Gallery
BALTIMORE, Md. (August 9, 2025) — Saturday marked one week since the start of Morgan State's fall football camp, and the enthusiasm has been unmistakable. With the 2025 season approaching, intense competition for positions has emerged as players vie for starting roles throughout the roster.
Head coach Damon Wilson provided insights on today's scrimmage, conveying his contentment with the team's development during the initial week of camp, and he also took the opportunity to address inquiries regarding the Bears' performance and his anticipations for the forthcoming season.
Below is a transcript of Wilson's comments following practice.
On today's first scrimmage:
"It was good. We got some of our young guys an opportunity to compete. We didn't play some guys that we know what they're capable of, so we allowed some other guys an opportunity to play. We had some guys defensively that showed up, which was good to see. Offensively, we had five quarterbacks that got some reps, and we'll sit back and evaluate. I think we did pretty well during the goal-line period. In the red zone, I think we had a 50-50 deal, and then when we went to the team period, moving the ball against the defense, we saw some positive things out there."
On the level of intensity through these first couple of practices:
"Last night was our best practice since I've been here as a coach. Today, not as enthusiastic, if you will, but all in all, we still accomplished some good work. Guys are getting after it, and they care. They show that they care about one another and have a commitment to understanding their assignments. I think we're headed in the right direction."
Thoughts on the running back group so far:
"I believe we've three or four guys that we can have some success with. Today, we got a chance to see certain players step up in specific situations. We feel #20 (Randall Nauden) can be that reliable short-yardage and goal-line option, while also having the ability to break one and take it the distance. He's going to be a good complementary piece to our backfield."
Thoughts on the play of the receivers today:
"We had too many drops today. We're playing several freshmen, and while they lined up correctly, they now need to finish the play and secure the catch. I believe we had five drops, which is too many. In the situations where those drops happened, it hurt our chances of scoring."
Thoughts on the defense so far:
I'm impressed with the number of young guys who are making plays. Several freshmen defensive linemen and guys on the backend were making plays today, and we hadn't seen that. And once again, with only a week of practice, these guys are absorbing a lot of information from the coaches in meetings and then coming out on the field and executing.
Outside of standout LB Erick Hunter and DB Jadon Carter, who else is standing out as a leader on the team?
"Arturo Mattocks (LB) has done a great job, and Danny (Daniel Casillas) as an offensive lineman. Although Danny didn't practice today, he's consistently demonstrated his leadership. Tyler Thomas (OL) is another offensive lineman stepping up as a leader, which is a great sign for our program."
On the special teams unit:
"I believe we're going to have the best special teams unit in the conference. While we didn't finish strong today with field goals, our kicking game is very solid. All four of our guys can strike the ball well, and I'm confident in their skill sets."
On the health of the team so far through these early days of camp:
"Health-wise, the regular bumps and bruises from camp. We've been really smart about managing some of these guys, so we can have our best travel party available to us when we go take on South Alabama. If we stay healthy, we'll have a shot."
On the evaluation of new talent in camp:
"It is only the first week. However, what is particularly impressive is that the players are dedicating time to understand their assignments. Among the receivers, there are five freshmen. Those guys were thrown into the fire on Day 1. We're running a no-huddle offense, and the fact that those guys still align correctly is great. Our next step is to help them stop overthinking and gain confidence in their assignments so they can play faster. Same thing with the defensive linemen. I think we brought in 22 defensive linemen, and out of this group, eight are guys who have not previously played for us. These guys are buying into the process. Jordan Jeudy and Blanche Gold are doing a great job of leading those guys, stepping into the leadership void left by Elijah Williams, although not yet in terms of his play (laughs), but certainly in leadership, and it is encouraging to see these players fully engaged."
On tap for next week:
"Growth. We want to eliminate those drops and eliminate the self-inflicted wounds. This is a topic we have been discussing. It'll be like hell week, if you will, because after that, we need to get ready to roll for August 30th. So we're going to push them hard this week; it'll be real physical, and we're going to run a lot more and get ready for the heat of South Alabama. Then we'll kind of ease off a little bit for the following week."
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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.
