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2017 North Carolina A&T Aggies football
Black college football national champion
Celebration Bowl champion
MEAC champion
ConferenceMid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Ranking
STATSNo. 8
FCS CoachesNo. 7
Record12–0 (8–0 MEAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorChip Hester (3rd season)
Defensive coordinatorSam Washington (7th season)
Home stadiumAggie Stadium
(Capacity: 21,500)
Seasons
← 2016
2018 →
2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 7 North Carolina A&T $   8 – 0     12 – 0  
Howard   6 – 2     7 – 4  
Bethune–Cookman   6 – 2     7 – 4  
North Carolina Central   5 – 3     7 – 4  
Hampton   5 – 3     6 – 5  
Norfolk State   4 – 4     4 – 7  
Savannah State *   3 – 5     3 – 8  
South Carolina State   2 – 6     3 – 7  
Florida A&M *   2 – 6     3 – 8  
Delaware State   2 – 6     2 – 9  
Morgan State *   1 – 7     1 – 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * Florida A&M, Morgan State and Savannah State ineligible for postseason due to APR violations
Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2017 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team represented North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This season marked the 94th for the program, and the final season for head coach Rod Broadway, who retired at the season's end. The Aggies finished the season undefeated with a record of 12–0, 8–0 in MEAC play, capturing their ninth conference title. The Aggies also earned an invitation to the Celebration Bowl where they defeated Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Grambling, earning their fifth black college football national championship. The Aggies played their home games at Aggie Stadium and were members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

On January 8, 2018, head coach Rod Broadway announced his retirement.[1] He finished at North Carolina A&T with a seven-year record of 57–22.

Previous season

Main article: 2016 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team

The Aggies finished the season 9–3, 7–1 in MEAC play, to finish in second place behind chief rival North Carolina Central and received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost in the first round to Richmond.[2]

Before the season

At the conclusion of the 2016 football season, the Aggies lost key players such as Running Back Tarik Cohen, Wide Receiver Denzel Keyes, Defensive End Angelo Keyes and Kicker Cody Jones.[3]

Recruiting

See also: American football positions, Glossary of American football, and Recruiting (college athletics)

Prior to National Signing Day in February 2017, five players enrolled for the spring semester in order to participate in spring practice. On National Signing Day, A&T signed 12 additional players out of high school that completed the 2017 recruiting class.[4] Of the class, 10 players were from North Carolina, two players from Greensboro and six players offensive linemen.[5]

US college sports recruiting information for 2017 recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Malik Blassingame
OL 		Anderson, SC Westside HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 330 lb (150 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Jalen Fowler
QB 		Spartanburg, SC Dorman HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 240 lb (110 kg) Feb 1, 2017 [4] 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Macquel Hardy
OL 		Philadelphia,PA ASA Junior College 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 295 lb (134 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Devin Harrell
DL 		Gastonia, NC Hunter Huss HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Kyin Howard
LB 		Greensboro, NC Eastern Guilford HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Feb 1, 2017 [4] 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Karfa Kaba
DL 		Laurinburg, NC Scotland County HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 250 lb (110 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Zach Leslie
FS 		Lawndale, NC Burns HS/Palmetto Prep 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jan 3, 2017[6] 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Christian Marshall
OL 		Columbus, OH Jackson State University 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 295 lb (134 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Amir McNeil
DB 		Laurinburg, NC Scotland County HS 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Feb 1, 2017 [7] 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Noel Ruiz
K 		Wilson, NC Fike HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Jamari Smith
RB 		Jacksonville, FL University of South Carolina 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Feb 1, 2017 [4] 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Dacquari Wilson
OL 		Greensboro, NC Dudley HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 285 lb (129 kg) Feb 1, 2017 [4] 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Coaching staff

2017 North Carolina A&T Aggies coaching staff

Head Coach

Offensive Coaches

  • Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers – Chip Hester
  • Offensive Line – Ronald Mattes
  • Quarterbacks – Chris Barnette
  • Running Backs – Shawn Gibbs
  • Tight End/Offensive Graduate Assistant – Matt Pawlowski

Defensive Coaches

  • Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs/Associate Head Coach – Sam Washington
  • Defensive Line – Courtney Coard
  • Inside Linebackers – Thomas Howard
  • Outside Linebackers – Terry Lantz
  • Defensive Graduate Assistant – Denzel Jones
  

Administrative Staff

  • Athletic Director (A.D.) – Earl M. Hilton III
  • Administrative Support Associate for Football – Zanetta Thompson

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 26:00 pmat Gardner–Webb*
BSNW 45–37,015
September 96:00 pmMars Hill*
LTVW 56–012,827
September 167:00 pmat Charlotte*No. 25
7CW 35–3118,651
September 237:00 pmat Morgan StateNo. 21
FacebookW 49–177,437
September 306:00 pmat South Carolina StateNo. 17
FloFootballW 21–714,789
October 71:00 pmDelaware StatedaggerNo. 16
  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC
LTVW 44–321,500
October 143:00 pmat Florida A&MNo. 15
RVW 31–2025,067
October 211:00 p.m.Bethune–CookmanNo. 12
  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC
ESPNUW 24–2013,262
November 41:00 pmat Norfolk StateNo. 9
SSCW 35–76,082
November 111:00 pmSavannah StateNo. 9
  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC
LTVW 36–179,397
November 181:00 pmNorth Carolina CentralNo. 8
  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC (Rivalry)
ESPN3
ESPNU (Tape Delay)		W 24–1021,500
December 1612:00 pmvs. No. 13 Grambling State*No. 7
ABCW 21–1425,873

