Morgan State Opens Its One-Week Countdown to the North Carolina A&T Kickoff

Hughes Stadium, home of Morgan State football. Official Morgan State University Athletics image; PowerPage branding added.

The Morgan State season opener is one week away. The Bears begin their 2026 schedule Saturday, August 29, at North Carolina A&T, opening a demanding road stretch with an HBCU matchup that will test an experienced core before the schedule grows even heavier.

Morgan State’s official camp preview lists 15 returning starters and 66 returning letterwinners on a 116-player preseason roster. The continuity is most visible among the veterans: linebacker Arturo Mattocks, defensive lineman Jordan Jeudy, defensive backs Jayden Jackson and Dantonio Hackworth Jr., running back Keith Jenkins Jr., offensive linemen Daniel Casillas Jr. and Adorain Favors, and quarterbacks Tahj Smith and Raeden Oliver.

The Bears also placed nine players on the preseason All-MEAC teams. Tight end Alex Simmons, Mattocks and defensive back Aki Harvey earned first-team recognition. Jenkins, wide receiver Justin Perry, defensive linemen Justin Dutton and Kristopher Boyd, punter Shane Messenger and return specialist Malique Leatherbury were named to the second team.

Perry gives the offense a proven field-stretching option. As a freshman in 2025, he caught 25 passes for 464 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 18.6 yards per reception. His ability to create explosive plays should help a quarterback competition that has included six players during camp and will need clarity quickly.

The opener is only the first part of a difficult launch. Morgan State travels to Arizona State on September 5 before returning to Hughes Stadium for its home opener against Virginia University of Lynchburg on September 12. The road-heavy schedule later includes trips to Towson, Villanova and Tennessee State, followed by a MEAC slate featuring Howard and other conference contenders throughout the fall.

Morgan was picked fourth in the conference’s preseason order after finishing 4-8 overall and 1-4 in MEAC play last year. That projection gives the Bears something concrete to challenge. The first answer comes in Greensboro, where experience, Perry’s explosiveness and a veteran defense must turn a month of Baltimore camp into a composed opening-night performance. PowerPage Sports will track the Bears throughout the season.