BALTIMORE, Md. (July 28, 2025) -- Ahead of the 2025 season, FCS Football Central has announced its preseason award predictions, highlighting players expected to make significant impacts across the league. Notably, two standout student-athletes from Morgan State University received early recognition, indicating high expectations for the Bears' upcoming season.
Leading the charge is redshirt senior linebacker Erick Hunter, who has been named to the prestigious preseason First-Team All-American roster, a testament to his expected defensive strength. Joining him in early recognition is Malique Leatherbury, who was selected as a Second-Team punt returner, emphasizing his anticipated impact on special teams.
Hunter heads into the season with big expectations. After being named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, he added to the momentum with a second consecutive nod to Football Central's Preseason All-American team. Having earned the same honor in 2024, the repeat recognition firmly establishes him as one of the nation's premier defensive players and sets the stage for what could be a breakout year.
Despite missing most of the 2024 season, Hunter made a strong return in the final two games, capping the year with a standout performance against Howard that included seven tackles and one sack.
Hunter, who ranks ninth on Morgan State's all-time tackles list with 196, has already established himself as one of the top defenders in the FCS. In 2023, he earned BOXTOROW Impact Player of the Year honors, was named to the FCS Football Central All-American Third Team, received All-MEAC First Team recognition, and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award.
Leatherbury returns as one of the top punt return specialists in FCS football. A 2024 All-MEAC selection, he averaged an impressive 17.9 yards per return last season, ranking second in the nation. His impact went beyond the numbers, providing a consistent spark for the Bears—highlighted by a pivotal 63-yard return that helped fuel Morgan State's thrilling overtime comeback win over Norfolk State on November 2.
Morgan State is one of only three MEAC schools within the All-America teams, joining North Carolina Central (1) and South Carolina State (1).
These preseason honors not only underscore the individual brilliance of Hunter and Leatherbury but also offer an exciting glimpse into the top-tier talent poised to shape the FCS landscape in 2025.
Morgan State is set to open its 2025 football season on the road Saturday, August 30, with a challenging out-of-conference matchup against the University of South Alabama Jaguars. This highly anticipated season-opening showdown for Morgan will kick off at 7 p.m., taking place on the Jaguars' home turf at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Season tickets for the 2025 campaign are now available. Click here to purchase.
The full list of the 2025 FCS Football Central Team is here.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
