Some HBCU football programs look at the transfer portal as a threat. Prairie View A&M head coach Tremaine Jackson sees it as an opportunity—and the Panthers are cashing in in a major way.
Heading into the 2026 football season, Prairie View A&M has assembled one of the most aggressive recruiting classes in all of HBCU football, signing more than 70 new players. The class is deep, experienced, and built with one clear goal in mind: winning now.
A Transfer Portal Blueprint That’s Paying Off
Prairie View A&M attacked the transfer portal with purpose. The Panthers signed 19 JUCO transfers, 16 players from Division II programs, 16 from Division I FBS schools, and nine Division I FCS transfers. That balance tells the story of Jackson’s strategy—bring in players who already understand the speed, physicality, and demands of college football.
This isn’t recruiting for potential. This is recruiting for production.
Jackson has been open about his philosophy, even stating during a January panel at the American Football Coaches Association Convention:
“I don’t think we can be successful and keep our jobs with a bunch of 18-year-olds.”
While the quote grabbed attention, it also revealed a deeper truth: Jackson is recruiting to survive and thrive in the modern era of HBCU football, where roster turnover is constant, and experience often wins championships.
The Risk No One Talks About
Bringing in over 70 new players isn’t just aggressive—it’s risky. In fact, it’s a challenge that many programs simply aren’t equipped to handle.
Installing a new offense, new defense, new terminology, new routines, and a new standard of accountability for that many players at once is one of the hardest tasks in college football. Chemistry doesn’t happen overnight. Trust has to be built. Roles have to be defined. And all of it has to come together while competing at the highest level of HBCU competition.
That’s where Coach Jackson separates himself.
This is a risk he has learned how to take—and, more importantly, how to manage. Getting dozens of transfers from different systems, conferences, and levels to buy into one mission isn’t easy. Getting them aligned quickly enough to win championships is even harder.
But Tremaine Jackson has shown he can do it.
Impact Transfers Headline the Class
The Panthers’ transfer haul includes several eye-catching names with Power Five and Division I experience, including:
- Damani Maxson, former three-star prospect from Kansas
- Lonnie Adkism, transfer from Sam Houston
- Moh Bility, transfer from Rice
- Dez Thomas II, transfer from Georgetown
These additions give Prairie View A&M proven depth and leadership across the roster. For an HBCU program coming off a conference championship run, that experience is invaluable.
High School Talent Still Part of the Plan
Despite leaning heavily on the portal, Jackson didn’t abandon high school recruiting. Prairie View A&M signed eight high school prospects, focusing on long-term development while still allowing competition at every position.
The class was rounded out with players from Division III and NAIA programs, reinforcing Jackson’s belief that talent can be found at every level if you know where to look.
Reloading With a Championship Mindset
Prairie View A&M isn’t recruiting from a place of hope—they’re recruiting from a position of power. After knocking off defending champions Jackson State, winning the SWAC Championship, and earning a trip to the Celebration Bowl, momentum is firmly on the Panthers’ side.
Tremaine Jackson isn’t looking to defend a title.
He’s reloading the roster, embracing the risk, and pushing toward the ultimate goal: an HBCU national championship in Atlanta.
And if history is any indication, Prairie View A&M is built to stay at the top of HBCU football for years to come.