Roster

2017 North Carolina A&T Aggies Roster (Source)

Wide Receivers

  •  1 Jaquil Capel – Graduate Student
  •  3 Xavier Griffin – Redshirt Senior
  •  8 Khris Gardin – Senior
  • 13 Elijah Bell – Sophomore
  • 16 Caleb Gabriel – Redshirt Senior
  • 17 Isaiah Hicklin – Redshirt Junior
  • 19 Zachary Leslie – Redshirt Freshman
  • 80 Ahmed Bah – Redshirt Freshman
  • 81 Ron Hunt – Freshman
  • 85 Terrence Peterson – Redshirt Junior
  • 86 Deshaun McFadden – Sophomore
  • 88 Malik Wilson – Redshirt Junior
  • 89 Rashad Bovian – Freshman

Offensive Line

  • 58 Dacquari Wilson –Freshman
  • 61 Josh Mattocks – Redshirt Senior
  • 62 Malik Johnson – Junior
  • 63 Macquel Hardy – Junior
  • 65 Daquan Blake – Senior
  • 66 Arlander Cherry – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 68 Chamberlin Russell – Freshman
  • 69 Deven Milton – Redshirt Freshman
  • 70 Brandon Parker – Redshirt Senior
  • 71 Chris Davis – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 72 Darriel Mack – Redshirt Senior
  • 73 Marcus Pettiford – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 74 Sylvester Smith – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 75 Christian Marshall – Graduate Student
  • 76 Trajan Douthit – Redshirt Freshman
  • 77 Bilal Ali – Redshirt Freshman
  • 78 Micah Shaw – Junior
  • 79 Dontae Keys – Freshman

Tight Ends

  • 84 Trey Scott – Graduate Student
  • 87 Leroy Hill – Redshirt Junior

Fullbacks

  • 46 William Hollingsworth – Junior
  • 49 William Simpson – Redshirt Sophomore

  

Quarterbacks

  • 7 Lamar Raynard – Redshirt Junior
  • 10 Kylil Carter – Junior
  • 12 Jalen Fowler – Freshman

Running Backs

  • 20 Jamari Smith – Graduate Student
  • 22 Marquell Cartwright – Redshirt Junior
  • 23 Amos Williams – Redshirt Junior
  • 25 Kashon Baker – Sophomore
  • 26 Samuel Stidwell IV – Junior
  • 36 Unique Johnson – Freshman
  • 37 Anthony McCray – Freshman
  • 39 Keifer Oates – Redshirt Freshman

Fullbacks

  • 46 William Hollingsworth – Sophomore
  • 49 William Simpson – Redshirt Sophomore

Defensive Line

  • 50 Devin Harrell – Freshman
  • 82 Jarvis Reid – Sophomore
  • 90 Karfa Kaba – Freshman
  • 92 Jermaine Williams – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 94 Justin Cates – Junior
  • 95 Julian McKnight – Redshirt Junior
  • 97 Shomari Wallace – Freshman
  • 99 Artavious Richardson – Freshman

Defensive Ends

  • 40 Darryl Johnson – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 91 Kenneth "KJ" Melton – Redshirt Senior
  • 93 Turner Echols – Redshirt Junior
  • 96 Sam Blue – Redshirt Junior
  • 98 Kadarius Kendrick – Redshirt Freshman

Rovers

  • 2 Jamaal Darden – Senior
  • 30 David Pulliam – Redshirt Senior
  

Linebackers

  •  4 Marcus Albert – Redshirt Senior
  • 34 Deion Jones – Redshirt Junior
  • 41 Leon "Tre" Smalls – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 44 Julius Reynolds – Redshirt Junior
  • 45 Joshua Patrick – Senior
  • 48 Jeremy Taylor – Redshirt Senior
  • 52 Kiaundric Richardson – Redshirt Junior
  • 53 Johnnie Brunson – Freshman
  • 54 Kyin Howard – Freshman
  • 56 Tyler Beck – Redshirt Freshman
  • 57 Markeiss Blue – Redshirt Junior
  • 58 Adrian McPherson – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 59 Elijah Westbrook – Redshirt Sophomore

Defensive Backs

  •  5 Tard McCoy – Redshirt Senior
  •  9 Zerius Lockhart – Redshirt Senior
  • 14 Timadre Abram – Redshirt Junior
  • 18 Richie Kittles – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 21 Derrek Williams – Redshirt Freshman
  • 24 Amir McNeil – Freshman
  • 27 Justin Philip – Redshirt Freshman
  • 29 Franklin (Mac) McCain III – Redshirt Freshman
  • 32 Marquis Willis – Redshirt Junior
  • 33 Jalen Bethea – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 42 Taylor Wilson – Redshirt Senior
  • 43 Najee Reams – Redshirt Freshman
  • 47 Jaylen Pittman – Freshman

Punters

  • 15 Dominic Frescura – Redshirt Senior
  • 60 James Mackey – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 83 Garrett Nestor – Senior

Kickers

  • 35 Noel Ruiz – Freshman
  • 38 Davis Rogers – Freshman

Long Snappers

  • 51 John Davis – Freshman
  • 67 Ernest (Petie) Bush III – Redshirt Sophomore
† Starter at position      * Injured; did not play in 2017.

