NCCU Quarterback Walker Harris and SCSU Defensive Back Jarod Washington Earn Top 2025 MEAC Football Honors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2025 — North Carolina Central quarterback Walker Harris and South Carolina State defensive back Jarod Washington have been selected as the 2025 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. The announcement was made this afternoon at the 67th Annual National Football Foundation (NFF) Hall of Fame Press Conference at the Bellagio Resort & Casino and streamed live on ESPN+.
The annual MEAC Player of the Year awards, first presented in 1971, are voted on by the league’s head football coaches and sports information directors.
“Both Walker Harris and Jarod Washington represent the highest standard of MEAC athletics,” said MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills. “Their competitive drive, leadership, and exceptional performance throughout the season elevated their programs and thrilled fans nationwide. We are honored to highlight their achievements on such a prestigious platform.”
Offensive Player of the Year — Walker Harris, North Carolina Central University
Harris (R-Sr., 6-1, 195, Wake Forest, N.C.) delivered one of the most productive seasons of any quarterback in the FCS. Over 12 games, he threw for 3,214 yards on 234 completions, leading the MEAC and ranking fifth nationally in passing yardage. His 24 passing touchdowns topped the conference and placed him 15th in the country.
He also finished:
1st in MEAC: passing yards per game (267.8), total offense (274.3), points responsible for (178), yards per completion (13.74)
2nd in MEAC: completion percentage (62.4%)
A preseason and postseason First Team All-MEAC selection, Harris earned three MEAC Player of the Week awards, totaled five rushing touchdowns, and was named both an HBCU National Player of the Week and a finalist for the Walter Payton Award and HBCU National Player of the Year.
Defensive Player of the Year — Jarod Washington, South Carolina State University
Washington (Sr., 6-2, 188, Fredericksburg, Va.) served as a cornerstone of a South Carolina State defense that powered the Bulldogs to a second straight MEAC championship and a return trip to the Cricket Celebration Bowl.
His standout senior campaign included:
FCS leader in passes defended (1.83 per game)
20 pass breakups — most in the nation
2 interceptions, including one for a 51-yard touchdown
32 tackles (29 solo) and a forced fumble
Washington made national headlines in Week 11 when he recorded six passes defended — a rare achievement he accomplished twice this season — while also scoring two touchdowns (a 27-yard interception return and a 56-yard blocked field goal return). That performance earned him Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Weekhonors.
Like Harris, Washington was a preseason and postseason First Team All-MEAC pick and a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award and HBCU National Player of the Year.
Celebrating Excellence on a National Stage
The recognition of Harris and Washington continues the MEAC’s ongoing collaboration with the National Football Foundation, which has showcased the conference’s top individual awards at the NFF’s Hall of Fame activities since 2016.
Both honorees will be celebrated this evening at the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner presented by Las Vegas, held from 6:30–9:30 p.m. PST.
About the MEAC
Formed in 1970, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is in its 55th year of Division I competition during the 2025–26 academic year. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, the conference is composed of eight distinguished historically Black colleges and universities:
Coppin State University • Delaware State University • Howard University • University of Maryland Eastern Shore • Morgan State University • Norfolk State University • North Carolina Central University • South Carolina State University
