HOUSTON – Other than Andrew Body from Alabama State, who are the top quarterbacks in HBCU football? Last season, JaCobian Morgan, known as “The General,” made a name for himself at Jackson State. Now, he and Body are two of the most recognizable players. Great quarterbacks are almost as important as great coaches. So why don’t we talk more about the best quarterbacks in Black college football?
At the 2026 Celebration Bowl, neither Body nor Morgan played. Instead, Cam Peters from Prairie View A&M led the Panthers to a 23-21 win over Jackson State at the SWAC Championship. South Carolina State’s William Atkins IV and Ryan Stubblefield also helped their team win both the MEAC and Celebration Bowl titles. These results show that championships are not just for the biggest names. Quarterbacks have to first earn key wins for their teams.
This season, Jackson State brings back sophomore Jared Lockhart. Florida A&M adds Isaiah Knowles to the SWAC, and Cameron McCoy arrives in Houston’s Third Ward, hoping to lead the Texas Southern Tigers to their first SWAC title since 1968.
Here’s a new name that will by playing not far from downtown Houston. He’ll battle this summer with the 2025 SWAC Champions who added another quarterback to compete with Tevin Carter for the starting job.
That player is Preston Brown. So, who is he?
“A guy that hopefully can compete for a role on our team,” Coach Tremaine Jackson told HBCU Legends.
Who is Preston Brown?
Preston Brown has waited his whole career for a stage like this one.
He might not be the next Doug Williams, but he could have exactly what the Panthers need to compete for another SWAC title.
Last season at Catawba College, the Charlotte native passed for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns. Now, as he gets ready to join Prairie View A&M, he stands out as a key addition to coach Tremaine Jackson’s 2026 transfer class. This offseason, Brown joins a Panthers team that brought in more than 70 new players, including 16 from Division II. The message is simple: win now.
Brown’s journey to Prairie View has not been easy. He started at West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, spent two quiet years on the UNC Charlotte sidelines, then had a redshirt year in Salisbury. After that, he led Catawba through three standout seasons. His record-setting final year brought him national attention.
Now, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound quarterback is bringing his story to the SWAC.
West Mecklenburg: Captain, Conference Player of the Year
Brown’s football story began at West Mecklenburg High School on Charlotte’s west side. In 2019, he was a senior and served as team captain. He led the Hawks to an 8-2 record and the South Meck 7 Conference title under head coach Jarvis Davis.
Brown was named South Meck 7 Conference Player of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors. He carried West Mecklenburg to the third round of the North Carolina state playoffs. This was the first team in school history to make it that far.
Across his prep career, Brown amassed 2,748 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. He completed 58.4 percent of his throws and averaged 239.2 passing yards per game. These numbers caught the attention of his hometown FBS program.
Charlotte 49ers: Two Years of Watching and Waiting
Brown joined the Charlotte 49ers in June 2019 and immediately took a redshirt. The pandemic-shortened 2020 season offered no game action, and 2021 was the same. For both years, he served as understudy to Chris Reynolds, a Davie High graduate who became one of the most prolific passers in 49ers history.
Brown never played in a game while at Charlotte. He watched and learned everything he could from the FBS level, even though he did not get on the field.
By the end of 2021, Brown realized he needed to find his own opportunity.
Catawba: From Redshirt to Record-Breaker
Brown transferred to Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, before the 2022 season and redshirted again. That meant he spent a third straight year without playing in a college game.
The 2023 opener changed everything.
In his first start as a redshirt sophomore, against Livingstone in the Mayors’ Cup on Sept. 9, 2023, Brown completed 24 of 30 passes for 372 yards and threw six touchdown passes, a Catawba school record. The Indians rolled to a 55-15 win and posted 590 total yards, their first 50-point performance in five years.
Brown was named D2Football.com National Player of the Week and South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week. He sported a 9-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio through two weeks and earned All-Piedmont Division honors that season.
“That’s ‘P’ for you,” senior center Cameron Ivy-Young told the Salisbury Post that day. “That’s my quarterback.”
2025: The Career Year That Changed Everything
He returned to Catawba as a graduate student for the 2025 season and had the best year of his career.
He completed 209 of 303 passes, a 69 percent rate, for 2,755 yards and 26 passing touchdowns against just four interceptions. He added 180 rushing yards and six rushing scores, totaling 32 touchdowns. His passing efficiency was 171.03.