Game summaries

Gardner–Webb

See also: 2017 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team
Week One: North Carolina A&T vs. Gardner–Webb – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Aggies 19 14 12045
Runnin' Bulldogs 0 0 033

at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium, Boiling Springs, North Carolina

  • Date: September 2, 2017
  • Game time: 6:00pm EDT
  • Game attendance: 7,015
  • TV announcers (BSN): Fabian Fuentes and Alex Guest
  • [8]
Game information

This game marked the 1st ever meeting between the Aggies and In-State Division I FCS opponent Gardner–Webb.[9] Going into the game, Gardner-Webb had a 10–4 record against MEAC competition.[10] Junior Quarterback Lamar Raynard threw for 321 yards, 3 touchdowns and 19 of 21 completions. this marked the first time in his career that he threw over 300 yards in a single game.[11] Junior Running Back Marquell Cartwright scored the first points of the game with a 3-yard run and finished with 19 carries for 58 yards. Other standouts include: Wide Receiver making 2 touchdown catches; receiver Jaquil Capel with 5 receptions, 91 yards and 1 touchdown and return specialist Khris Gardin who had 5 returns for 150 yards and set a new career best return of 88 yards.[11] Gardner-Webb, who was selected to finish 3rd in the Big South preseason poll, were held to 114 yards of offense and 80 yards rushing.[12]

Mars Hill

Week Two: Mars Hill vs. North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 0 000
Aggies 14 7 211456

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, North Carolina

  • Date: September 9, 2017
  • Game time: 6:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), Partly Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 12,827
  • Referee: Rory Bernard
  • TV: LTV
  • [13]
Game information

This game was the home opener for NC A&T and marked the 1st ever meeting between the Aggies and In-State Division II opponent Mars Hill. Going into the game, the aggies held a 25–11 record against opponents in their home openers at Aggie Stadium.[14] This game also marked the sixth time since 1980, that A&T faced a division II opponent from outside of the CIAA, another conference made up of predominantly HBCUs.[14] Quarterback Lamar Reynard threw for 262 yards and 5 touchdowns matching a school record set in 1985 by Alan Hooker.[15] Other standouts include: Junior Running Back Marquel Cartwright who ran for 121 yards on 8 carries and 1 touchdown; Wide Receiver Elijah Bell had 6 catches and 3 touchdowns; Senior safety Jeremy Taylor earned 10 tackles, forced one fumble, recovered one fumble and a returned interception for 32 yards.[15] Mars Hill was held to only 7 yards rushing, but did gain 285 passing yards. This was the 40th time under coach Broadway that A&T held an opponent to under 100 yards rushing.[14]

Charlotte

See also: 2017 Charlotte 49ers football team
Week Three: No. 25 North Carolina A&T vs. Charlotte – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 25 Aggies 14 7 7735
49ers 7 3 71431

at Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: September 16, 2017
  • Game time: 6:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), Partly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 18,651
  • Referee: Jonathan Noli
  • [16]
Game information

This game marked the 1st ever meeting between the Aggies and In-State Division I FBS program Charlotte.[9] Going into the game, Charlotte was 1–1 against MEAC competitors as they split a two-game series with North Carolina Central, A&T's arch rival.[18] The standing room only crowd of 18,651 was a new attendance record for Charlotte's Richardson Stadium.[19] It was expected that attendance for this match up of regional schools would be high as A&T has a large number of alumni in Charlotte and surrounding areas.[20]

Freshman Defensive Back Franklin “Mac” McCain III, had 2 interceptions including on in the final minute of the game where he ran 74 yards for a touchdown.[21] Other stand out performances include Quarterback Lamar Raynard who completed 16 or 26 passes for a total 256 yards and 1 touchdown; 244 of those yards were before halftime. Also Junior defensive lineman Justin Cates had 3 sacks and 4 tackles for loss.[21] The Aggies' win over Charlotte was the 2nd straight win the FCS program had over a higher tier Division-I FBS opponent, as they defeated Kent State, the previous season.[22] This win also puts the Aggies at a 3–0 start to the season, a feat that has not been repeated since 2013.[22]

Morgan State

See also: 2017 Morgan State Bears football team
Week Four: No. 21 North Carolina A&T vs. Morgan State – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 21 Aggies 14 21 7749
Bears 0 0 71017

at Hughes Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

  • Date: September 23, 2017
  • Game time: 7:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 88 °F (31 °C), Clear
  • Game attendance: 7,437
  • Referee: Rory Bernard
  • [23]
Game information

This game marked the 83rd meeting between the Aggies and Morgan state. Morgan State holds the all-time lead in the series at 43–38–3.[24] In their last meeting in 2014, the Aggies shut out the bears with a 45–0 win.[25] Going into the game, the Bears were 0–3 and had been outscored 101–0 against opponents this season.[25] The Aggies, who were ranked in both national FCS polls, were in pursuit of their first 4–0 start since the 1993 season.[26]

The Aggies amassed 514 yards of total offense, with 169 yards passing and 345 rushing.[27] Freshman Defensive Back Franklin “Mac” McCain III earned 3 Interceptions, 2 of which for touchdowns, including a 100-yard interception from the bears endzone to put the Aggies up 35–0 at Halftime.[27] In the game's second half, Morgan state scored their first points of both the game and season with an 83-yard pass from Elijah Stanley to Brian Gentry for a touchdown.[27] In addition to McCain's performance, other standouts included: Quarterback Lamar Renard who threw for 169 yards and 3 touchdowns; Running Back Marquell Cartwright who ran for 176 yards and a touchdown and Wide Receiver Elijah Bell who had 4 receptions and 2 touchdowns.[27]

South Carolina State

See also: 2017 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team and North Carolina A&T–South Carolina State football rivalry
Week Five: No. 17 North Carolina A&T vs. South Carolina State – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 17 Aggies 0 12 6321
Bulldogs 0 0 077

at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, Orangeburg, South Carolina

  • Date: September 30, 2017
  • Game time: 6:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 89 °F (32 °C), Fair
  • Game attendance: 14,789
  • Referee: Jason Soistham
  • TV: FloFootball
  • [28]
Game information

