Randall Barnes Articles - Page 11

I was an early admirer of Deion Sanders’ success on and off the field in his coaching career, but I have consistently been loud in my criticism of his style of coaching. From the start, I’ve maintained that his over-reliance on the transfer portal in the FBS—without sufficient high-level game planning on offense and defense—would […]

In America, sports are a powerful source of cultural unity and interest, a fact Georgia gubernatorial candidate Jason Esteves clearly understands. The State Senator and avid basketball player—a 6’6″ front-court player who uses his size to dominate open runs—launched his mid-April campaign with a compelling basketball-themed commercial aptly called “Underdog”. As Esteves explained in our […]

In a game that was worthy of the huge Las Vegas stage, Grambling State pulled off a huge 26-24 upset over the defending SWAC Champion Jackson State Tigers. Grambling has struggled mightily this season, while Jackson State has consistently been the best team in HBCU football. Heading into the game, many HBCU fans and football […]

The Alabama State Hornets emerged victorious once again in the Magic City Classic, decimating SWAC East rival Alabama A&M, with a final score of 56-13. The game was put out of reach almost immediately, thanks to a relentless scoring attack by the Hornets’ offense in the first and second quarters. Alabama A&M momentarily found pay dirt […]

North Carolina A&T secured its second win under first-year head coach Shawn Gibbs in a thrilling CAA victory, overcoming Campbell University 28-24 thanks to a stunning fourth-quarter comeback fueled entirely by explosive special teams plays. Campbell opened the scoring with an eight-minute drive capped by a 34-yard touchdown pass from Camden Sixkiller to Trayjen Llanas-Wilcox, putting […]

Jackson State star quarterback Jacobian Morgan exited the Las Vegas HBCU Classic against Grambling State on Saturday evening with an apparent lower leg injury. Morgan started the game, completing three of six passes for 63 yards and adding a seven-yard rush before he was replaced by Parker Stofa. JSU QB JaCobian Morgan in a walking […]

South Carolina State brutally crashed Michael Vick’s first homecoming as the Norfolk State head coach, dismantling the Spartans in a decisive 51-20 rout. While Norfolk State showed initial promise in the first quarter, the Bulldogs dominated the rest of the game, scoring an insurmountable 35 points in the second quarter alone to seize control. Norfolk […]

In a game that has reshaped the MEAC championship race, DeSean Jackson and the Delaware State Hornets stunned North Carolina Central, in a 31-24 victory to crash the Eagles’ homecoming. The win didn’t just vault the Hornets into the top spot in the MEAC after the first year of conference play; it broke a 48-year […]

ESPN’s First Take was broadcasting live from Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, promoting the 2025 Magic City Classic presented by Amazon, and Cam Newton provided a moment sports fans are unlikely to forget. The scene unfolded during a segment where the Alabama State and Alabama A&M mascots raced in a 40-yard dash. Following the Alabama […]

The HBCU world is reeling after Southern University fired Terrence Graves after a shaky 1-6 start to the season. Southern University Athletics Director Roman Banks made the decision on Monday after openly musing about it during the post-game press conference following the Jaguars’ homecoming loss to Prairie View A&M and following Graves’s appearance on Monday […]

As the MEAC football slate kicks off this Saturday, there should be no debate that North Carolina Central is the conference’s best team. Sure, the Eagles have faced several teams that aren’t deemed as contenders in the early season, as Florida A&M & Southern are in disarray on the football field, and North Carolina A&T […]

As I scrolled through social media recently, looking for topics to cover on HBCU Pulse and ClutchPoints, I noticed a firestorm erupting around a new web series from Keke Palmer’s Key TV Network called Southern Fried Rice. The show centers on KoKo Johnson, an Asian American young woman who was adopted and raised by a […]

In a move that shocked and perplexed the HBCU football world, Terrence Graves was fired as head coach of Southern University following his appearance on the SWAC Coaches Call and even filming his weekly coaches show. Despite Southern’s 17-3 loss to Prairie View A&M and Southern University Athletic Director Roman Banks’s rather intriguing post-game presser, […]

When the schedules were released this spring, the Norfolk State vs. South Carolina State matchup was one I circled immediately. It was set to be an iconic showdown: the first MEAC game for Michael Vick as head coach of Norfolk State, squaring off against Chennis Berry, a celebrated coach who successfully set the standard for success […]

Before Norfolk State starts its MEAC slate of games, Michael Vick confirmed that he made changes to his coaching staff. Vick confirmed the rumors during Monday’s MEAC Coaches Call. “We obviously, in this game, have to look for opportunities to grow and get better and put our players in the best situation possible, and my […]

As Norfolk State starts its MEAC conference slate, Michael Vick is relying on quarterback Otto Khuns to give the team the bost it need to power them to success. Per Vick’s comments on the MEAC Coaches Call, he believes that this will be Khun’s “most important five games of his life.” “This is a very […]

DeSean Jackson and Delaware State have had an amazing start to the season, emerging from the non-conference slate with a 4-3 record. Under Jackson, the team is off to its best start since the 2007 season and is in serious conversations to be a contender in the MEAC this year. The first true test of […]

Trei Oliver and North Carolina Central look poised for another championship run but, with a homecoming matchup against DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State Hornets, they aren’t looking too far ahead. Jackson has buit a formidable Delaware State team that drew the attention of Oliver, who expressed his respect for what the Horents were doing in Monday’s […]

Southern University has announced that Terrence Graves has been fired as head coach of Southern University. The move is shocking, as it comes hours after Graves appeared on the SWAC Coaches Call and addressed the conversation around his possible termination. “We’ve talked. We always have conversations every week,” Graves he said during the call. “And […]

So, ESPN’s College Gameday is heading to Vanderbilt University this Saturday for the Commodores’ matchup against Missouri and a lot of people are upset. Vanderbilt has been an amazing story this season, currently sitting at 6-1 following a tremendous rise last season that included a breakthrough win over Alabama. This year, they’ve continued their momentum […]

Update: Terrence Graves has been fired from Southern University. This aticle was written following his apperance on the SWAC Coaches call. He was relieved on Monday evening. Read more here. It looks like Terrence Graves is staying at the helm of Southern University football for right now. After a interesitng press confernce by Southern University […]

After a few days of speculation, Tremaine Jackson addressed his name being linked to the vacant UAB coaching position on Monday’s SWAC Coaches Call after the program fired Trent Dilfer. Jackson is coming off of a huge victory over Southern University on Saturday, virtually opening up the team’s path to a division title and an […]

Quarterback R.J. Johnson III emerged as the hero for Florida A&M this afternoon as the Rattlers narrowly escaped their homecoming game victorious against Alcorn State, winning 33-28. The game was a hard-fought battle that saw the struggling Alcorn State Braves, looking for a season-turning win, lead 14-9 at halftime. However, Florida A&M ultimately found a way […]

Tennessee State celebrated their homecoming with a decisive victory over Howard University, winning 24-7 for the second consecutive year against the Bison. The win was a huge boost for the Tigers, snapping a five-game losing streak that dated back to their Week One victory over North Carolina A&T. Meanwhile, the loss compounded Howard’s recent struggles, […]

After the Jaguars’ 24-3 homecoming loss to Prairie View A&M, Southern University coach Terrence Graves might really be on the hot seat. With the loss, the Jaguars fall to 1-6 and have one of the worst offenses in HBCU football. Whether Graves will be relieved of his duties as head coach is purely conjecture, but […]

In a hard-fought and dominating performance, the Prairie View A&M Panthers defeated Southern University 24-3, spoiling the Jaguars’ homecoming. The result was hardly a shock, as Southern had struggled immensely on offense throughout the season, while Prairie View showed consistent promise under first-year coach Tremaine Jackson. Jackson entered the game with considerable buzz, having been […]

Legendary comedian Katt Williams has received an immense honor, receiving a doctorate in Humane Letters from Fairfield, Alabama-based HBCU Miles College. Williams received the honor on Thursday. “It’s not every day that people get an honorary doctorate,” said Miles President Bobbie Knight in her introduction of Williams, per AL.com. “It’s because of you and what […]

Not even half a season into his tenure at Prairie View A&M, Tremaine Jackson’s name is circulating in FBS coaching conversations. Last Sunday, UAB fired head coach Trent Dilfer after an unfortunate 2-4 start as well as a 53-33 loss to Florida Atlantic. Also of note, Dilfer’s UAB escaped Alabama State in the season opener […]

Former Howard University star Steve Settle III has officially joined the Miami Heat, as the former HBCU standout signed a deal with the squad for an undisclosed amount, per a release by the Heat. This comes after Settle signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the team following the 2025 NBA Draft in July. The Exhibit […]

The conversation surrounding Tennessee State University joining an HBCU conference has been fervent for years. HBCU football fans, desiring strengthened Black college conferences, have consistently called for programs like TSU to return to their traditional roots. TSU is currently a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, a conference it joined in 1986 and became a […]

Howard University remains one of the season’s most confounding teams. Coming off a dominant 2023 campaign that culminated in an outright MEAC Championship and a Celebration Bowl berth, the 2024 season was an underwhelming step back, finishing 4-8 overall with a disappointing 1-4 conference record. As the team regressed, they were totally absent from the […]

Despite the festive atmosphere of Florida A&M’s homecoming, the reality for two traditional HBCU powerhouses is grim. Both FAMU and Alcorn State are struggling mightily, and their respective coaches, James Colzie and Cedric Thomas, find themselves firmly planted on the proverbial hot seat. This fall from grace is shocking given their recent histories. Just two […]

The Alabama State-Jackson State game ultimately came down to one heavily debated play that could’ve gone either way. Lined up on the goal line, the Hornets ran a speed option where Andrew Body pitched the ball to Jamarie Hostzclaw, but his dive into the endzone was stopped by Jackson State linebacker Ashton Taylor. Meaning in […]

In a fairly weak HBCU football slate, the Prairie View A&M-Southern matchup is easily the most consequential game this weekend. Southern University has struggled mightily, and they are searching for what happens with their team next. Wow, they’re not out of contention for the SWAC West as far as record, they clearly aren’t going to […]

Michael Vick and the Norfolk State Spartans are turning the page on a challenging 1-6 start to the season, viewing their upcoming bye week as a chance to recalibrate the entire program before the critical MEAC conference schedule begins. Despite the difficult 1-6 record, Head Coach Michael Vick stated in Monday’s MEAC Coaches Call that […]

Despite the struggles that Florida A&M has undergone this season, James Colzie III still believes that his team has a shot. During Monday’s SWAC Coaches Call, he was tasked with assessing his team’s performance and refused to call them “below average.” “I look at the guys in the locker room, I thought we had, you […]

The HBCU clash in Puerto Rico, featuring Kentucky State has been called off, as the clash has been moved to Rindge, New Hampshire. The statement from Kentucky State’s Athletics is below. “Due to field conditions and concerns for student-athlete safety, Kentucky State University and Franklin Pierce University have mutually agreed not to travel to Puerto […]

On Saturday, Bethune-Cookman pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season as they beat Southern University 45-14. While Southern University has struggled immensely this season, many didn’t have a blowout win for the Wildcasts on the cards. But, Bethune-Cookman has put together several high-scoring games over the past few weeks that have showcased […]

Michael Vick’s Norfolk State Spartans have suffered greatly to start this season. The team has emerged from its out-of-conference slate with a 1-6 record, losing to previously winless Wofford College on Saturday. Their lone win comes from their overtime victory of Division II rival Virginia State, in which the Trojans missed an end-of-regulation field goal […]