Prairie View A&M Football: Tremaine Jackson Sets the Tone This Spring

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas — The message inside Panther Stadium this spring is short, direct, and non-negotiable: Finish the Fight!

Coach Tremaine Jackson made that crystal clear during his March 27th spring press conference, and the 103 players currently in camp are living proof the program isn’t coasting off last year’s SWAC Championship. They’re building toward something bigger.

Numbers Don’t Lie

A year ago, Prairie View opened Spring Ball with 62 players — and half of them quit before it was over. This spring, Jackson has 103 Panthers on the field, including 62 new faces alongside roughly 48 returners.

“Probably the most I’ve had as a head coach,” Jackson said of the spring roster. “I think it really speaks to the new wave of college football where you want your team to be together for the most part in the spring.”

The Panthers signed more than 70 new players heading into 2026, assembling one of the most aggressive recruiting classes in HBCU football with 19 JUCO transfers, 16 Division II players, 16 FBS transfers, and nine FCS transfers.

For a program that lost significant production at receiver and on defense, the depth is a necessary investment.

“Finish the Fight” Isn’t a Slogan — It’s a Standard

The 2026 theme didn’t arrive by accident. Prairie View made it to the Celebration Bowl last December and came up short. Two players who sat alongside Jackson at the podium — defensive back Eric Zachery and 2025 Freshman of the Year running back Chase Bingmon — have been inside the program since Day 1 of Jackson’s tenure and were part of that Atlanta trip. The sting hasn’t left the building.

“Us making the run, winning the SWAC Championship, going to the Celebration Bowl, and not finishing it — that’s the reason why it’s so important for us as a collective to finish the fight on what we came here to do,” Jackson said.

Bingmon, an electrifying rusher, completed his 2025 campaign with 160 rushing attempts, 873 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns, and 18 receptions for 133 yards. Zachery was a member of one of the nation’s best defensive backfields, where he contributed with 2 interceptions and 15 passes defended.

The goals haven’t shifted. Win the SWAC West. Host the SWAC Championship. Go to Atlanta and win it. Jackson even acknowledged he didn’t emphasize winning in Atlanta loudly enough last year — a mistake he doesn’t intend to repeat.

Spring is among us 👀#FTF #DOG #PVAMUFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/simrEQLVUZ
— Prairie View A&M Football (@pvamufb_) March 22, 2026

Staff Overhaul Adds Firepower

Jackson made several key moves on staff this offseason. Coach Colbert was elevated to assistant head coach and receivers coach after serving as director of football operations. Coach Early moved from assistant head coach to associate head coach — a distinction Jackson said matters professionally. In reality, he’s the second in charge of Panthers football.

Manny Martinez, a longtime Jackson colleague for over 15 years, was brought in as offensive line coach after coming from Texas A&M-Kingsville. On the administrative side, Shay Taylor was hired as assistant GM from the University of Arkansas, tasked primarily with recruiting operations.

Dr. Williams transitions into a broader oversight role covering recruiting, media, and business development.

Coach Tremaine Jackson (left) visits Colorado head coach Deion Sanders (right) | Credit: Tremaine Jackson

The Colorado Trip Paid Off

One of the most significant moments of the offseason came when Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders welcomed Jackson and the entire Prairie View A&M coaching staff to Boulder for Colorado’s spring practice — and Jackson came back with more than football notes.

“We wanted to come out and see how Coach [Sanders] does it,” Jackson said. “He is one of the top coaches in the country and has accomplished what we are working to build at Prairie View A&M. He did it before at Jackson State, and we wanted the opportunity to visit, learn, and share ideas that can help both of our programs grow.”

Beyond the X’s and O’s, Jackson said the business side of the visit was equally valuable — specifically studying how Colorado commands outside revenue. Jersey patch sponsors. Field naming rights. Stadium naming rights.

Jackson said there’s no program in college football doing business and ball the way Colorado does it, and he returned with introductions to partners who have already shown a willingness to work with HBCU programs. “It’s low-hanging fruit,” as he puts it. Prairie View can make it without a Power Four budget.

Quarterback Competition Is Real

Jackson refused to name a starter but was transparent about who’s in the room. Returning starter Tevin Carter leads the group. Dez Thomas — who has started games at Georgetown — is in the mix.

Tyler Nelson returns after time in the system, and Jaylen Pettway arrives after winning games at Valdosta State. The job belongs to whoever first earns the team’s trust.

“The quarterback of the Panthers is going to be the guy that wins the football team and doesn’t turn the ball over,” Jackson said. “We don’t need Tom Brady. We need somebody that’s going to be a point guard.”

Where the Competition Is Fiercest

Jackson pointed to wide receiver and defensive back as the two positions generating the most heat on the practice field, which is exactly what the Panthers needed after losing standout wideout Jyzaiah Rockwell to the portal. Jackson and his staff responded by bringing in six receiver transfers and now have bodies to compete with daily.

The defensive line jumped from eight players at the end of last season to 15 or 16 this spring. Offensive line competition has also intensified with new additions.

“I like the amount of bodies that we do have that can create that competition,” Jackson said. “Now we can get one-on-one wide receiver-DB and not be afraid of a hamstring.”

Lab work 🧪.#FTF #DOG #PVAMUFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/p9lNBbkjP5
— Prairie View A&M Football (@pvamufb_) March 26, 2026

Retention Was the Real Win This Offseason

Jackson made a point to spotlight what didn’t happen this offseason: a mass exodus. Despite a Celebration Bowl loss and heavy portal activity nationwide, the Panthers lost only one meaningful player to the portal. Zachery and Bingmon both had the option to leave but chose to stay on The Hill.

“Prairie View A&M ain’t paying money like PE,” Jackson said bluntly, referencing the NIL landscape. “We can pay your cell phone bill. $39.95 on a Cricket phone. That’s what we’re paying. But they made a decision to stay because they want to win.”

What Jackson Wants to Find Out This Spring

In his closing remarks, Jackson was direct about what matters most before summer arrives: identifying who plays violent, physical football. Not just who looks good in shorts. Who responds after getting hit? Who delivers the hit? And who within the roster can be trusted to lead the team when the coaches aren’t in the building?

“I’m looking for the team to take over the team,” Jackson said. “Until then, as long as we’re running it as coaches, we’re only so good. When the collective makes a decision to be the collective and they run it — then we’ll be really, really good. That’s what happened at the end of last season.”

Prairie View A&M opens the 2026 season August 29 at Tarleton State — a team that was a quarterfinalist in the FCS playoffs last year. There’s no warmup game on this schedule, no tune-up against a Division II opponent. Jackson knows it. His players know it. And after four practices, with a big scrimmage on the horizon, the Panthers are already trying to make sure Atlanta doesn’t get away from them again.