BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 25, 2026) —At 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, Donovan Moyer has the size and physical tools to make his presence felt along Morgan State's defensive front. But the true sophomore defensive lineman doesn't overcomplicate his approach.
When the ball is snapped, his objective is straightforward: overpower his blocker and disrupt the play in the backfield.
"Personally, I just want to beat the man in front of me, get to the quarterback, or get to the running back," Moyer said. "That's my mindset. I want to beat anybody in front of me."
Through the opening four games, Moyer leads the Bears with five sacks, ranking second in the MEAC in sacks and fifth in the conference with 5.5 tackles for loss. His production has helped spearhead a Morgan State defensive front that is tied for fifth in the FCS with 14 sacks and tied for 39th nationally with 24 tackles for loss.
Moyer's emergence reflects both opportunity and preparation.
A true sophomore from Silver Spring, Maryland, and a product of Good Counsel High School, Moyer was already accustomed to competing at a high level before arriving at Morgan State.
"We always want to start at home," defensive line coach Ramal Faunteroy said. "He's from Montgomery County, Good Counsel, WCAC, one of the best conferences in the country. He was productive there."
As a true freshman last season, Moyer was primarily used in passing situations, but he still flashed the potential that Morgan's coaching staff saw in him. He finished the season with 17 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries, providing a glimpse of what could come with an expanded role.
Moyer wore #94 during his freshman campaign.
"He was a guy that we tried to get on the field in passing situations primarily," Faunteroy said. "But he's worked extremely hard in the classroom, in the weight room. He's able to play the run and play the pass."
Now, that development has translated into a much larger role.
Moyer has become a physical presence on the edge, setting the tone against the run while continuing to develop as a pass rusher. Head coach Damon Wilson has seen that growth firsthand.
"I agree with that," Wilson said when asked about Moyer's tenacity. "And it's just his total effort. He's really relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback."
Wilson also points to two areas of Moyer's game that have taken significant steps forward since he arrived at Morgan.
"One thing that he's improved on, he's gotten much stronger since he's been in the program," Wilson said. "He's only a sophomore, but he's gotten much stronger. And his football IQ has improved drastically as well."
That combination of physical development and football intelligence has allowed Moyer to become more than simply a pass-rush specialist.
"I think he's become more of a technician to match that tenacious mindset that he has," Wilson said.
The progress has shown up in the production.
Moyer recorded 1.5 sacks and a quarterback hurry in Morgan State's historic 41-26 victory over Towson, helping the Bears hold the Tigers to just 61 rushing yards.
When asked what was working for him, Moyer credited his explosive start. "Really, my get-off—getting off the ball, being right there, and just tracking the QB," he said.
But Wilson sees the production as the result of something bigger than individual pass-rush moves.
"Our D-line is playing well as a unit," Wilson said. "Our number one job is to stop the run. And I think we've done a good job of that thus far, stopping the run."
Morgan's ability to stop the run has created opportunities for its defensive front to attack opposing quarterbacks on passing downs.
"Any time we get a team in passing downs, they've been doing a really good job as a unit, getting after the quarterback," Wilson said. "Coach Faunteroy's done a good job with those guys, understanding how to pressure the quarterback. And once you get your hands on them, get them down on the ground."
Defensive line coach Ramal Faunteroy
Faunteroy's influence has also been important to Moyer's development and that of the rest of the defensive line.
"Coach Faunteroy has over 20 years in this game," Wilson said. "He understands the importance of D-line play. We as a staff understand the importance of D-line and O-line play."
Wilson emphasized that success up front connects to every level of the defense.
"It's a total team effort when you talk about stopping the run, but it starts up front," Wilson said. "And once again, those guys have done a good job doing their job, executing their 1 of 11, and giving us a chance to be successful as a team."
Wilson attributes Moyer's individual production jump to preparation.
"I mean, just his work ethic, how he understands his assignment, and how he knows what's being asked of him," Wilson said. "I think he's doing a really good job so far, as are his teammates on the defensive line."
For Moyer, however, the numbers are secondary to what they represent for the team.
"The more I can contribute, the more successful we can be as a unit," he said. "The more productive I am against our opponents, the more it helps the team overall to go out there and secure the dub."
The chemistry along the defensive line has also become a major part of the unit's identity.
"Most definitely," Moyer said. "Our chemistry is up there."
That chemistry was evident against Towson, where the Bears consistently disrupted the Tigers' offensive rhythm. The Bears finished the game with five sacks, seven tackles for loss, and seven quarterback hurries
"Once we stop that running game, it really makes teams one-dimensional," Moyer said. "So if we just keep doing that all year, we're going to be successful as a defense."
Faunteroy wants Moyer to continue building on that success—but he also wants the young defensive lineman to embrace another responsibility: leadership.
"I don't want him to get comfortable," Faunteroy said. "I've told him to really just embrace that leadership role. Like, be that guy."
Faunteroy believes Moyer doesn't need to wait for another season or another year of experience to become that player.
"You don't have to wait until week five, you don't have to wait until your junior year," Faunteroy said. "You are a true sophomore. It's your time right here, right now."
Moyer's leadership style isn't necessarily loud.
"He's a guy that leads by example, not a rah-rah guy," Faunteroy said. "But he's starting to speak up and embrace that leadership role."
That example is built behind the scenes.
Faunteroy describes Moyer as "super positive" and a "babyface assassin," pointing to the extra work he puts in before and after practice. Moyer's commitment to the classroom, weight room, and football field has earned the respect of his teammates and coaches.
"You can be the best player and have all the physical tools and attributes," Faunteroy said. "But if you're not living right and doing right, your teammates won't respect you."
Moyer isn't hiding his ambitions for the defensive line.
"We could become something special, really," he said. "We could be the best D-line in HBCUs. As long as we put in the work, we can achieve that."
Wilson sees the same potential, but stresses that Moyer's continued growth will come from the same habits that have gotten him here.
Moyer's work ethic, understanding of his assignment, and continued development as a technician have transformed him from a situational freshman into one of Morgan State's most productive defenders.
And with five sacks through four games, the sophomore is already making his presence felt across the MEAC.
The next step is continuing to build on it.
For Moyer, the formula remains the same: continue working in the classroom, continue developing in the weight room, and continue attacking every snap on the football field.
The sacks are already coming. Now Moyer wants more—and his coaches believe he is only beginning to show what he can become.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master's degree, doctorate, and certificate programs. 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.