This game marked the 54th meeting between the Aggies and Bulldogs. The Bulldogs hold the lead in this rivalry with a record of 31–20–3. In their last meeting, in 2016, the Aggies defeated the Bulldogs 20–30 in Greensboro.[29] Going into the game, the Aggies are on a 2-game winning streak against SC State. They entered an environment at Dawson Stadium in which they have only won 5 out of the last 21 games played there against the Bulldogs.[30]

The Aggies ended the game with 425 Yards in total offense. Quarterback Lamar Raynard threw for 18 of 31 completions for 298 passing yards and 2 touchdowns.[31] Raynard's streak of 159 passes without interception was broken by SC State's Graduate free safety Jason Baxter in the games' 3rd quarter.[32] Other Aggie standout performances include: Running Back Marquell Cartwright who ran for 98 yards and a touchdown and Freshman Kicker Noel Ruiz who made 3 of 4 field goals from 36, 41 and 27 yards respectively.[31] SC State were held to 279 yards of total offense, including 82 rushing yards.[32] The bulldogs now have an 0-2 start in conference play for the first time in 16 seasons.[30] The Aggies have now increased their streak against SC State to 3 games; a feat last completed in the 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons.[30]

Delaware State

See also: 2017 Delaware State Hornets football team
Week Six: Delaware State vs. No. 16 North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Hornets 0 3 003
No. 16 Aggies 16 14 7744

at Aggie Stadium , Greensboro, NC

  • Date: October 7, 2017
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 21,500
  • TV: LTV
  • [33]
Game information

This game marked the 46th meeting between the North Carolina A&T and Delaware State. Going into the game, A&T held a one-game lead in the all-time series with 23–22–1.[34] In their last meeting, the Aggies defeated the Hornets 45–14 in Dover, Delaware. Quarterback Lamar Raynard completed 20 of 36 passes for 324 yards and 3 touchdowns in their homecoming victory.[35] Other standouts include: Running Back Marquell Cartwright who recorded 96 yards rushing on 19 carries and two touchdowns; and sophomore Wide Receiver Elijah Bell who had nine catches for 178 yards and 1 touchdown.[35] The Aggies held Delaware State to 128 total yards, including minus -38 yards rushing. The A&T defense recorded 8 sacks for 41 yards against the Hornets.[36]

Florida A&M

See also: 2017 Florida A&M Rattlers football team
Week Seven: No. 15 North Carolina A&T vs. Florida A&M – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 15 Aggies 7 21 3031
Rattlers 7 0 7620

at Bragg Memorial Stadium , Tallahassee, Florida

  • Date: October 14, 2017
  • Game time: 3:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 86 °F (30 °C), Partly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 25,067
  • Referee: Eric Greene
  • TV: LTV
Game information

This game marked the 64th meeting between North Carolina A&T and Florida A&M. Going into the game, Florida A&M held a 44–17–3 all-time record against the Aggies, with the A&T winning the last meeting 42–17 the year before in Greensboro.

Both teams were able to score on their first drives of the game, with A&T Running Back Marquell Cartwright and FAMUs Devin Bowers getting their respective teams onto the scoreboard.[37] In the second quarter, the Aggies recorded 159 yards of offense, held the Rattlers to 29 yards and kept the ball 12 of the 15 minutes allotted in a quarter and scored 21 unanswered points extending their lead to 28-7 at halftime.[38] FAMU were able to mount some offense, outscoring the Aggies 13-3 in the second half of the game, but were not able to overtake the Aggies. Quarterback Lamar Raynard recorded 215 yards in the air, completing 20 of 32 passes. He also threw for 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Wide receiver Elijah Bell had 6 receptions for 53 yards and 1 touchdown. On the defensive end, Redshirt freshman Defensive end Najee Reams and fifth-year safety Jeremy Taylor led the team. Reams finished with eight tackles and Taylor had five tackles, an interception and a pass break up.[38] The Aggie's win was their seventh straight of the season, making them the third team in school history to start 7-0 since the 1927 and 1943 seasons.[39]

Bethune-Cookman

See also: 2017 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats football team
Week Eight: Bethune-Cookman vs. No. 12 North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Wildcats 3 10 7020
No. 12 Aggies 7 7 01024

at Aggie Stadium , Greensboro, NC

  • Date: October 21, 2017
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), Partly Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 13,262
  • Referee: Jason Stoistman
  • TV: ESPN3/ESPNU
  • [40]
Game information

This game marked the 38th meeting between North Carolina A&T and Bethune-Cookman. Going into the game, Bethune-Cookman held a 22–15 all-time record against the Aggies, with the A&T winning the last meeting 52–35 the year before in Daytona Beach.

In the first quarter, both teams were able to make scoring plays, with Bethune-Cookman kicker Uriel Hernandez completing a 33 Yd Field Goal for the first points of the game. The Aggies responded with a 62-yard pass from Lamar Raynard to Jaquil Capel for a touchdown.[41] The Aggies went into halftime with a 1-point lead over the Wildcats. In the 3rd quarter, the Wildcats scored, shifting the momentum in Bethune-Cookman's favor as they closed the quarter leading the Aggies 20-14.[41] With under five minutes left in the quarter, BCU quarterback Akevious Williams attempts however in an attempt for an interception, the ball bounces off Mckain's hands and into the hands of fifth-year linebacker Jeremy Taylor. Taylor is then stripped by BCU's Anthony Cruz, however, A&T junior linebackers Deion Jones was able to regain possession for the Aggies on the Wildcats 43-yard line.[41] In the fourth quarter, the Aggies went on a 10-play drive resulting in a 30-yard field goal that brought them within 3 points of the Wildcats. A&T's defense then forced B-CU to a three-and-out that resulted in a punt out of bounds by the Wildcats on A&T's 48-yard line. With possession of the ball, A&T made a four-play drive resulting in a four-yard pass from Lamar Raynard to fifth-year tight end Trey Scott, putting the Aggies back in the lead 24-20.[41] A&T's defense forced another three-and-out drive for Bethune-Cookman with the Wildcats ending the game on an incomplete pass.[41]

