New-Look Tigers set to open season against Virginia State in Black College Hall Of Fame Game

CANTON, Ohio — What’s next for the Benedict College Tigers?

That’s the question on everyone’s mind as the two-time defending SIAC and D2 HBCU National Champions prepare to open the 2024 season after a near complete overhaul. Sunday, the new-look Tigers will be unveiled to a nationally-televised audience, when Benedict opens the season against Virginia State University in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic. The game will be shown on the NFL Network, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. The game will also be on the Westwood One radio network, available on www.Westwoodonesports.com, www.thevarsitynetwork.com, as well as Alexa and Google Assistant devices.

The two-time defending SIAC and D2 HBCU National Champions are starting fresh, with a new coaching staff and a majority of new players. New head coach Ron Dickerson Jr. is excited to hit the field with his squad after he and his staff have worked diligently to bolster the roster with talented transfers and a large group of eager, but inexperienced, freshmen.

“I’m excited for these young men. They’ve put in a lot of work,” Dickerson said. “They bought into Benedict College and Coach Dickerson and his coaching staff. And they’ve done a really good job. It’s their time to go out and shine.”

The Tigers will be taking on a veteran Virginia State Trojan squad. VSU went 8-2 last season in the CIAA and return eight starters, including preseason All-CIAA offensive tackle Bruno Onwuazor, a 6-10, 310-pound behemoth who anchors a veteran offensive line.

Benedict returns preseason All-American Aaron Miller to anchor the defensive line, and Dickerson is excited about the Tigers’ fast and aggressive defense.

“We have a lot of speed on our defense,” Dickerson said. “We’re going to have a lot of freshmen who play, a lot of freshmen who were highly recruited by FCS and FBS programs. They’re going to play for us and they’re very talented. I really want to see how the freshmen play.”

The strength of the defense will be at the linebacker group, with transfers TyMetrius Peterson and Isaiah Stephens leading the way. Stephens recorded 77 tackles last season at Notre Dame College.

“Our linebacker corps may be one of the best ones I’ve seen in a very long time, and I’ve coached some good places. Our defensive backs are long and they can run. And our defensive front is anchored by All-American Aaron Miller. His standard has set the standard for the whole defensive line.”

On offense, the Tigers will have a lot of new faces, led by a pair of transfer quarterbacks in Charles “Tre” Simmons and Komari Frye. Simmons is a transfer from McNeese State, who also played at Tusculum, where he went 177-of-324 (54.6 percent) for 2,384 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also ran for 295 yards. Komari Frye, from Notre Dame College, was a Georgia high school All-State honorable mention. Veteran Zavien Foster may also see some action under center, as well as at wide receiver. True freshman Jackson Jensen, who threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, may also see playing time.

The receiving group also received an influx of new talent. Some of the newcomers include transfer Zach Gibson, a 6-foot-5 big target from Southern Illinois. He is joined by Shatarius Williams, a 6-foot-2 speedster from junior college who signed with Alabama out of high school, as well as a strong group of talented freshmen.

“Zach’s very talented. He’s a great-looking specimen and has great body control,” Dickerson said.

The Tigers are bringing in transfer running back Jalen Leary, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards in his career at Stetson. Damien Moate Jr., who rushed for more than 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns at Tift County (Ga.) last season, is one of several freshmen who may get carries.

Returning offensive lineman LaJuan Pauling was mentioned as one of the standouts in the spring. Some of the top transfers on the offensive line include Jordan Taylor (Valdosta State), Darius Baker (Bethune-Cookman), and Jason Miller (Mount Union), with freshman Ajai Brown expected to be in the rotation.

The Tigers will have a tough challenge in the season opener against the Trojans.

“They’re going to bring every challenge in the book,” Dickerson said. “They’re blessed because they have a lot of returners. They’re offensive line is humongous. They want to run the ball. They just want to dominate you. The big thing is to see if our defense can stand up against that mammoth offensive line.”

And Benedict is blessed to open the season in the birthplace of professional football, and the home of not just the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but also the Black College Football Hall of Fame. During Friday night’s welcome reception, the Benedict players got the opportunity to sit and eat and talk with members of the Black College Football Hall of Fame.

“Just watching them be around some of those Hall of Famers, and at first they didn’t know who they were, and they were Googling them and they were like, ‘Oh, my goodness!’ I told them, right now, this is your NFL. You’re playing in a stadium that is the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You have an opportunity to fulfill your dream.”