By Louis Fernandez, WRAL Sports

NC Central ended its spring football season with a dominant defensive performance in the Maroon and Gray spring football game on Saturday.

“Saw a lot of good things, saw a lot of good things. A lot of young guys made some plays, but big thing is we got out with no injuries and I think we came a long way this spring,” head coach Trei Oliver said after the game.

The day saw plenty of pressure, turnovers, sacks and big hits. Oliver said afterward it was expected to an extent – the Eagles were without three starters on the offensive line.

“I think that’s going to be an identity for us going forward,” redshirt junior linebacker Max U’Ren said after the game. “I think teams will cut on the tape, watch us play defense and they’ll think, ‘oh wow, these guys play fast, these guys play physical,’ that’s our goal every week.”

NCCU has won at least eight games in the past three seasons. The Eagles are in pursuit of a return to the Celebration Bowl after winning it all in 2022. U’Ren said the team will need to stack the work in the spring with the work in the summer to achiever their goals.

“As upperclassmen in general, just for the whole team, a lot of the older guys around here were around in 2022 and know what winning a championship looks like in July and in June, so seeing something and saying something as an upperclassman just to hold everybody accountable, I think that will be what’s most important,” U’Ren said.

Oliver said the coaches will watch film over the next few days and start making starting decisions at different positions. Coming out of the spring, Oliver added, returning starter Walker Harris will be the starter again at quarterback while redshirt freshman Josh Jones, from Fayetteville, will “probably” be the backup.

The Eagles start the season early on Saturday, Aug. 23 against Southern in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta.

Source: wralsportsfan.com