Morgan State stayed true to its HBCU football identity during its 2025 Spring Game: defense first, physicality up front, and quarterback competition under the spotlight.
Held at Hughes Stadium on April 17, the 65-play intrasquad scrimmage featured Morgan’s offense in orange jerseys taking on a fired-up blue-shirted defense. The defense controlled much of the action with pressure, tackles for loss, and consistent energy.
A key focus heading into spring was regaining control of the line of scrimmage. As reported by MorganStateBears.com, the staff emphasized, “We want to be able to run the football and stop the run.”
Offensively, all eyes were on freshman quarterback Raymond Moore III. The Baltimore native is best known for leading Mervo High School to the 2023 Maryland 4A/3A state championship. Now at Morgan, he’s competing for early reps and showed flashes of promise despite a few stalled drives.
Offensive Improvements
“We’ve just got to improve on not hurting ourselves on offense—that’s what really threw us off today,” Moore told MorganStateBears.com after the scrimmage.
Although the offense didn’t consistently move the ball, returning receivers were encouraged by the unit’s chemistry. “We’re all together, we’re all working hard, and we’re getting everything situated,” said Quavel Thornton. Fellow wideout Maurice Crutchfield added, “We’ve definitely made some big strides and we’re going to keep going.”
Morgan State opens its 2025 campaign on August 30 at South Alabama, followed by a home game against Towson on September 6. With a veteran defense and young talent like Moore continuing to develop, the Bears remain focused on being one of the toughest and most disciplined HBCU programs in the MEAC.
Morgan State’s 2025 Spring Game reminded fans of what the HBCU program has long been known for—defense. Held on April 17 at Hughes Stadium, the 65-play scrimmage pitted the offense against the defense, with the blue-jerseyed defensive unit setting the tone from the first snap.
The defense’s performance was fast, physical, and consistent—disrupting plays, forcing third downs, and limiting big gains.
Freshman takes snaps at QB
While the defensive unit looked seasoned, freshman quarterback Raymond Moore III was one of the top storylines for the offense. Moore, a Baltimore native and former state champion at Mervo High School, took meaningful reps during the scrimmage and showed flashes of potential.
“We’ve just got to improve on not hurting ourselves on offense—that’s what really threw us off today,” Moore told MorganStateBears.com.
The Bears also emphasized physicality on the ground, a point of focus heading into the fall. One key element Morgan State wants to carry into the regular season is line-of-scrimmage control.
Despite offensive inconsistency, returning wide receivers remained confident in the progress being made.
“We’re all together, we’re all working hard, and we’re getting everything situated,” said wideout Quavel Thornton.
“We’ve definitely made some big strides and we’re going to keep going,” added Maurice Crutchfield.
With the season opener at South Alabama looming on August 30, followed by a home game against Towson on September 6, Morgan State appears locked in on its HBCU blueprint: strong defense, a tough run game, and a young quarterback ready to grow into the moment. They will also play in the Circle City Classic.