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Trei Oliver keeps it real on ‘inconsistent’ North Carolina Central spring game
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- Trei Oliver keeps it real on ‘inconsistent’ North Carolina Central spring game
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North Carolina Central is looking to retool after an up-and-down 2025 season. The Eagles recently played their spring football game, and head coach Trei Oliver was candid about the effort he saw displayed in the scrimmage. While he said that the game was competitive and there were promising aspects displayed, he's looking for consistency from his squad.
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"I thought it was very competitive. Obviously a little too inconsistent, but when you have new coaches and new players, you're going to get a lot of that. It wasn't as clean as I wanted, but the guys competed and we put a lot of good things on film."
The Eagles are indeed going to look different heading into the 2026 season. Several key players, including starter Walker Harris, have departed the institution. Eagles offensive coordinator Matt Leone departed the program to join Reggie Barlow's staff at Tennessee State University. The offense will now be led by former Alabama State OC Chris Barnett.
"With all the new coaches and new schemes on both sides of the ball, we had a lot to get done. I'm pleased with where we are. We're actually a little further along than I thought we'd be."
North Carolina Central started off this season with promise. They dominated Southern University in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge and put up a phenomenal offensive display against North Carolina A&T to win 68-20. But their MEAC championship chances were halted after a loss to DeSean Jackson Delaware State Hornets during the Eagles' homecoming game on October 25.
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While North Carolina Central was able to get victories over Howard University, Norfolk State, and Morgan State, South Carolina State was able to outlast the Eagles en route to a 34-7 victory on November 14 that was nationally televised on ESPN2. Now, Trei Oliver looks to pick up the pieces and rapidly retool his team to once again be competitive in the MEAC. One of the key deciders of their success will be identifying a new quarterback.
While there's not a clear-cut replacement for Walker Harris, Oliver signaled that things were going in the right direction.
"I like the way those guys compete and how they've grasped the offense. Some guys have kind of separated themselves, but it's an athletic room — we want dual-threat quarterbacks, and I think we have those."
North Carolina Central starts the season with a matchup against Texas Southern on August 29.
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