watch2

Football MSU Athletics Communications

Two Bears Selected to Deacon Jones Player of the Year Watch List

Arturo Mattocks, Alex Simmons Earn Recognition Among HBCU's Top Players

BALTIMORE, Md. (August 21, 2026) -- Morgan State football standouts Arturo Mattocks and Alex Simmons have been named to the 2026 Deacon Jones Player of the Year Watch List, as announced by the Black College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Deacon Jones Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding football player from a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). The prestigious award recognizes excellence, leadership, and impact on the field; past winners include Tarik Cohen of North Carolina A&T (2016) and Chris Rowland of Tennessee State (2019). Virginia Union running back Curtis Allen was selected as the 2025 recipient.

The recognition adds to an impressive preseason résumé for both Bears, who were each selected to the 2026 Preseason All-MEAC First Team.

Mattocks, a graduate linebacker from Montgomery Village, Md., returns as a key leader and playmaker for a Morgan State defense looking to make a significant impact in 2026. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound veteran missed much of the 2025 season after suffering an injury in the season opener at South Alabama. Still, his previous production established him as one of the Bears' most dependable defensive playmakers.

During the 2024 season, Mattocks appeared in all 12 games and recorded 68 total tackles, including 35 solo stops, while adding three tackles for loss. He also demonstrated his ability to create turnovers, recording an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

Mattocks enters the 2026 campaign healthy and poised to anchor a veteran linebacker corps while providing leadership to a Bears defense that will face a challenging schedule.

Simmons, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior tight end from Brooklyn, N.Y., also enters the season as one of Morgan State's top offensive weapons. A Preseason All-MEAC First Team selection, Simmons finished the 2025 season with nine receptions for 94 yards and is expected to play an increased role in the Bears' passing attack in 2026.

With size and physicality, Simmons gives Morgan State a dynamic target on the perimeter and will be a key component of an offense looking to build on its 2025 production.
 
watch

The Deacon Jones Player of the Year Watch List recognition continues a strong preseason run for the Bears, with Morgan State players earning national and conference attention heading into the 2026 campaign.
 
Morgan State opens the 2026 season on Saturday, Aug. 29, when the Bears travel to Greensboro, N.C., to face North Carolina A&T at Truist Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Season tickets for the 2026 Morgan State football season are now available. Click here to purchase season tickets.

For additional information on Morgan State Athletics, visit MorganStateBears.com.

For more information on MEAC football, visit MEACSports.com.

FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE 
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official website of Bear athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios, and more. 
• Follow us on social media:
 Facebook: /MorganStateBears
 Twitter: @MorganStBears
 Instagram: /MorganStateBears
 
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.

 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Arturo Mattocks

#0 Arturo Mattocks

LB
6' 1"
Senior
Alex Simmons

#9 Alex Simmons

TE
6' 4"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Arturo Mattocks

#0 Arturo Mattocks

6' 1"
Senior
LB
Alex Simmons

#9 Alex Simmons

6' 4"
Sophomore
TE