Jackson State quarterback JaCobian Morgan seeks to build on winning tradition

JACKSON, Miss. — On most mornings after Jackson State head football coach T.C. Taylor settles into his office and begins charting the day, he doesn’t have to look far to find his quarterback.

Out on the I Believe practice field at the Walter Payton Recreation & Wellness Center, JaCobian Morgan is already at work, dropping back into his footwork routine. At other times, the 6-foot-4, 228-pound graduate student is in the weight room, pushing his body through the grind he knows the season demands.

That dedication fueled a breakout season in 2024. The Canton, Mississippi, native threw for 2,236 yards, the third-highest mark in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, along with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He completed nearly 64% of his passes, second best in the conference, and capped the year with a strong showing in the Celebration Bowl, where he threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns. By season’s end, he ranked among the nation’s top 20 in multiple Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) categories, including passing efficiency and points responsible for.

Last fall, the Tigers won their first Black college football national championship, breaking through after two previous title-game appearances. Their 2024 campaign was built on brute strength in the trenches and a ground game that punished defenses weekly.

Former running back Irv Mulligan carved out yardage behind a rugged offensive line, and Morgan kept the attack balanced and steady. But with Mulligan gone, the offense now runs through Morgan.

“Last year, it was hard to find ways to be a leader in certain moments,” Morgan said. “Now, I know when to be a leader, when to fall back, when to talk and what [Taylor] expects. He is hard on me, but I trust him and he trusts me.”

Taylor has no hesitation handing Morgan the reins. The quarterback, who is in his third year at Jackson State after transferring from Syracuse, has the experience and poise to chase back-to-back SWAC titles and another Celebration Bowl berth.

The hallway inside the Walter Payton recreation center glimmers with history. Behind spotless glass cases, trophies of every shape and size stand like silent reminders of Jackson State football’s proud tradition.

“It feels good to walk by that glass trophy case and see all the hardware that we worked for last season,” Taylor said. “But we’re chasing greatness. … We want to be remembered as one of the greatest teams ever.”

Taylor will lean on his veteran signal-caller Saturday, when Jackson State (1-0) steps into an in-state showdown with Southern Miss (0-1).

History hasn’t been kind to Jackson State in its previous matchups against Southern Miss. The Tigers have faced the Golden Eagles three times — 1987, 2002 and 2018 — and lost each time. The recent meetings were especially lopsided.

Southern Miss hung 55 points on Jackson State in back-to-back games, 16 years apart, both ending with the same score: 55-7. The closest the Tigers have come to a win was in 1987, when then-Southern Miss freshman quarterback Brett Favre was just beginning his path to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That afternoon, the Tigers fell just short, 17-7.

Coming off a 28-14 season-opening win against Hampton in Week 1, Taylor views Saturday’s clash as an opportunity. He knows an upset in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is possible, but Morgan’s command of the offense will be the key to turning his coach’s vision into reality.

Entering Year 3 in the program, with a preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year nod, Morgan’s next challenge isn’t about arm strength or accuracy. It’s about leadership, commanding not just the huddle but the locker room – and even himself.

“Early on, I had to talk to him about humbling himself because he had a lot of talent around him and that he didn’t have to go out and try to do it all himself,” Taylor said. “I always tell him, ‘I played that position, be careful with that spotlight.’ You got to be ready for the good and the bad.

“He’s seen several different [offensive] coordinators, but he’s grown a lot. … Everybody’s going to have an opportunity to see him play the best football of his career this season.”

Otis Riddley, Jackson State’s general manager and associate head coach, agrees.

“He knows how to be himself but still command the room now. … I tell him all the time, ‘You’re driving a Bugatti, you got everything you want, just don’t wreck.’” Riddley said. “The way he prepares now is just different.”

Not long ago, Morgan’s instinct was to bolt, Riddley said. If the pocket closed, he trusted his legs more than his reads, turning broken plays into modest gains. But after last season’s breakout and with some new receivers around him, Morgan looks far more comfortable scanning the field and letting it rip.

“We [Jackson State] plan to put the ball in the air a little more,” Morgan said. “The ball will be in my hands a lot more during a lot of games. I’m ready for it.”

That new confidence comes at the right time. Jackson State lost its top wide receiver, Isaiah Spencer, to Virginia Tech in the offseason. Rico Powers Jr., who went down with a season-ending injury in 2024, transferred to Louisiana-Monroe, and Fabian McCray moved on to Southern Illinois after his own injury-shortened year.

Still, Taylor, himself a former Jackson State standout receiver, didn’t flinch at the turnover at the position. He and his staff scoured the transfer portal and came back with proven firepower. Mississippi Valley State transfer Nate Rembert, a 2024 All-SWAC first-team selection, brings polish and production. Prairie View A&M transfer Shemar Savage adds size and physicality on the outside. They join a deep group of returnees that includes Joanes Fortilien, who led the team in touchdown catches last season.

For Morgan, that depth means options. He couldn’t be more grateful for the support of his coach putting dynamic playmakers around him.

“They [wide receivers] make my job easy,” Morgan said. “It makes me sleep better at night knowing all I’ve got to do is throw it to those guys and let them do the rest.”

Championship football demands more than talent. It takes poise, focus and the ability to dig in when the game hangs in the balance. Morgan proved he had all three during last year’s Celebration Bowl in Atlanta.

After a scoreless first quarter against South Carolina State, Morgan never blinked. On the Tigers’ next possession, he guided the offense through a 19-play, 78-yard march that chewed up nearly 10 minutes of clock. By the time the drive ended, Jackson State had seized momentum in the MEAC-SWAC clash.

Taylor had watched Morgan command the offense all season, but that possession told him something different: His quarterback could not only handle the moment, he could own it.

“That was a staple drive to me in his career,” Taylor said.

Fast forward to the season opener against Hampton. Tied at 14 with just over 10 minutes left in regulation, Jackson State needed a drive to set the tone for the year. Morgan had battled through a choppy afternoon as the Pirates’ defense disrupted his rhythm and closed windows in the passing game. But when it mattered most, he settled in.

In between several dynamic runs, he strung together four clutch completions. The biggest came on a 17-yard strike to wide receiver Ja’Naylon Dupree, who hauled it in at Hampton’s 2-yard line. Moments later, Tigers running back Ahmad Miller punched it across the goal line, capping a 13-play, 80-yard march that defined the contest.

“That’s why we call him [Morgan] ‘the general,’” co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Rip Kirk said. “When we’re in tough times, he’s the one who reels us back in. He’s the glue that keeps us going.”

Offensive lineman D’Andre Townes-Blue, who anchors an experienced and deep offensive line group, concurs.

“He has that confidence, that extra swagger this season,” Townes-Blue said. “You can see the respect that the team has for him and that we are behind him.”

With high expectations for Jackson State, Taylor said he knows winning won’t come easily. But with “the general” leading the way, it moves the program one step closer to bringing more championships to Jackson, Mississippi.