The Aggies recorded 307 total yards, with quarterback Lamar Raynard accounting for 177 of them on 11 passes. Raynard's performance made him the fifth Aggie quarterback to throw for over 2,000 yards in a single season.[42] The team's win has placed them as only 1 of 2 teams in the program's history to have an 8-0 record, the other being the 1927 team that won the school's first championship.[42]

Norfolk State

See also: 2017 Norfolk State Spartans football team
Week Nine: No. 9 North Carolina A&T vs. Norfolk State – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 9 Aggies 7 7 14735
Spartans 0 7 007

at Dick Price Stadium , Norfolk, Virginia

  • Date: November 4, 2017
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 6,082
  • Referee: Robert Frazer
  • [43]
Game information

This game marked the 40th meeting between North Carolina A&T and Norfolk State. Going into the game, the Aggies held a 29–11 all-time record against the Spartans, with A&T winning the last meeting 35–0 the year before in Greensboro.

The game began with the Aggies scoring the first 14 points of the game. The Spartans scored their first points of the game with an 8-yard pass to Isaiah Winstead. The spartan's touchdown was the first in 14 quarters against A&T.[44] Going into Halftime, A&T lead the Spartans 14-7. In the second half, A&T took control with 21 unanswered points. In the 3rd quarter, the Aggies scored on two successful 1-yard TD runs one by quarterback Lamar Raynard and the other by running back Marquell Cartwright. In the fourth quarter, running back Jamari Smith scored the final points of the game with another 1 yard run.[45]

A&T held Norfolk state to -4 rushing yards on 21 attempts, while the Aggies recorded 203 yards rushing and 497 total.[46] Lamar Raynard threw for 277 yards on 31 attempts and ran for 13 rushing yards and scored 2 Touchdowns. Other stand out players include: Marquell Cartwright who recorded 104 rushing yards on 17 carries and 1 touchdown and receiver Elijah Bell who recorded 114 yards on 7 receptions.[46] The team's win marked the first time in the program's history that a team has gone 9-0.[47]

Savannah State

See also: 2017 Savannah State Tigers football team
Week Ten: Savannah State vs. No. 9 North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Tigers 0 3 7717
No. 9 Aggies 7 6 131036

at Aggie Stadium , Greensboro, North Carolina

  • Date: November 11, 2017
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), Partly Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 9,397
  • Referee: A. Singleton
  • TV: LTV
  • [48]
Game information

This game marked the 3rd meeting between North Carolina A&T and Savannah State. Going into the game, the Aggies held a 2–0 all-time record against the Tigers, with A&T winning the last meeting in 2014 34–0 the year before in Savannah.

The Aggies scored the first points of the game with a 1-yard run for a touchdown early in the 1st quarter. Freshman kicker Noel Ruiz recorded 2 field goals in the 2nd quarter giving the Aggies a 13-3 lead at halftime.[49] In the 3rd quarter, Raynard threw a touchdown pass to 5th year tight end Trey Scott and Savannah State responded with their first touchdown of the game with a 2-yard run from quarterback D'vonn Gibbons, bringing the score to 19-10.[49] The Aggies finished the 3rd quarter with 1 yard run by Marquell Cartwright resulting in a touchdown. In the 4th quarter, the Aggies added 10 more points to their total between a Noel Ruiz field goal and an 18-yard pass to Elijah Bell for a touchdown. The Tigers scored the final points of the game with 13 yard pass from D'Vonn Gibbons to Jaylen McCloud in the final seconds of the game.[49]

The Aggies recorded 443 total offensive yards, with 252 passing and 191 rushing yards.[50] The defense was able to hold Savannah State to 261 yards of offense, and forced 4 turnovers.[51] Quarterback Lamar Raynard recorded 252 yards passing completing 17 of 27 passes and 2 touchdowns. Other standout performances include: wide receiver Elijah Bell who led the receivers with five catches for 77 yards including an 18-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to tie the school's single-season touchdown receptions record at 10; tight end Trey Scott who recorded 3 receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown; Kicker Noel Ruiz who was perfect on three field goal attempts from 25, 30 and 32-yards out and running back Marquell Cartwright, who rushed 127 total yards on 27 carries for two touchdowns to go over 1,000 yards rushing for the season.[51] The win clinched a share of the MEAC championship for A&T, earning the school's 3rd conference title in the past 4 seasons and 9th overall.[52]

North Carolina Central

See also: 2017 North Carolina Central Eagles football team and North Carolina A&T–North Carolina Central rivalry
Week Eleven: North Carolina Central vs. No. 8 North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Eagles 0 3 7010
No. 8 Aggies 0 7 14324

at Aggie Stadium , Greensboro, North Carolina

Game information

This game marked the 89th game in the rivalry between North Carolina A&T and In-state conference member North Carolina Central. Going into the game, the Aggies held a 49–34 all-time record against the Eagles.[54] The Eagles have won the last 3 meetings between the two teams, which has decided both conference championships and had post season implications for both A&T and NCCU. In 2014, NCCU's victory secured them a share of the MEAC Championship, split among 5 teams, including A&T. In 2015, an Eagle victory helped split the MEAC Championship again with A&T, who went on to win the 2015 Celebration Bowl and in 2016, NCCU secured an outright championship sending them to compete in the 2016 Celebration Bowl, while the Aggies earned an at-large spot in the FCS playoffs.

