NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State football redshirt seniors Jaylen Williams and Ryan Nolan have been named preseason honorees on the 2026 Deacon Jones Player of the Year Watch List, the Black College Football Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday, August 18.

Formally known as the Black College Football Player of the Year Award, the honor is presented annually to the most outstanding football player from a Historically Black College and University and is recognized as the signature individual award in HBCU football. Its recipient is presented the Deacon Jones Trophy, named for the Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end and inaugural Black College Football Hall of Fame inductee who starred at South Carolina State and Mississippi Valley State from 1958 to 1960.

Norfolk State is one of 24 institutions represented on this year's list of 52 student-athletes. The MEAC leads all conferences with 19 selections, followed by the SWAC with 17, the SIAC with 11 and the CIAA with five.

The Spartans are one of only two programs on the entire watch list represented exclusively by linemen, joining Alcorn State with one honoree on each side of the line of scrimmage, Williams on defense and Nolan on offense. Offensive and defensive linemen account for 19 of the 52 total selections.

Williams, a 6-5, 240-pound defensive lineman from Ocala, Fla., emerged as a disruptive presence along the Spartans' front in his first season in green and gold. He appeared in 11 games in 2025 and totaled 23 tackles, including 10 solo stops, while adding 5.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He also recorded a fumble recovery, a quarterback hurry and two pass breakups.

The Vanguard High School product registered sacks against Towson, Delaware State and North Carolina Central, including a two-sack performance against the Eagles. He arrived in Norfolk from East Mississippi Community College, where he was rated a three-star recruit and ranked as the nation's No. 8 junior college edge rusher by 247Sports.

Nolan, a 6-5, 325-pound offensive lineman and Portsmouth, Va., native, has anchored the interior of a Spartan offensive line that continued to develop across the 2025 campaign. He appeared in 10 games last fall, helping Norfolk State generate 4,344 total yards of offense and 235 first downs.

The Spartans averaged 362.0 yards and 20.9 points per game with Nolan in the rotation, including 143.8 rushing yards and 218.2 passing yards per contest. He played in seven games with two starts in 2024, part of a unit that produced 257 rushing yards against Virginia State.

Williams and Nolan are among 19 MEAC honorees. South Carolina State led the conference with seven selections, followed by North Carolina Central with five. Norfolk State, Howard and Morgan State each placed two, while Delaware State had one.

Watch list candidates are selected based on past performance and future potential, and additions to the list are made as the season progresses. Four finalists will be unveiled following the season, with the finalists and the winner chosen by a selection committee.

The 2026 Deacon Jones Trophy winner will be announced during halftime of the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2027, at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta. The game will be broadcast live on NFL Network.

Norfolk State will open its highly anticipated 2026 season on Saturday, Aug. 29 against Winston-Salem State at William "Dick" Price Stadium in Norfolk. Get your tickets now to catch the Spartans in action as Coach Vick leads Norfolk State into the season. Season tickets and single-game tickets are available at nsuspartanstickets.universitytickets.com.

For complete coverage of Norfolk State Athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @nsuspartans (X/Twitter), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.

About Norfolk State University Athletics
Norfolk State University is a Division I member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and a proud Historically Black College and University, sponsoring 17 varsity sports. The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is committed to competitive excellence, academic achievement, and building a culture that wins beyond the scoreboard. Behold the green and gold.

About the Black College Football Hall of Fame
The Black College Football Hall of Fame, a non-profit organization located at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, was founded in 2009 by quarterbacks James Harris and Doug Williams to preserve the history and honor the greatest football players, coaches and contributors from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. There are 130 inductees. Other major initiatives include the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, the Ozzie Newsome GM & Quarterback Summit in partnership with the NFL, and the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame.