2026 First Glance Preview: Howard Bison

Aug 29, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Howard Bison running back Eden James (5) scores a rushing touchdown during the first half against the Howard Bison at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports Week Two: Howard Bison Date & Time: Saturday, September 12 at Noon Venue: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN TV: BTN Bison at a Glance Head Coach: Ted White Entering his First season as Howard head coach Record at Howard: 0-0 (0-0 in MEAC) Overall Record: 0-0 Last Season: 5-7 (2-3 in MEAC) Series History vs. Indiana Record: 0-0 Last Meeting: N/A Bison Returning Leaders Passing: Ja’Shawn Scroggins (5-17, 33 yards, 0 TD 1 INT) Rushing: Travis Kerney (80 rushes, 318 yards 3 TD) Receiving: Antonio Hunter (26 catches, 290 yards 2 TDs) Tackles: DB Kendrick Green (60 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2 INTs) Bison Names to Know Eden James, Running Back Antonio Hunter, Wide Receiver Bison Preseason Predictions Athlon: N/A Lindy’s: N/A Phil Steele: Not Published Yet Sporting News: N/A SP+: N/A Biggest Questions Facing the Bison Can Tony White get the Bison back to the top of the MEAC? Can the Program Survive the latest era of college football? Program Preview The Bison will welcome in a new head coach Tony White, who will replace Larry Scott. Scott left after the 2025 season to take a job at Auburn University to coach tight ends. Under Scott, the Bison went 23-37 and a respectable 12-15 in the MEAC, including two first-place finishes. He played in the 2023 Celebration Bowl and helped put Howard back on the map in some national showcase games. White is a Bison legend. He played quarterback at Howard from 1995-99 and some of his records still stand. While he has never been a full-time head coach, he does bring both NFL and Power Four experience to Howard. He will be tasked with getting Howard back to the top of the MEAC and to the Celebration Bowl. The 2026 schedule is not easy, but it provides the Bison with some chances to get eyes on the program.Howard’s season opener against Alabama A&M (The MEAC/SWAC Challenge) will be in Week 0 and shown on ABC. Their two buy games with Indiana and Rutgers will air on the Big Ten Network and at least two other games will be on ESPN+. Programs such as Howard face extinction in the modern era of college football as the importance of HBCU institutions like Circle City Classic is shuttered. Offensive Preview TSU's Kyle Hicks (43) closes in on Howard's Antonio Hunter (3) during their game Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 at Nissan Stadium. Howard averaged 19.8 points per game in 2025 as the offense struggled to run or pass the ball. They averaged 3.5 yards per carry and just 5.9 yards per pass attempt. The Bison will have to break in a new quarterback as Tyriq Starks moves on. Redshirt senior Ja’Shawn Scroggins probably has the upper hand heading into camp as he has the most experience. However, he was just 5-17 passing last year with no touchdowns and an interception. Sophomore Terrell Russell was 2-4 last year and could be the answer there as well. There is some talent returning to the backfield and the Bison do get back Eden James (son of former Colt RB Edgerrin James) from injury. James has 1,488 career rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He is also a receiving threat out of the backfield. Losing him after just two games in 2025 was a major blow. Junior Travis Kerney is back after running for 318 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2025. Sophomore receiver Antonio Hunter had a big spring for the Bison and will be looking to build upon his 26 catches and 290 yards receiving. He is also an excellent punt returner, averaging over 8 yards per return and totaling 211 return yards. Zaden Jackson and CJ Neeley are also experienced wideouts. They combined for 29 catches, 273 yards and three touchdowns. There is talent in the room, but it needs to be developed. Senior Nathaniel Clark is one of two listed tight ends on the roster. Clark has 24 games under his belt, but does not have much production. He has eight catches for 103 yards and a score over the last two seasons. Sophomore David Parks is the only other tight end. At the moment, it is hard to pinpoint the starters on the offensive line. Based on the listed roster, Howard will have to replace all five starters on a unit that struggled in 2025 and will be outmatched against the Hoosiers. They allowed 38 sacks and 78 tackles for loss last year. Defensive Preview The Bison defense was pretty decent last season and was one of the main reasons why they won five games. They allowed 24.6 points per game and created 15 turnovers. They sacked opponents’ quarterbacks 29 times and had 82.5 tackles for loss. The best player on the Bison defense is Kedrick Green, a 6’2”, 202-pound safety who led the team with 60 tackles and two interceptions. Green was named First Team All-MEAC in 2025. Ben Chandler, who is built like a tank, will be the other safety spot. Special Teams Preview Matt Concord should handle both the punting and kicking duties. As a punter in 2025, he booted the ball six times for a 44.3-yard average. However, he was a less-than-reliable field goal kicker, connecting on just 7-13 attempts. As stated above, Antonio Hunter is a good return man and the Bison will want to get the ball in his hands. 2026 FIRST GLANCE PREVIEWS Week One: North Texas

2026 First Glance Preview: Howard Bison

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