WEEK 1 · Sep 5 · SECU STADIUM · 79 DAYS

Hampton

Year-zero rebuild: K-State's Van Malone inherits a 2-10 roster gutted by the portal, with no settled QB and a new staff on both sides.

2025 · 2-10 (0-8 CAA); Trent Boykin fired after the season

Scout dashboard Advance report 2025 leaders → Roster breakdown Depth chart Official roster ↗ ← All opponents

THE MARYLAND ANGLE

First P4 opponent in Hampton history, first game of a year-zero rebuild: new HC, new coordinators, unnamed QB, and a defense that lost its top three tacklers from a unit already giving up 36+ in league play. Minimal film value — expect vanilla installs and possible QB rotation. Manage it like a tune-up: script the openers, get the twos live reps, zero injuries.

Offense

SCHEMENew system under first-year OC Boldin (ex-SC State WR coach, former Lake Erie HC); specifics unannounced as of June. 2025 unit averaged 17.9 ppg, 13th in CAA.

QBWide open. Davis (1,087 yds, 4 TD, 8 INT in 2025) left via portal. Room is Taylor (Jr, Iowa Central CC), Jalen Woods (So, Southern) and two freshmen. No starter named through spring.

RETURNGoldsmith, RB (So) — 323 yds, team-high 6 rush TD in 2025 · Shepard, RB (RS Sr) — 322 yds in 2025 · Ferguson, WR (RS Jr) — 27-270-1, top returning receiver · Isaiah Smith, WR (RS Sr) · Walker, WR (RS Jr)

ADDSTaylor, QB (Iowa Central CC) · Jalen Woods, QB (Southern) · Whitley, WR/TE (Jamestown)

Top passer (Davis), leading rusher (Chavis) and top two wideouts by yardage (Moss, Tae'Shaun Johnson) are all gone. Goldsmith/Shepard give Boldin a workable backfield, but the QB is a JUCO or SWAC transfer learning a new install. Expect a run-leaning, vanilla operation early.

Defense

SCHEMEUnannounced under first-year DC Jennings (20+ yrs FBS, most recently North Texas safeties). Staff pedigree is DB-centric — Malone ran K-State's pass defense.

RETURNNash, DE (RS So, ex-JMU) · Sogbesan, DL (RS Sr, ex-Monmouth) · Phillips, LB (RS Sr) · Hightower, DB (Grad) · Calhoun, DE (Sr)

ADDSMathis, CB (UT Permian Basin) · Alexander, DT (HS signee, Putnam City OK)

Gutted: top three tacklers from 2025 (O'Neal 104 tkl, Matthews-Canty, Hicks) and top INT man Moultrie are all off the roster. 2025 unit allowed 36+ ppg in CAA play with 3 team INTs and 18 sacks. Whatever Jennings runs, it starts from near zero at the second and third levels.

Coaching

HCVan Malone · 1st year NEW 2026

OCD.J. Boldin

DCClay Jennings

CHANGESBoykin removed Nov 23, 2025 after 2-10 (0-8 CAA) · Malone hired Dec 12, 2025 — 7 yrs Kansas State asst HC / pass-game coordinator / DBs, ex-Texas and Lions DB · Boldin in at OC (SC State WRs, Celebration Bowl champion staff; ex-Lake Erie HC) · Jennings in at DC (North Texas safeties; Texas State, UNLV, Texas Tech stops) · Austin in at TE/special teams coordinator (from Elon)

Full staff reset with legitimate P4 pedigree at the top. Malone's pitch is discipline and development — 'Work Standards' — but this is a multi-year build, not a year-one turnaround.

Roster Changes

Taylor, QB (Iowa Central CC)
Jalen Woods, QB (Southern)
Mathis, CB (UT Permian Basin)
Whitley, WR/TE (Jamestown)

OUT

Davis, QB (entered portal Dec 2025; destination unconfirmed)
Chavis, RB (William & Mary)
Moss, WR (off 2026 roster; destination unconfirmed)
O'Neal, LB (off 2026 roster; destination unconfirmed)
Tae'Shaun Johnson, WR (off 2026 roster; destination unconfirmed)

Heavy net negative: On3 tracked 6 out / 0 in through early June, and roster comparison shows the starting QB, leading rusher, top two WRs and top three tacklers gone. Malone signed only six HS players in February and is betting on development over a portal patch.

Special Teams

Starling back at K — 11/12 FG, 26/26 XP in 2025, the most reliable points on the roster. New ST coordinator Austin (from Elon); Malone himself was an NFL special-teams standout. Return-game personnel unsettled.

Vegas

No win total posted as of 2026-06-09

No posted win total or futures found for Hampton at major books as of June 9. Media framing is uniform: long-term rebuild under Malone after 2-10, picked to live near the bottom of the CAA again in 2026.

Key Players

Gracen GoldsmithRB

Team-high 6 rush TD as a freshman; likely lead back in Boldin's first install.

Donovan ShepardRB

RS Sr, 322 yds in 2025; the veteran half of the only proven position group.

MarShawn Ferguson Jr.WR

Top returning receiver (27-270); default WR1 after Moss and Johnson left.

Tre'Von TaylorQB

JUCO arrival in a wide-open QB derby; whoever wins it will be making his first FCS start in College Park.

Marcellus NashDE

JMU pedigree, best returning piece on a front that managed 18 sacks.

Brett StarlingK

11/12 FG, perfect on XPs — the one settled job on the roster.

Researched 2026-06-09 · hamptonpirates.com, HBCU Gameday, HBCU Sports, ESPN, On3, BET, Flat Hat News, 13newsnow/WAVY · 11 sources on file