JC Smith’s Golden Bulls are built better on defense

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Johnson C. Smith free safety Daryl Taybron returns a fumble for a touchdown against Livingstone on Nov. 5, 2023. Taybron, a junior, tallied 35 tackles last year for the Golden Bulls, who allowed 16.2 points per game in going 7-4. They return nine starters for 2024.

Johnson C. Smith doesn’t know what to expect from Tuskegee’s offense at Sunday’s Red Tails Classic.

On the other hand, the Golden Bulls  know what they have on defense.

Tuskegee’s Golden Tigers have a new  coordinator in Harry Williams, who held the same position the last two seasons at Alabama State, an FCS program. Williams’ job is to improve an offense that averaged 23.6 points per game in a 7-4 campaign.

JCSU, on the other hand, returns nine starters from one of the nation’s best Division II scoring defenses at 16.2 points per game. The Golden Bulls also went 7-4 despite forcing only 15 turnovers.

“It’s not like we can watch film and say that we know what they’re doing,” JCSU coach Maurice Flowers said. “It’s a difficult situation, but we’re going to do the best that we can to make sure that we that we are going to put a good product and have a good showing on Sept. 1.”

The game, which will be played at Cramden Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, kicks off at 7 p.m. on ESPNU. It’s  JCSU’s first football appearance on the nation’s largest all-sports network.
JCSU is ranked ninth in the preseason Box To Row Division II Black college poll, one spot below Tuskegee.

The Golden Bulls are deep and experienced up front, where tackle Steny Joseph (19 tackles, 3.0 sacks), is the anchor. Tiyeni Onabanjo (18 tackles) and Jalen Alexander, a South Mecklenburg High graduate who tallied 12 stops, return at end.

“What I see is I see that we’re better,” Flowers said. “I see that they communicate better, and experienced. Last season, we rotated six defensive tackles. They all came back. We rotated six defensive ends; five of them are back, but the one that graduated, we’ve replaced him with an outstanding young man, K.J. Haynes, who we were in a recruiting battle with several top FCS schools, and he wanted to come to Charlotte. I look for him to break into in the lineup.”

The linebacker group is similarly situated. Middle linebacker Jack Smith, a preseason All-CIAA pick, will be paired with Benari Black, who earned 2023 all-conference accolades at the weakside. They can also use starting running back Quavaris Crouch, who played linebacker at Tennessee and Michigan State, in some packages.

“Jack Smith is the quarterback of the defense,” Flowers said. “He sets everybody up, and then lines him up correctly. He seems to be primed to have a good year. And then you have the one of the leading tacklers in the CIAA Benari Black really looks like he’s primed to have a good year.

JCSU lost a pair of starters from last year’s secondary, but Flowers believes that group will be better in terms of experience and skill.

“I think the biggest jump is going to be in the secondary,” he said. “It starts with the free safety position with [T.J.] Tabron (35 tackles, interception, fumble recovered for a touchdown in 2023). He’ll be going to his third year, and he’s a three-year starter.

“And then you have a young man that made the all-rookie team last year that plays strong safety, Tynan Tucker (35 tackles). Tynan’s looking ready to have a good year. And then the person that he shared time with is Xavier Hill (10 tackles), who transferred to us last year from the Lenoir-Rhyne, so they’re both more familiar with this system.”

The Golden Bulls made upgrades at cornerback, where Latrae Bass (24 tackles, five pass breakups) will be paired with St. Augustine’s transfer Ty Hynes. Ja’Qun “Worm” Wilkins, who tallied 21 tackles and a team-high two interceptions in 2023, and Porter Ridge High graduate C.J. Anthony, a redshirt sophomore, will also get time in the rotation.

“I think where we really, really, really stepped up is the cornerback position,” Flowers said. “The guy that I think has made the biggest jump is Ja’Qun Wilkins. He ran track and was All-CIAA … but really wanted to concentrate on football. And so, his spring football, it wasn’t split the way it was the previous year. … He had a full offseason, full spring ball, and had an outstanding summer.”

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