When Marshall Faulk was named head football coach at Southern University, expectations followed immediately. Faulk did not inherit a rebuild quietly. Instead, he stepped into the role with national attention and a mandate to elevate Southern football. His first major quarterback signing delivers that message clearly. Faulk has secured the commitment of Vashaun Coulon, the standout quarterback from St. Augustine High School in New Orleans.
The signing represents Faulk’s first true recruiting statement at Southern. More importantly, it comes straight from New Orleans, the city that shaped Faulk long before his NFL stardom.
For an HBCU program seeking momentum, this move blends culture, credibility, and connection. Southern is not just recruiting talent. It is reclaiming its Louisiana football roots.
The QB Who Took St. Aug Back to the Superdome
Vashaun Coulon’s senior season at St. Augustine was historic.
In December 2025, he delivered a walk-off touchdown pass as time expired against John Curtis. That throw sent the Purple Knights to their first LHSAA state championship game since 1979. The moment ended a 46-year drought and reignited one of New Orleans’ most storied programs.
“It just felt unreal,” Coulon said after the semifinal win. “We put the work in. This is our testimony. We feel like our time is now.”
St. Augustine finished the season 12–2. The Purple Knights climbed to No. 3 in Louisiana state polls and reclaimed a place among the state’s elite programs. While the championship game ended in a loss to Edna Karr, the run itself changed expectations.
Coulon stood at the center of it all.
A Complete Quarterback Profile Built for the HBCU Stage
Coulon backed up the moment with production.
During the 2025 season, he threw for 3,264 yards and 40 touchdowns. He ranked top three in Louisiana in passing efficiency and yardage. He also finished top two in Division I (Select) for touchdowns and total offense. On the ground, he added 655 rushing yards, proving his value as a true dual-threat quarterback.
At 5’11” and roughly 175 pounds, Coulon wins with timing, toughness, and control. He extends plays when needed. He manages late-game pressure. Most importantly, he elevates teammates.
Off the field, his profile fits what Southern is trying to build. Coulon is a straight-A student and a multi-sport athlete in basketball and baseball. He is also known as a vocal leader within the school community.
Those traits matter at the HBCU level, where quarterbacks are expected to lead on and off the field.
Why This Signing Matters for Southern and HBCU Football
This commitment is about more than one player.
Faulk understands New Orleans football culture. He understands its rivalries, its pride, and its role as a national talent pipeline. By signing Coulon, Southern signals its intent to assert itself in Louisiana recruiting.
This also speaks to the broader HBCU landscape. Coulon had options. He chose an HBCU known for its rich history. He chose a coach who had walked a similar path and turned it into a Hall of Fame legacy.
From the Superdome to Baton Rouge — and Back Again
Vashaun Coulon’s final high-school snaps came on Superdome turf, under the brightest lights Louisiana prep football has to offer. His next chapter unfolds in Baton Rouge, under a coach who once used those same city roots to climb all the way to football immortality.
Every November, Southern meets Grambling State University in the Bayou Classic under some of the brightest lights in all of HBCU sports. In a game that transforms the Superdome into the center of Black college football culture.
For Marshall Faulk, this signing isn’t just a recruiting win—it’s a homecoming statement. And for Southern University, it’s the beginning of a new era, built one intentional piece at a time.