Head coach Vincent and his North Carolina A&T Aggies are primed to bounce back and redeem their 1-10 record under Brown in his first year. Last weekend, the Aggies held its annual Blue & Gold Spring Game in Truist Stadium. 

The Aggies showcased a new offense under new offensive coordinator James Marsh and the incoming recruiting class. A&T’s offense competed against their defense. The defensive front got after the quarterback all day, racking up six sacks, with five coming in the second half, helping seal a 36-17 victory over the offense. The defense couldn’t create turnovers, but it got key three-and-outs and crucial third-down stops to close the gap between the offense.

Despite the offense’s loss, they were able to execute some explosive plays. Most notably, Kevin White, freshman quarterback, connected with Ger-Cari Caldwell, redshirt junior wide receiver, for a seven-yard touchdown pass. White also showcased his legs like he did so much last year with a 50-yard touchdown scramble. 

Noah Sanders, a Division 1 transfer from the University of Delaware, was one of the four quarterbacks who teamed up alongside White in his debut game as an Aggie. 

Reflecting on the Aggies’ performance postgame, Jared Crawl-Bey, redshirt sophomore tight end and defensive end, recognized the team’s defensive line as being one of the more dominant units in the upcoming season, along with the offense’s talent developed under offensive coordinator, Coach Marsh.

“I believe that the defense will be the strength of the team come time for the season as we will be a more experienced group under the same scheme,” Crawl-Bey said. “Although the offense didn’t perform as well in the spring game, there’s just as much talent on that side of the ball, and once that group starts to click under the new offensive scheme Coach Marsh is putting in, they should be dangerous as well.”

A&T’s defensive coordinator, Coach Josh Zidenberg, shares that the defense still needs to progress despite their successful performance in the Spring game. Coach Zidenberg explains that the spring post-season training is only a fraction of the foundational preparation leading to the Fall training camp. 

“We still have a lot of work to do defensively to get to where we ultimately want to be. The spring was a great starting block to build off of, but we are far from a finished product,” he said. “It will be important for the guys to attack this summer with a purpose to set us up for success heading into Fall training camp.”

Coach Zidenberg expresses one of his primary motivations for this upcoming football season and the team’s goals, including learning from their mistakes last season.

“Every season [one] of my main motivations is always to put the guys we coach in the best position possible to be successful on and off the field.” he explained, “It’s important that we learn from the mistakes last season and truly grown and build from going through some of those struggles in order to ensure those things don’t repeat themselves in 2024.”

Wesley Graves, redshirt junior running back, said their last season’s adversity formed their redemption mindset, which fueled their off-season training.

“We are preparing by just continuing to perfect our craft day in and day out,” Graves said. “We didn’t have the season we wanted last year, and we use that as motivation every time we step foot in the weight room or field.”

Graves reveals his personal motivation for the upcoming season, which honors the tragic passing of A&T student Xiomara Moore, and he says that winning a championship for Greensboro is his top priority.

“Recently, I had a very close friend pass away [on] the day of the spring game. Her name was Xiomara Moore, so this season is dedicated to her,” he said. “My most important goals are to win and bring a championship back to Greensboro.”

To stay updated on The Aggies’ upcoming season and or support, you can find them at @Ncatfootball on Instagram.