After two seasons in the Big South conference, the North Carolina A&T Aggies are once again on the move joining the Coastal Athletic Association.
Last season, the Aggies finished with a 7-4 overall record, including a 6-1 record against the Big South. This was the team’s first winning season since leaving the MEAC in 2019.
The team fell one win short of what would have been the team’s first and only Big South conference championship and their first FCS playoff berth since 2016.
Here we will preview the North Carolina A&T Aggies’ 2023 football season with some essential storylines.
New head coach
The team is transitioning conferences and new head coach Vincent Brown.
This is Brown’s first head coaching job after spending 15 years on multiple college coaching staffs such as Virginia, Richmond, Connecticut, Howard, and William & Mary.
He takes over for Sam Washington, who has served as head coach of the Aggies since 2018.
In four seasons as head coach, Washington led the team to a 31-15 overall record winning two MEAC titles and two Celebration Bowls.
Before becoming head coach, the former Aggies coach was the team’s defensive coordinator from 2011-2017.
In this role, North Carolina A&T finished among the top two defenses in the MEAC in six of his seven seasons, allowing 17.6 points per game.
In his final season as defensive coordinator, before taking over as head coach, the Aggies finished a perfect 12-0, completing its third-ever undefeated season.
Vincent Brown will have some big shoes to fill, taking over for a coach with tremendous pedigree.
Recovering from offseason losses
The transfer portal hurt the Aggies severely this offseason, losing several of their top players from last season on both sides of the ball.
Arguably the most notable loss came on the offense, with all-conference running back Bhayshul Tuten moving on to the ACC.
Tuten was a big-time playmaker for the Aggies offense last season, producing 1,363 rushing yards and scoring 13 touchdowns. He was named to the All-Big South first team.
He set a new school record rushing for over 100 yards in 10 straight games, including a season-high 256 yards against Campbell.
At a school known for producing outstanding running backs such as Tarik Cohen and Jah-Maine Martin, Wesley Graves will look to be the next man up in relief of Tuten.
Meanwhile, on defense, North Carolina A&T lost a pair of all-conference linebackers: Jacob Roberts and Tyquan King.
Roberts finished with 218 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 10 passes defended, five interceptions, and six blocked kicks in his three seasons with the team.
He was named to an all-conference team each season, including his freshman season, in which he was named the defensive MVP of the 2019 Celebration Bowl.
Tyquan King, on the other hand, played two seasons with the Aggies, with last year being his breakout season.
He produced 93 tackles, 5.5 tackles, two pass breakups, and an interception, being named to the All-Big South first team.
These losses could be difficult for a North Carolina A&T team moving into a new conference with stiffer competition than in the Big South.
Impact of the secondary
North Carolina A&T’s defense was a big reason for their success last season, leading the Big South in points allowed and total yards allowed.
The biggest strength for A&T’s defense is the amount of depth they have in their secondary.
The Aggies’ secondary ranked among the top units in FCS football, recording 15 interceptions and returning two for a touchdown.
Of those 15 interceptions, ten were recorded by defensive backs, all of whom will be returning for the 2023 season.
Leading the way for NC A&T is Karon Prunty, who was the only Aggies defensive player selected to the All-CAA preseason team.
In his first season with the team, transferring from Kansas, Prunty led the Big South with four interceptions, being named to the All-Big South First Team.
He will be aided by Aaron Harris, Avarion Cole, and David Laney, who combined for six interceptions in the 2022 season.
The production of this unit will be a key to the Aggies’ success this upcoming year.
Season prediction
Record: 4-7 (3-5)
