After a rough first year as Tennessee State head coach, Reggie Barlow was happy to see improvement this spring.
“Spring football has been good; we’ve been able to get better, so I’m proud of our guys and our coaches,” Barlow said after the Tigers’ spring game. “The work is on the field. We just have to keep getting better.”
Barlow replaced Eddie George, who went to Bowling Green prior to the start of the 2025 season, and TSU struggled, finishing 2-10 overall, 0-8 in OVC-Big South action.
For Saturday, Barlow’s focus was on competition, as well as good vibes.
“We were excited to get out there today,” he said. “We wanted to come out here and have fun, see these guys compete and not get anybody hurt, so we’re happy about that.”
Head Coach @reggiebarlow talks Spring Game takeaways, the addition of @CoachMattLeone as OC, and the battle in the QB room. pic.twitter.com/qCNCKh6uGZ
— Tennessee State Football (@TSUTigersFB) April 11, 2026
Barlow was also excited about the addition of new defensive coordinator (and former Alabama State teammate) Cedric Thornton and Matt Leone, most recently offensive coordinator of North Carolina Central’s high-powered offense.
“He’s done an amazing job every place he’s been,” Barlow said of Leone. “He’s doing a good job of getting our offense going.”
Barlow mentioned Winston-Salem State transfer Daylin Lee and South Florida transfer Marcelis Tate as two quarterbacks that stood out during spring practice, and expressed confidence in a class he says will help Tennessee State this coming season.
“We’ve brought on about 20 guys that we think will help improve us,” he said. “We’re excited about those guys being here.”
Tennessee State opens the season Saturday Aug. 29 against longtime rival Jackson State in the John Merritt Football Classic at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
