Dontrell Leonard, a redshirt junior from Newport News, VA, and Warwick High, will start at quarterback this Saturday vs. South Carolina State. Leonard came off the bench to go 5-for-12 for 81 yards and one touchdown in one half of work in a 34-14 loss to North Carolina A&T last Saturday.

Leonard led the Spartans in passing each of the last two seasons. He started the season-opener vs. Virginia State and also played in relief against NCAT. He is 11 of 22 for 118 yards and one TD with no interceptions this season.

Willie Mitchell (Houston, TX/Trinity CC), who started the previous three games, will be the backup.

In other NSU football news, redshirt junior linebacker Kevin Talley, also from Warwick High in Newport News, leads all NCAA players, Divisions I, II and III, with 92 tackles (18.4 per game). He had a career-best 25 against North Carolina A&T, the fourth time this year he has either set or tied his career high. The 25 is tied for the second-most ever for a Division I-AA player since the NCAA began compiling tackling stats in 2000.

In D-IAA, Boomer Grigsby of Illinois State is second with 90 tackles in six games, a 15.0 average. Chris Moore of East Carolina leads Division I-A with 70 in four games for a 17.5 average.