GREENSBORO, N.C. — A major rebuild is underway at rebuilding HBCU program North Carolina A&T for head coach Shawn Gibbs and his staff. It unveiled a massive National Signing Day haul designed to reshape the Aggies in the trenches and on defense.
The Aggies announced the addition of 38 newcomers. The class includes 21 high school signees and 17 transfers, a blend that signals both a long-term foundation and an immediate push for experience. It also reflects a program intent on closing the gap in the CAA after a season in which A&T showed it could match opponents’ speed but struggled with size and consistency, particularly on defense.
“We wanted to focus recruiting efforts within the state and bordering states,” Gibbs said. “We feel good about the homegrown talent we’ve been able to find.”
North Carolina A&T targets a full reset
The numbers alone point to a roster reconstruction. North Carolina A&T leaned heavily into the Southeast, signing 16 players from North Carolina, eight from South Carolina and seven from Georgia. The staff also dipped into the Northeast and the Washington, D.C./Maryland/Virginia region, landing three players from each area.
Gibbs tied that geographic strategy directly to the Aggies’ conference reality. He noted the importance of recruiting in the Northeast because several CAA programs are located there, and A&T will see multiple opponents from that region on its 2026 schedule, including Rhode Island, Bryant, New Hampshire and Albany.
Since joining the CAA in 2023, A&T has faced a weekly style of play built on depth, physicality and size up front. That context is central to how this class was built.
HBCU North Carolina A&T builds bigger in the trenches
A&T’s staff prioritized size across the roster, especially in areas that can affect every snap. Offensively, the Aggies added eight offensive linemen, signaling a clear emphasis on protection and physicality.
Among the notable additions is Andre Oben, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound redshirt junior transfer from Monmouth who began his college career at Purdue as a three-star recruit. Oben also arrives with a football pedigree. His father, Roman Oben, played 12 years in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2002 season. His brother RJ is currently a defensive end at Duke.
The line haul also includes Desmond Jackson, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound transfer from Coastal Carolina who hails from Winston-Salem, and Que’shon Sapp, a former four-star recruit out of Georgia who adds proven size to the interior.
The objective is simple: change what North Carolina A&T looks like when the ball is snapped.
North Carolina A&T prioritizes defense after last-place finish
The most direct statement from the release was this: defense needed help, and the Aggies recruited accordingly.
A&T’s defense ranked last in the CAA in both scoring defense and total defense last season. The response was to bring in 22 defensive newcomers, a heavy investment aimed at raising the unit’s floor quickly while developing longer bodies for the league’s weekly matchup problems.
The Aggies pointed to measurable size changes as part of the plan. Where last season’s roster had only two defenders listed at 6-foot-4, the program expects to add multiple athletes at 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-5. This includes edge rushers and defensive linemen.
A headliner is Ben Boulware, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound interior defensive lineman from Winston-Salem’s Oak Grove High School. Boulware is listed as a three-star recruit and was noted as having Power Four offers. He gives NCAT a physically imposing piece in the middle as it works to become more disruptive at the point of attack.
HBCU roster reconstruction starts now
The Aggies won’t be waiting until fall to begin the transition. Twenty-two of the 38 signees are already on campus for the spring semester. This gives the staff a spring runway to install, evaluate and reshape depth charts before the opener.
Even with the large class, Gibbs made clear the work isn’t finished. A&T is still searching for “a couple more edge rushers,” plus a long snapper and possibly a running back as the roster continues to take shape.
North Carolina A&T opens the 2026 season on Aug. 29 at home against HBCU rival Morgan State. The Aggies are betting that this wave of newcomers is the start of a different-looking program—bigger, deeper, and built for the weekly grind ahead.