Grambling State didn’t just add bodies. It added a former Big Ten blue-chip to its National Signing Day recruiting class. And that tells you everything you need to know about where Mickey Joseph believes his HBCU football program is headed.
When Jamarion Parker — a four-star running back who signed with Nebraska out of St. Louis — entered the transfer portal, Power Four programs circled. Instead, the former Top-200 national recruit is bringing his talent to Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
That move headlines a 30-man signing class that might quietly be one of the most important of Joseph’s tenure.
The Headliner: A Big Ten Talent in the Backfield
Jamarion Parker arrives in Grambling with the kind of recruiting résumé SWAC defenses need to get used to.
The 6-foot, 200-pound running back was rated a four-star prospect by Rivals and ESPN coming out of Cardinal Ritter College Prep in St. Louis. Rivals ranked him the No. 6 running back nationally and the No. 176 overall player in the country. ESPN listed him as the No. 2 player in the state of Missouri.
In high school, Parker was dominant.
He rushed for more than 3,600 career yards. As a junior, he piled up 1,644 yards and 22 touchdowns. As a senior, he followed that up with 1,730 yards and 24 scores on 168 carries. He helped lead Cardinal Ritter to two state championships and earned first-team all-state honors twice.
At Nebraska, Parker redshirted in 2025 and earned Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll recognition in the spring.
Now he arrives in HBCU football with a four-star Big Ten pedigree, fresh legs, and something to prove.
Grambling’s ground game ranked near the bottom of the SWAC last season (142.7 rushing yards per game), the addition of Parker — a former four-star recruit — isn’t just flash. It’s a fix.
A Quarterback With Power Conference Experience
Parker isn’t the only transfer bringing Power Four roots.
Jacobe Robinson, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound quarterback out of Henderson, Texas, transfers in after time at Boston College and Southern Miss. Robinson was a highly regarded prep prospect, earning four-star recognition from ESPN and ranking as a top-10 quarterback in his class by the outlet.
In high school, he threw for more than 2,100 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior while tossing just two interceptions. He followed that with 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior, adding nearly 500 rushing yards and five scores.
Grambling’s offense showed flashes in 2025, but it lacked consistency. Robinson gives Grambling size, arm talent, and experience in big environments — something that matters in a conference where quarterback play often decides November.
Reinforcements in the Trenches
If Parker changes the backfield, Dinellson Exume could change the line of scrimmage.
The 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive lineman transfers in from South Florida. Out of Miami Edison High School, Exume was a three-star recruit who held offers from Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Miami, and Ole Miss before signing with USF.
He recorded 12 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack in limited action and posted a career-high four tackles against Tulsa.
That kind of Power Four–caliber recruitment matters in the SWAC, where HBCU football games like the Bayou Classic are often won up front.
Speed in the Secondary
Then there’s Ben Drake — a defensive back with track speed and JUCO production.
The Nashville native spent time at Hawaii before starring at Sierra College, where he led the team with three interceptions and helped the program capture the Pepsi Sequoia Bowl. In high school, he was a state champion in the 400 meters and part of a state runner-up 4×400 relay team.
Speed translates. Especially in October.
And Grambling’s October is loaded.
Building on Momentum — and Fixing the Gaps
Joseph’s 2025 season told two stories.
The Tigers went 7–5 overall — the program’s first winning season since 2019. They opened the year with a dominant 55–7 win over Langston and delivered the signature moment of the Joseph era in Las Vegas.
In the inaugural HBCU Classic at Allegiant Stadium, Grambling stunned No. 12 Jackson State 26–24. The Tigers erased an early 10–0 deficit, scored 23 unanswered points, and sealed the win on a 44-yard field goal with 21 seconds left.
It was a program statement.
But the season also exposed gaps. Grambling finished 4–4 in SWAC play and fell one point short in the Bayou Classic against Southern.
That’s why this class matters.
“This class is a really solid class,” Joseph said. “We wanted to stay strong in the portal.”
The numbers back that up.
Grambling signed 30 student-athletes. Twenty-one bring previous collegiate experience. Fifteen hail from Louisiana. The Tigers blended high school talent with portal experience — a formula Joseph believes can accelerate progress.
The 2026 Outlook
The Tigers open 2026 at home against Clark Atlanta before hosting Central State. A trip to TCU provides the lone FBS matchup. Then comes SWAC play — including a State Fair Classic showdown with Prairie View A&M, a marquee October home date against Jackson State, and the annual Bayou Classic in the Superdome.
It’s an 11-game schedule in an era where 12 are available — a decision several HBCU football programs are making.
But Joseph isn’t scheduling for volume.
He’s scheduling for November.
And with a four-star Big Ten transfer headlining the class, the message is clear: Grambling isn’t just trying to win games.
It’s trying to win the West.