BALTIMORE — Not much is new anymore for Damon Wilson at Morgan State. Entering his third year as head football coach, he is well on his way to building the Bears program in his vision.
But this year he has a luxury he hasn’t had since he took over in 2022.
He has a returning starting quarterback.
"We are in much better shape than we were last year at that position," said Wilson.
Tahj Smith is back under center. The sophomore started the final four games of last year, leading the Bears to a 3-1 record.
"I’m very confident right now," he said. "I got a lot of trust in my guys. My guys trust in me. Building up from last year just knowing what we can do, knowing who we can be as a team."
Smith is one of seven starters returning on offense. They will run a scheme Wilson adjusted to take advantage of his QB’s skillset and use the entire width of the field.
"It allows him to be able to use his legs a little bit more in the system and actually also get the ball in our playmakers’ hands. So we can get in and out of every personnel," said Wilson.
"I’m a dual threat quarterback," said Smith. "I can stay in the pocket, throw the ball around. I can run the ball as well. I can make plays. A real playmaker I would say."
A playmaker who was named to the preseason All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference second team.
Defensively this year the Bears should dominate. They return eight starters from last year’s unit that was ranked first in the MEAC and 16th in all of FCS. They’re led by senior linebacker Erick Hunter, who is one of the best defenders in the country.
"This group of guys right here I think is the most special since I’ve been here," he said. "Specifically, especially on this defense, I feel like we can be just as good or even better than last year."
Morgan went 4-6 overall last year, 3-2 in the MEAC. They are picked to finish third out of the six teams in the conference.
The Bears open the season on Saturday, August 31 at Hampton.
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