Quarterback Lamar Raynard recorded a total 193 yards of Total offense, completing 10-of-18 passes for 153 yards and 40 yards rushing on 7 carries.[55] Other stand out performances include: Running backs Marquell Cartwright and Jamari Smith and wide receiver Elijah Bell. Smith recorded 123 yards of total offense, including a season-high 99 yards rushing on 14 carries and 2 receptions for a combined 23 yards.[56] Cartwright recorded 60 yards rushing on 20 carries for 2 consecutive touchdowns in the 3rd quarter.[55] Bell, who recorded 82 yards on 4 receptions, broke the school's single-season touchdown receptions record, earning his 11th of the season and surpassing former teammate from the 2016 Season Denzel Keyes and Craig Thompson from the 1991 team.[56] The Aggies win over arch-rival NCCU gave A&T its 11th win of the season and the team's 1st undefeated MEAC season in 18 years. This is the Aggies 9th MEAC conference championship and their first outright title in 14 years.[56]

Grambling State - Celebration Bowl

See also: 2017 Grambling State Tigers football team and 2017 Celebration Bowl
2017 Celebration Bowl – Game Summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 13 Tigers 0 7 0714
No. 7 Aggies 0 7 7721

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta,GA

Game information

This game marked the 3rd Celebration Bowl game, and only the 8th meeting between the A&T and Grambling from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The Aggies were invited to participate in the Celebration Bowl after winning the MEAC Championship with an 8-0 record. Grambling earned their bowl invite after defeating Alcorn State in the SWAC Championship game. Going into the matchup, Grambling holds a 4-3 all-time record over the Aggies.[58] The last meeting between occurred during the 1997 Season in which the Aggies defeated Grambling 37-35.[58]

Quarterback Lamar Raynard recorded a total 242 of total offense, completing 23-of-43 passes for 225 yards and 17 yards rushing on 8 carries. Raynard scored the game-winning touchdown with a 1-yard sneak with 38 seconds left in the game.[59] Other standout performances include: running back Marquell cartwright, receiver Elijah Bell and cornerback Franklin "Mac" McCain III. Cartwright and McCain were named offensive and defensive most valuable players. Cartwright recorded 110 yards rushing on 20 attempts and 54 receiving yards on 3 catches. Cartwright's efforts resulted in 2 Touchdowns for the Aggies.[60] McCain recorded 4 tackles and a key second-half interception at the Grambling goal line.[61][62] Bell led the receivers with 10 receptions, gaining 95 yards for the Aggies.[59]

The win over Grambling gave A&T its 2nd Celebration Bowl win and the program's 5th HBCU National Championship overall. In the 7 seasons under coach Broadway, the Aggies have 59 wins compared to the 15 games total in the 7 seasons prior to Broadway taking over the program.[63]

Statistics

Considered by most the best team statistically in the program's history, the 2017 Aggie football team reached a number of historical benchmarks and set new records for the program.[64] The team broke the program's record for wins and is the first team to finish their regular season undefeated in 74 years.[65] The team's 12-0 record made them the first team in the history of the MEAC conference to finish the season undefeated.[65] Performances from players such as Quarterback Lamar Raynard, offensive lineman Brandon Parker and return specialist Kris Gardin broke a number of records during the season. Raynard's 2017 performance saw him break the program's single-season records in yards passing with 2,707; completions with 186; touchdown passes with 26; touchdowns responsible for with 29 and total offense with 2,875 yards.[66] Nationally, Raynard ranked 3rd in passing efficiency (171.6), 4th in yards per pass attempt (9.50) and 10th in passing yards per completion (14.55) and completion percentage (65.3).[66] Brandon Parker's stingy defense at the left tackle position resulted in 0 sacks by his opponents. In addition to his 2017 performance, Parker never allowed a single sack in his entire career at A&T.[67] Khris Gardin, who set the FCS single-season record in punt return yardage as a sophomore,[68] finished his senior season with 29 returned punts for 371 yards and a touchdown, including an 88-yard punt return for touchdown in the season opener against Gardner-Webb.[69]

Team

Team Opp
Scoring 400 138
  Points per Game 36.4 12.3
First Downs 231 160
  Rushing 90 57
  Passing 127 85
  Penalty 14 18
Total Offense 4,725 2,765
  Avg per Play 6.6 4.2
  Avg per Game 429.5 251.4
Fumbles-Lost 7-5 21-10
Penalties-Yards 87-774 79-675
  Avg per Game 70.4 61.4
Team Opp
Punts-Yards 45-1606 68-2812
  Avg per Punt 35.7 41.4
Time of Possession/Game 32:57 27:03
3rd Down Conversions 57/133 58/156
4th Down Conversions 8/13 7/14
Touchdowns Scored 54 16
Field Goals-Attempts-Long 9-12 8-9
PAT-Attempts (45-51) 88% (13-15) 87%
Attendance 78,486 79,041
  Games/Avg per Game 5/15,697 6/13,174

Scores by quarter

1 2 3 4 Total
Opponents 17 29 42 47 135
Aggies 105 137 90 68 400

source [70]

Offense

Rushing

Name GP Att Gain Loss Net Avg TD Long Avg/G
Marquell Cartwright 11 224 1112 32 1080 4.8 13 72 98.2
Jamari Smith 11 69 399 10 389 5.6 2 40 35.4
Lamar Raynard 11 51 222 54 168 3.3 3 20 15.3
Kylil Carter 6 21 93 8 85 4.0 0 19 14.2
Jaquil Capel 11 18 67 10 57 3.2 2 10 5.2
Isaiah Hicklin 3 8 43 4 39 4.9 0 15 13.0
Kashon Baker 4 10 39 0 39 3.9 1 11 9.8
Caleb Gabriel 9 2 28 0 28 14.0 0 28 3.1
Amos Williams 10 4 18 0 18 4.5 0 9 1.8
Khris Gardin 11 1 4 0 4 4.0 0 4 0.4
TEAM 8 5 0 15 -15 -3.0 0 0 -1.9
Total 11 413 2025 133 1892 4.6 21 72 172.0

