North Carolina A&T will turn to Kevin White at quarterback when it visits North Carolina Central in the 98th Aggie-Eagle Classic on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 12 p.m. Braxton Thomas has been ruled out after suffering a knee injury in last week’s 59-10 loss to Georgia State, leaving the Aggies with a change under center for one of the biggest games on their schedule.
The matchup arrives with a familiar backdrop. North Carolina Central has won the last four meetings in the rivalry, including a 66-24 win at North Carolina A&T in 2024 and a 62-20 victory in Durham in 2025. That history is part of why this game carries added weight for an A&T team trying to get back on track after opening 0-2.
What the quarterback change means
Thomas’s injury forces North Carolina A&T to adjust at a position that already carries plenty of importance in a rivalry game. White is expected to get the start after Thomas left last week’s game with the knee injury, and the Aggies will need more stability from the offense if they want to slow the current skid in the series.
Coach Shawn Gibbs said his team understands the stakes. “Our guys are tired of it, too,” he said of the recent losses to North Carolina Central. Gibbs also said, “We know we’re better than we played last year, and we’re better than we played this past Friday. It’s time for us to go ahead and play to our capability.”
One of the biggest challenges for A&T will be handling North Carolina Central quarterback Nelson Layne, who started two games for the Aggies in 2025, including the season finale at Elon, before transferring to North Carolina Central in the offseason. Gibbs described Layne as “an explosive player” who “can really run” and is “getting better as a passer.” He added, “He’s hard to tackle,” and said, “It ain’t about Nelson, either. It’s about how we play. But we know he’s a dynamic player, and we’ve got to contain him.”
The key for North Carolina A&T
Gibbs said A&T’s formula is simple: “Stop the run, protect the football, win the kicking game.” That part has held up through two games, as the Aggies have not thrown an interception or lost a fumble. Now they need that ball security to carry into a rivalry road game where every possession matters.
Defensively, Gibbs also pointed to North Carolina Central running back Zarion Walters as another player his team must account for. “We can’t let [Walters] have his way with our offensive linemen,” Gibbs said. “We’ve got to compete. We’ve got to use good technique, good fundamentals, and play with the right amount of effort.”
North Carolina A&T has a chance to reset the tone of its season, but it will have to do it against a rival that has controlled this series recently. With White stepping in and Thomas sidelined, the Aggies’ response in Durham will say a lot about where the offense stands and how ready the team is to handle the pressure of the 98th Aggie-Eagle Classic.