Brown led the South Atlantic Conference in passing efficiency, passing touchdowns, and points responsible for. Nationally, he ranked sixth in completion percentage. He also ranked fifth in passing efficiency.
On Sept. 13, 2025, against UVA Wise, Brown had more than 400 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns to claim South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week honors.
He rewrote the Catawba record book: total offense in a season, 526; single-season passer rating, 171.03; passing yards in a quarter, 372; consecutive completions, 11; touchdown passes in a game, six; season completion percentage, 69 percent.
Brown finished second in program history in single-season passing yards (2,755), single-season completions (37 in a game), career passing yards (6,339), and touchdown passes in a season (26).
Harlon Hill Honor: A 3.922 GPA and Scholar-Athlete of the Year
On Nov. 26, 2025, Brown was named a Harlon Hill Trophy nominee, which is the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. Each year, the top D-II football student-athlete in the nation receives the award. In 2025, Virginia Union running back Curtis Allen became the first HBCU player to earn the honor. Brown became the second consecutive Catawba player to earn the honor, following All-American LJ Turner.
On Dec. 18, Brown was named the South Atlantic Conference Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The award is voted on by the SAC Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee. It weighs academic, athletic, service, and leadership achievements.
Brown held a 3.922 cumulative GPA while pursuing his MBA. He became the first Catawba football player to earn SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors since Patrick Dennis in 2010, and only the fourth in program history. He joins Dennis, Nick Means and Carpaccio Owens.
Brown will also be considered for SAC Man of the Year later this academic year.
Portal Decision: Out of Salisbury, On to the SWAC
After leading Catawba to a four-win turnaround under head coach Tyler Haines, Brown entered the transfer portal in January 2026. At that time, the graduate quarterback had one year of eligibility and an MBA in progress, drawing interest as one of the most accomplished signal-callers available;
He chose Prairie View A&M.
Brown enters a deep and talented Panthers quarterback room. From the Spring Roster, Tevin Carter (Sr.), Blake Murphy (Jr.), Tyler Nelson (Jr.), Joseph Steward Jr. (So.), and Desmonde Thomas II (Grad.) are competing for the starting quarterback position. The intrigue will be brewing this summer on the swanky new turf at Panther Stadium.
Prairie View A&M: Reloaded, Not Rebuilding
Tremaine Jackson and the Prairie View A&M Panthers plan to “FINISH THE FIGHT” they started in 2025. The team signed new players from the transfer portal this offseason, and Brown could become a key addition.
Brown is a great fit for Prairie View. He brings record-setting stats from Division II, Harlon Hill Trophy recognition, four years of starting experience, and strong academics that help lead a team.
Prairie View A&M starts the 2026 season aiming to get back to the top of the SWAC. With Brown, they have a graduate quarterback who has spent seven years preparing for this chance.
Preston Brown’s long journey now leads through Prairie View.
FAQs on Brown and Prairie View A&M
Who is Preston Brown?
Preston Brown is a graduate quarterback who signed with Prairie View A&M for the 2026 season. The Charlotte, North Carolina native played at UNC Charlotte and Catawba College, where he earned Harlon Hill Trophy nominee status and South Atlantic Conference Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in 2025.
What high school did Preston Brown attend?
Brown attended West Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was team captain and the South Meck 7 Conference Player of the Year in 2019.
Did Preston Brown play at UNC Charlotte?
Brown joined the Charlotte 49ers in June 2019 and spent two seasons with the program, but did not see game action. He redshirted as a freshman in 2019 and did not appear in games in 2020 or 2021 before transferring to Catawba College.
What were Preston Brown’s 2025 stats at Catawba?
Brown completed 209 of 303 passes at a clip of 69 percent for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns against four interceptions. He added 180 rushing yards and six rushing scores, finishing with 32 total touchdowns and a 171.03 passing efficiency rating.
Why did Preston Brown transfer to Prairie View A&M Football?
Brown entered the transfer portal in January 2026 with one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. He accepted the offer to join Prairie View A&M and become part of head coach Tremaine Jackson’s system, which aims to return the Panthers to SWAC championship contention.
Did Preston Brown win the Harlon Hill Trophy?
Yes. Brown was named a Harlon Hill Trophy nominee on Nov. 26, 2025, the Division II equivalent of the Heisman, awarded annually to the top Division II football student-athlete in the nation.
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