Passing

Name GP Effic Att-Cmp-Int Pct Yds TD Lng Avg/G
Lamar Raynard 11 171.6 86-285-5 65.3 2707 26 71 246.1
Kylil Carter 6 161.6 4-8-0 50.0 67 1 25 11.2
Isaiah Hicklin 3 104.6 2-4-0 50.0 26 0 20 8.7
Jaquil Capel 11 238.6 2-2-0 100.0 33 0 25 3.0
Total 11 170.9 194-299-5 64.9 2833 27 71 257.5

Receiving

Name GP No. Yds Avg TD Long Avg/G
Elijah Bell 11 54 858 15.9 11 61 78.0
Khris Gardin 11 30 319 10.6 1 29 29.0
Jamari Smith 11 25 277 11.1 2 45 25.2
Trey Scott 11 24 347 14.5 3 54 31.5
CAPEL,Jaquil 11 14 281 20.1 2 66 25.5
Ron Hunt 11 14 132 9.4 0 22 12.0
Malik Wilson 11 12 318 26.5 4 67 28.9
Xavier Griffin 7 6 154 25.7 4 71 22.0
Zachary Leslie 10 5 33 6.6 0 14 3.3
Lamar Raynard 11 2 41 20.5 0 25 3.7
Ahmed Bah 8 2 34 17.0 0 26 4.2
Leroy Hill 11 2 26 13.0 0 14 2.4
Caleb Gabriel 9 2 14 7.0 0 8 1.6
Marquel Cartwright 11 2 -1 -0.5 0 4 -0.1
Total 11 194 2833 14.6 27 71 257.5

Defense

Name GP Tackles Sacks Pass Defense Interceptions Fumbles Blkd
Kick
Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds No-Yds BrUp QBH No.-Yds Avg TD Long Rcv-Yds FF
Jeremy Taylor 11 46 19 65 7.5 - 14 0 - 0 8 0 5 - 133 26.6 1 47 1 - 0 3 0
Franklin McCain 11 33 13 46 1.0 - 1 0 - 0 8 0 5 - 274 54.8 3 100 0 - 0 0 0
Deion Jones 11 26 17 43 2.5 - 8 1.0 - 7 3 1 1 - 3 3.0 0 3 1 - 9 1 0
Marcus Albert 11 24 16 40 10.0 - 32 1.0 - 3 2 1 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 1 0
Darryl Johnson 11 24 14 38 15.5 - 62 6.5 - 37 3 4 0 - 0 . . . 1 - 0 4 0
Kiaundric Richardson 11 19 11 30 2.0 - 2 0 - 0 2 1 1 - 19 19.0 0 19 0 - 0 0 0
Sam Blue 11 15 14 29 11.0- 50 6.5 - 41 1 4 0 - 0 . . . 1 - 0 0 0
Timadre Abram 11 19 9 28 1.5 - 5 0 - 0 8 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Julius Reynolds 11 15 13 28 1.5 - 7 1.0 - 6 1 1 0 - 0 . . . 1 - 6 0 0
Jermaine Williams 11 16 9 25 6.0 - 34 4.0 - 29 0 1 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 1 0
Jamaal Darden 7 18 5 23 0 0 3 1 2 -23 11.5 0 23 0 - 0 0 0
Turner Echols 11 15 7 22 4.5 - 18 2.0 - 10 1 2 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Kenneth Melton 8 17 4 21 10.5 - 57 5.5 - 42 0 3 0 - 0 . . . 1 - 0 1 0
Tard McCoy 9 12 8 20 1.0 - 1 0 - 0 2 2 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 1 0
Joshua Patrick 11 10 8 18 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 1 - 9 9.0 0 9 0 - 0 0 0
Najee Reams 10 9 9 18 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Julian McKnight 6 7 10 17 4.5 - 13 1.5 - 8 2 1 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 1 0
Richie Kittles 11 7 8 15 1.0 - 3 0 - 0 0 0 1 - 17 17.0 0 17 1 - 0 1 0
Derrick Williams 11 9 4 13 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 1 0
Kadarius Kendrick 11 5 7 12 4.5 - 15 1.0 - 9 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Justin Cates 7 7 5 12 4.0 - 23 3.0 - 20 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Marques Willis 11 8 3 11 1.0 - 1 0 - 0 1 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Shomari Wallace 10 9 1 10 3.0 - 17 2.0 - 14 0 2 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Leon Smalls 9 6 3 9 1.0 - 1 0 - 0 1 2 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Justin Phillip 5 7 2 9 0.5 - 0 0 - 0 1 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Jalon Bethea 5 3 3 6 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Markeiss Blue 4 3 3 6 0 - 0 0 - 0 1 0 1 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Elijah Westbrook 7 2 2 4 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Taylor Wilson 6 2 2 4 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
William Hollinsworth 10 1 3 4 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
John Davis 11 3 0 3 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Amos Williams 10 1 1 2 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 1 - 0 0 0
Williams Simpson 10 2 0 2 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Malik Wilson 10 2 0 2 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Marquell Cartwright 10 2 0 2 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Noel Ruiz 11 1 0 1 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Davis Rogers 2 0 1 1 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
David Pulliam 6 1 0 1 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 0 - 0 0 0
Team 8 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 - 0 . . . 1 - 0 0 0
Total 11 406 234 640 94 - 364 35 - 226 49 24 16 - 478 29.9 4 100 10 -15 15 0

