears with 75 total tackles while also posting 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two interceptions. The secondary has plenty of returning talent, including Freshman All-American Ja'son Prevard and Carlvainsky Decius.

Tahj Smith is expected to step into the starting quarterback position after seeing action in five games as a true freshman in 2023. He finished last season with 426 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 159 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. Smith's development will be the biggest storyline surrounding this program. If Smith can emerge as a true No. 1 quarterback and improve his accuracy, the Bears could be primed to win their first outright conference title since 1979.

Norfolk State could also be a team to watch as head coach Dawson Odums enters his fourth season at the helm. The Spartans return the most starters in the conference and had 13 players earn preseason All-Conference honors, which led the conference. The quarterback battle between Otto Kuhns and Jalen Daniels will be one of the biggest questions for the Spartans. All-Conference defensive back Terron Mallory and Freshman All-American linebacker AJ Richardson will lead a defense that ranked second in the conference for passing defense.

Will The MEAC Make A Statement In Out-Of-Conference Play?

Stephen Blue (Sideline Media)

Due to the small size of the conference, MEAC programs only play five conference games, which raises the importance of winning non-conference matchups. These games are important for shaping the conference's perception within the HBCU and national landscape.

Over the past two seasons, the conference has notched some impressive out-of-conference wins, highlighted by North Carolina Central's wins over Elon and Campbell. These wins helped the Eagles earn an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs over other notable contenders like Incarnate Word, UT Martin, and UC Davis. The MEAC has another chance to make a statement in out-of-conference play next season, which includes multiple opportunities to earn a potential Top 25 victory.

It starts with a massive Week 0 matchup against Florida A&M as Norfolk State has a chance to upset the defending Celebration Bowl champions in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge. The Rattlers must replace a ton of production after head coach Willie Simmons accepted an assistant role at Duke this offseason. South Carolina State will also have a shot against the Rattlers in Week 1 at Bragg Memorial Stadium. Florida A&M has won 20 consecutive home games, but the Bulldogs were the last team to defeat the Rattlers at Bragg in 2018.

The MEAC will play 12 games against CAA opponents this season, starting with Morgan State against Hampton in Week 1. The Bears will need to make a statement against the Pirates, as Hampton is projected to finish near the bottom of the CAA next season. Morgan State will also need to end the losing streak against Towson, as the Bears have not defeated the Tigers since 2009.

North Carolina Central will face Campbell, Elon, and North Carolina A&T next season. If the Eagles avoid an upset in this three-game stretch, North Carolina Central will be in position to make back-to-back appearances in the FCS Playoffs.

Arguably, one of the biggest out-of-conference matchups of the season will take place on Sep. 1 in Miami, Florida. North Carolina Central will face Alabama State, who are the preseason SWAC East favorites. The winner of this matchup could emerge as the early favorite to make a strong run at the Celebration Bowl, along with establishing how these two HBCU conferences stack up against each other in 2024.

The MEAC has struggled against the Ivy League over the past four seasons, going winless in those matchups. Howard will have another shot in Week 5 as the Bison travel to face Princeton. The defending conference champions could make a major statement with a win over the Tigers.

Top Returning Offensive Players:

Otto Kuhns (Norfolk State, QB)
2023 Stats: 50% comp, 1,244 passing yards, 12 passing TDs, 254 rushing yards, 3 rushing TDs

Jarrett Hunter (Howard, RB)
2023 Stats: 142 carries, 626 rushing yards, 9 rushing TDs, 4.4 YPC, 2 receiving TDs

Kevon King (Norfolk State, RB)
2023 Stats: 90 carries, 429 rushing yards, 5 rushing TDs, 4.8 YPC

Justin Brown-Smith (South Carolina State, WR)
2023 Stats: 23 receptions, 375 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs, 16.3 YPC

Joaquin Davis (North Carolina Central, WR)
2023 Stats: 36 receptions, 431 receiving yards, 6 receiving TDs, 12.0 YPC

Eden James (Howard, RB)
2023 Stats: 111 carries, 627 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs, 5.6 YPC

EJ Core (Delaware State, TE)
2023 Stats: 30 receptions, 424 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD, 14.1 YPC

Keshawn Toney (South Carolina State, TE)
2023 Stats: 20 receptions, 244 receiving yards, 5 receiving TDs, 12.2 YPC

J'Mari Taylor (North Carolina Central, RB)
2023 Stats: 71 carries, 321 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 229 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs

Kasey Hawthorne (Howard, WR)
2023 Stats: 38 receptions, 535 receiving yards, 5 receiving TDs, 14.1 YPC, 5 rushing TDs

Tahj Smith (Morgan State, QB)
2023 Stats: 41% comp, 426 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, 1 INT, 159 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs

Top Returning Defensive Players:

Elijah Williams (Morgan State, DL)
2023 Stats: 50 total tackles, 11 TFLs, 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Kenny Gallop Jr. (Howard, DB)
2023 Stats: 65 total tackles, 6 TFLs, 3 INTs, 2 forced fumbles

Terron Mallory (Norfolk State, DB)
2023 Stats: 47 total tackles, 2 TFLs, 4 INTs, 6 PBUs, 1 forced fumble

Erick Hunter (Morgan State, LB)
2023 Stats: 75 total tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, 2 INTs, 2 forced fumbles

Aaron Smith (South Carolina State, LB)
2023 Stats: 63 total tackles, 11 TFLs, 5 sacks, 2 QBHs

Jaden Taylor (North Carolina Central, DL)
2023 Stats: 51 total tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 4 sacks, 3 QBHs

Darren Cook (Delaware State, DL)
2023 Stats: 36 total tackles, 12.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Carson Hinton (Howard, DB)
2023 Stats: 50 total tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble

AJ Richardson (Norfolk State, LB)
2023 Stats: 69 total tackles, 11 TFLs, 2 sacks, 2 PBUs, 1 forced fumble

Ja'son Prevard (Morgan State, DB)
2023 Stats: 22 total tackles, 1 INT, 8 PBUs, 0 TDs Allowed

FCS Football Central's Predicted Order Of Finish:

1. Morgan State
2. North Carolina Central
3. Howard
4. South Carolina State
5. Norfolk State
6. Delaware State

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