Morgan State’s Arturo Mattocks, Alex Simmons Named to Deacon Jones Award Watch List

Morgan State will enter the 2026 football season with two of its top players receiving national recognition.

Linebacker Arturo Mattocks and tight end Alex Simmons have been selected to the 2026 Deacon Jones Player of the Year Watch List, the Black College Football Hall of Fame announced. The award is presented annually to the top football player from a Historically Black College or University.

The recognition gives Morgan State representation on both sides of the football as the Bears prepare to open the season Aug. 29 at North Carolina A&T.

Mattocks Returns to Lead Morgan State Defense

Mattocks enters the season as one of the most important players on Morgan State’s defense.

The Montgomery Village, Maryland, native was also selected to the 2026 Preseason All-MEAC First Team at linebacker.

Mattocks missed most of the 2025 season after suffering an injury in Morgan State’s opener against South Alabama, but his previous production showed why he remains one of the league’s most respected defenders.

In 2024, Mattocks played in all 12 games and finished with 68 total tackles, including 35 solo stops. He added three tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Mattocks gives the Bears an experienced presence in the middle of the defense.

His return to health is especially important for a Morgan State team that enters 2026 with a veteran core. The Bears brought 66 returning letterwinners and 15 returning starters into preseason camp, giving head coach Damon Wilson plenty of experience to work with.

Mattocks has also emerged as one of the leaders of that group. Morgan State named him one of its four team captains alongside quarterback Cameron Edge, defensive back Aki Harvey and running back Randall Nauden.

Simmons Could Take Bigger Role in Passing Game

Simmons gives Morgan State another player with the potential to become one of the MEAC’s top offensive weapons.

The Brooklyn, New York, native was named the first-team Preseason All-MEAC tight end after finishing the 2025 season with nine receptions for 94 yards.

Those numbers do not immediately jump off the page, but the expectation entering 2026 is that Simmons will take on a significantly larger role.

His size makes him especially intriguing. Morgan State lists Simmons as a big-bodied tight end who can provide the Bears with another physical target in the passing game.

With Cameron Edge officially named Morgan State’s starting quarterback, Simmons could become one of the players Edge looks toward as the offense attempts to take another step forward. Edge won a preseason quarterback competition and will start the opener against North Carolina A&T.

For Simmons, the Deacon Jones watch-list selection is partly based on what he has already shown and partly on the potential for a breakout season.

Morgan State Lands Two Players on Prestigious HBCU List

Mattocks and Simmons are among 52 players selected to the initial Deacon Jones watch list.

The list features players from the MEAC, SWAC, CIAA and SIAC, with Morgan State among the programs placing multiple players on the preseason list.

The Black College Football Hall of Fame said candidates were selected based on past performance and future potential, and players can be added to the watch list as the season progresses. Four finalists will be announced following the season.

The eventual winner will receive the Deacon Jones Trophy and will be announced during halftime of the 2027 HBCU Legacy Bowl on Feb. 27 in Atlanta.

The award has developed an impressive history.

Previous winners include former North Carolina A&T running back Tarik Cohen, Bowie State quarterback Amir Hall, Tennessee State receiver Chris Rowland, Alabama A&M quarterback Aqeel Glass and former Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders. North Carolina Central quarterback Davius Richard and Florida A&M quarterback Jeremy Moussa shared the award in 2023.

Virginia Union running backs Jada Byers and Curtis Allen won the award in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Bears Receiving Plenty of Preseason Attention

The selections continue what has been a productive preseason for Morgan State.

Mattocks and Simmons were two of several Bears named to the preseason All-MEAC teams.

Defensive back Aki Harvey joined Mattocks on the first-team defense, while Simmons earned first-team honors on offense. Running back Keith Jenkins Jr. and receiver Justin Perry made the second-team offense, while Justin Dutton and Kristopher Boyd earned second-team defensive honors. Punter Shane Messenger and return specialist Malique Leatherbury also received second-team recognition.

Morgan State was picked fourth in the conference’s preseason poll behind defending champion South Carolina State, North Carolina Central and Delaware State. Norfolk State and Howard rounded out the six-team projection.

The Bears therefore enter the season with something to prove despite having several individually recognized players.

Challenging Schedule Awaits Morgan State

Morgan State will not have much time to ease into the season.

The Bears open Aug. 29 on the road against North Carolina A&T before traveling to Arizona State on Sept. 5. Morgan State then hosts Virginia University of Lynchburg on Sept. 12 before playing crosstown rival Towson on Sept. 19.

Other notable nonconference games include Villanova, Robert Morris and Tennessee State.

MEAC play begins Oct. 24 against Howard at Hughes Stadium. Morgan State also hosts South Carolina State and Norfolk State while traveling to Delaware State and North Carolina Central.

That schedule will give both Mattocks and Simmons plenty of opportunities to strengthen their cases for the Deacon Jones Trophy.

MSB Take

Having two players on the Deacon Jones Player of the Year Watch List is significant for Morgan State.

Mattocks is the more established of the two. His 2024 production showed that he can be one of the better linebackers in the conference when healthy, and getting him back after losing most of 2025 could provide a major boost to the Bears’ defense.

Simmons may be the more intriguing breakout candidate.

Nine catches for 94 yards last season are modest numbers, but his first-team All-MEAC selection and national watch-list recognition show how highly he is regarded entering 2026. If his role expands as expected, he could become an important part of Morgan State’s passing game.

The Bears have plenty of challenges ahead, including a difficult nonconference schedule and a competitive MEAC race. But the preseason recognition surrounding Mattocks, Simmons, Harvey and several of their teammates indicates that Morgan State has enough individual talent to make noise.

Now it is about turning that talent into wins.

Morgan State opens the season Saturday, Aug. 29 against North Carolina A&T at Truist Stadium in Greensboro. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.