Special teams

Name Punting Kickoffs
No. Yds Avg Long TB FC I20 Blkd No. Yds Avg TB OB
James Mackey 32 1,217 38.0 53 0 9 5 1
Garrett Nestor 11 352 32.0 51 0 5 7 0
TEAM 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lamar Raynard 1 37 37.0 37 1 0 0 0
Noel Ruiz 72 3,724 51.7 3 1
Total 45 1,606 35.7 53 1 14 12 1 72 3,724 51.7 3 1
Name Punt Returns Kick Returns
No. Yds Avg TD Long No. Yds Avg TD Long
Khris Gardin 26 353 13.6 1 88 14 376 26.9 0 78
Jaquil Capel 21 170 8.1 0 26 1 17 17.0 0 17
Caleb Gabriel 2 28 14.0 0 17
Terrence Peterson 1 2 2.0 0 2
Amos Williams 1 7 7.0 0 7
Total 27 371 13.7 1 88 24 524 21.8 0 78

Post season

Following the victory over Grambling for the HBCU national championship, the team returned to Greensboro on the afternoon of December 17, greeted by a host of family, friends, and members of the local media.[71] In recognition of the national championship and undefeated season, the team was sent out on a 5 stop victory tour to celebrate the historic accomplishment. On January, 15th, the team served as grand marshals of the Greensboro Martin Luther King Day parade.[72] The following day, the team was recognized by the Greensboro City Council with a resolution honoring the season's accomplishments.[73] On January 19, the team was invited to meet with the Governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, in a reception at the North Carolina Executive Mansion.[74] At the reception, Governor Cooper signed a proclamation recognizing the team and was presented with a gift from the University by A&T's Chancellor Harold Martin.[74] On January 27, the team was again recognized during halftime of the basketball game against arch rival North Carolina Central.[72] Lastly, on January 30, the university held a pep rally inside Corbett Sports Center, celebrating the team and their accomplishments.[72] On April 19, the team received their championship rings for winning both the MEAC and National Championships. The MEAC championship ring, which is silver in color, has the interlocked A&T lettering as the centerpiece of the ring. The HBCU national championship ring is gold with the Celebration Bowl trophy at its center.[75]

Rod Broadway's retirement

As the season concluded, many media outlets speculated the Rod Broadway was contemplating retirement. It was reported by media sources that as of the end of the regular season, Broadway had yet to sit down with A&T's Athletic Director Earl Hilton & Chancellor Harold Martin to renew his contract.[76] According to Brant Wilkerson-New of the Greensboro News & Record, when asked about the retirement rumors, Broadway responded by saying “We’re going to sit down and discuss the direction of the program and go from there...It’s in a pretty good place; We’ve taken some giants steps forward and still have a lot of room for improvement. That’s the goal, and we’re going to sit down and talk about all those things in January.[76]” On January 8, Broadway held a press conference confirming that he is retiring from coaching. Athletic Director Earl Hilton also announced that assistant coach Washington has been named as Broadways's successor.[77] According to sources within the A&T athletic department, Broadway will serve out the remainder of his contract as a special assistant to the Athletic Director.[78]

Awards

In the weeks following the finale of the 2017 MEAC regular season, many organizations began to announce finalists and winners of various post-season awards and honors. Coach Rod Broadway, in addition to several players for the Aggies, were honored with postseason awards and accolades including Redshirt Junior quarterback Lamar Raynard and Senior Offensive Lineman Brandon Parker.

Coach Broadway was named MEAC Coach of the year for the first time his 7 seasons as head coach of the Aggie program.[79] In addition to Broadway, Quarterback Lamar Raynard was named MEAC Offensive player of the year. Raynard was presented with the award at the 60th annual National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame press conference in New York City.[80] He is the first Aggie Quarterback to win the award since Connell Maynor, who won in 1991.[66] Offensive lineman Brandon Parker earned the MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year award, becoming the first player to win the award in 3 consecutive seasons. His performance also earned him 1st team FCS All-America honors and an invitation to the Senior Bowl where he was one of 3 players from a HBCU in attendance.[81][82] In addition to Parker Freshman Defensive Back Franklin "Mac" McCain III and Return Specialist Khris Gardin also earned FCS All-America honors, gaining third team recognition.[81] Gardin ranks second in all of FCS with 1,594 punt return yards, behind Marquay McDaniel of Hampton University.[81]

The following A&T players were also named to the All–MEAC First, Second, and Third Teams:[83]

All-MEAC First Team
  • Timadre Abram, Jr, DB
  • Elijah Bell, So, WR
  • Marquell Cartwright, Jr, RB
  • Khris Gardin, Sr, RS
  • Darryl Johnson, Jr., R-So, DB
  • Darriel Mack, Sr, C
  • Franklin (Mac) McCain III, R-Fr, DB
  • Brandon Parker, R-Sr, OL
  • Marcus Pettiford, R-So, OL
  • Lamar Raynard, R-Sr, QB
  • Trey Scott, Gr, TE
  • Jeremy Taylor, R-Sr, LB
All-MEAC Second Team

None Selected

All-MEAC Third Team
  • Marcus Albert, Sr, LB

2018 NFL Draft

The 2018 NFL Draft was held on April 26–28, 2018 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.[84] The following A&T players were either selected or signed as undrafted free agents following the draft.

Player Position Round Overall Pick NFL Team
Brandon Parker OL 3rd 65th Oakland Raiders

Ranking movements

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
RV = Received votes ( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213Final
STATSRVRV252117161512799877Not released
Coaches2521201513121111677776 (1)Not released
BoxToRow Media Poll and Coaches Poll (BTR)3 (2)1 (5)1 (7)1 (15)1 (16)1 (17)1 (16)1 (15)1 (16)1 (16)1 (18)1 (18)11Not released

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