North Carolina A&T focused on playing winning football 

KEVIN L. DORSEY | NORTH CAROLINA A&T ATHLETICS

North Carolina A&T center Andrew Dorsey, who earned honorable mention preseason All-CAA, started 11 of 12 games for the Aggies in 2025.

North Carolina A&T football is no longer concerned about proving whether they belong in the Coastal Athletic Association.

A&T opened practice on July 29.

“The first step is changing our mentality,” coach Shawn Gibbs said. “For too long we’ve been trying to prove that we belong and that we can play in this conference. That’s no longer our approach. Our approach isn’t to prove anything to anybody. Our approach is to honor and glorify who we’ve always been. We’re a championship football program. We’re going to start carrying ourselves and conducting ourselves like that.”

The Aggies have two CAA wins over their first three seasons in the league, with both coming last season. But Gibbs and his staff transformed the roster during the offseason. They announced 38 signings on Signing Day in February, and there are 20 transfers on the roster.

What hasn’t changed much is the Aggies’ quarterback room. The Aggies will go into camp with a battle at quarterback with five players vying for the job: junior Kevin White, sophomore Braxton Thomas, junior Champ Long, redshirt freshman Jy Walls, and graduate Alston Hooker.

Meanwhile, receiver Elijah Kennedy is one of the Aggies’ most high-profile players. CAA head coaches voted Kennedy preseason first-team all-conference as a punt returner. He secured preseason honorable mention all-conference accolades as a kickoff returner. Senior center Andrew Dorsey also earned preseason honorable mention all-conference.

The Aggies were picked to finish 12th among the CAA’s 13 teams. Rhode Island, who will visit Truist Stadium on Sept. 26, is the favorite, earning 12 first-place votes and 144 total points. Monmouth (119), Elon (115), New Hampshire (106), and Stony Brook (105) round out the top five. Four of the top five teams in the preseason poll are on A&T’s schedule.

Kennedy has accumulated numerous preseason honors ahead of the Aggies’ debut against Morgan State on Aug. 29. Kennedy also earned preseason All-American honors from FCS Stats Perform, as well as second-team All-American recognition from FCS Football Central.

Dorsey started 11 of 12 games for the Aggies last season after transferring from Fort Valley State, where he played for Gibbs. 

“We’ve made a lot of progress in a number of ways,” Gibbs said. “We brought in a lot more talent. The guys that we had here last year have developed and have become better players, so we’re excited about where we are going.”

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