Written by Lionel Mosby Jr.
SWAC Media Day and Prairie View A&M's #2 order of finish in the western division are now long in the past. After a second year of feeling slighted, the Panthers now have to focus on the work that will determine if they again will prove the naysayers wrong. These are the questions PV must answer if they are going to pull out receipts for a second year in a row.
Who will set the tone in the trenches?
While most of the media are asking if PV will have a signal caller, the more relevant question is how will Coach Ashton Green (PVAMU OL Coach) replace an offensive line that helped establish PV as one of the best rushing attacks in the conference. Four of PV's starters from last year's team have completed their eligibility, with Eric Dunn & Arrington Taylor being named All-SWAC performers, and one, Allen Jones, transferring to the University of Toledo to use his last year of eligibility. With new Offensive Coordinator, Anthony Weeden, looking to establish his Chaos Offense and it's fast paced style, having a line to establish the trenches has to be high upon his list of things to take care of. To answer this question sufficiently, Prairie View will likley lean on returners Pedro Da Silva, Jalen Cooper, Steven Thomas, Caden Bowers and Jadrien Collard. JUCO transfers William Boone, Caleb Leonard and Mo Miles will also vie for starting roles as well or play significant minutes in backup roles.
Does Coach Weeden have the playmakers to average more than 20 points per game?
Last year, Prairie View averaged 19.6 points per game. The Panthers also gave up more than 30 points per game. Numbers don't lie, but those numbers would have most fans thinking they'd see a very different story than a western division title and SWAC Championship game appearance. However, if Coach Weeden is going to accomplish his mission of extending the Legacy of the 2009 Championship squad, then he will have to make right on his self-proclaimed job description.
"I got one job. I'm here to score points." - Prairie View A&M OC Anthony Weeden
If PV does average three TDs or more this season, they will most likely be leaning on a few returners and expecting transfer portal additions to make an immediate impact. Big play WRs Shemar Savage and Trejon Spiller will certainly be getting more targets along with the touches to speedsters Brian Jenkins Jr. and UConn transfer James Burns, who jumped on the scene during his time at Austin Peay. The RB room will primarily lean on returning backup Conner Wisham, who will be asked to carry a heavier load this year, and the highly prized Campbell transfer Lamagea McDowell.
Will the TE Room provide any impact this season?
There is no secret that the Tight End production over the last two years has plummeted and dropped significantly. Just looking at the top teams across the conference, not to mention the nation, the best offensives are making use of hybrid TEs who can both block in the run game and create mismatches in the passing game. Coach Weeden's Chaos Offense is very tight end friendly and will need to use the TE Room to be successful. The coaching staff did a great job during the spring and summer to bring in great TE talent to add physicality and quality depth to a position that has been underused in recent years.
Transfers Jayce Medlock, Ethan John and Rowdy Godwin will all likely see time on the field this year, but one or two will be vying for starting snaps and a chance to becoem a valuable threat in 2024. Fall camp will determine if we have the size, strength and speed to make SWAC defenses worry a little bit more.
Will the defense be able to create more turnovers and negative plays upfront?
Toward the end of the 2023 season, the Prairie View defensive line started to play extremely well and gel together in a way that gave the Panthers an opportunity to play for a championship. Will they continue to improve on that late season growth or begin this year as slow as they started in fall 2023? If the Panther D Line can continue to make that leap, this Prairie View defense could be the most improved unit in the conference - hands down. One category that Panther fans will be excited to see increase in numbers is defensive turnovers. Last year the Panthers ranked almost last in the conference in taking the ball away and a lot of that is because of the lack of pressure earlier in the year. The team did not register a sack until 4 games into the season. With every member of the D Line returning except standout Derrick Ray Jr, and multiple FCS & FBS transfers being added to the room, Prairie VIew should be able to create more consistent pressure throughout the year beginning August 31st, 2024 against Texas Southern. Idaho State transfer Chester Geffard, Central Michigan transfer Fred Stokes, and Ohio transfer Dontay Hunter are three guys Coach Fosselman is hoping cause SWAC O Lines trouble all season.
Can Prairie View generate promising field position in the return game?
Last year the Panthers found themselves in the bottom half of the conference in both kickoff and punt return yard average at 16.8 yards on 39 kickoff returns and 6.0 yards on 16 punt returns. The most glaring statistic is in the punt return numbers where the team had the 5th most punt return attempts but only generated 96 total yards all season. Thankfully, PV has another chance to get it right in the return game with the dynamic Brian 'Juice' Jenkins Jr. receiving an extra year of eligibility as well as two sport athlete, Marquis Doucette returning for another year on the special teams unit. Jenkins and Doucette both showed flashes of their abilities throughout the season, but neither got enough opportunities to change the field throughout the year.
The Panthers will need to identify the right pieces to add to the special teams units who can help create lanes with their open field blocking ability to help create short fields for the Panthers new offensive signal caller. It has been a while since Prairie View has a kickoff or punt returned for a TD, 2024 would be the perfect time to spark a resurgance in the return game.
These are the primary questions Prairie View must answer in Fall Camp if they are going to make noise this year and have a shot at winning a SWAC title.
What do you think?
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