After posting 2-10 record, Tennessee State football knows what to fix
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Changes are coming to the Tennessee State football team, which ended the 2025 season with a 7-6 loss at Charleston Southern on Nov. 22, but nothing like the transformation that took place after the 2024 season, according to first-year coach Reggie Barlow.
Barlow faced a monumental challenge following Eddie George, who left TSU to become the coach at Bowling Green. A total of 46 players transferred out of TSU after George’s departure, leaving Barlow with too few players to even hold spring practice.
Barlow and his new staff brought in 25 players to get the Tigers through the 2025 season, which ended with a 2-10 overall record and 0-8 in the Big South/Ohio Valley Conference. Charleston Southern finished 5-7, 4-4.
TSU’s next step in the rebuilding process will be interviews with the players regarding the 2026 team. Along with recruiting high school prospects, Barlow said he and his staff will keep tabs on the transfer portal.
“The players will have interviews with their position coach. I’ve already met with the position coaches to talk about what it will look like for each guy moving forward,” Barlow said. “I’ll meet with all the guys once they’ve had their interviews with their position coaches.”
“We’re looking at a legit 15 to 20 guys who want to be a part of our team,” he added. “We have some seniors leaving and we have to be ready for guys that want to leave and go somewhere else as well. We’ll have a good bead on that stuff here in the next three days and go from there.”
TSU finished with the Big South/OVC’s worst total offense (251.1 yards per game) and scoring offense (12.9 points), so help is needed on that side of the ball. Barlow said he will start by attempting to bulk up the offensive line.
“Obviously, our offensive line needs to be restructured in terms of adding some longer tackles,” he said. “We also definitely need help at center, to get a little bigger there.”
The Tigers hope to bring back a pair of freshmen receivers — Devaughn Slaughter (55 catches, 551 yards, three touchdowns) and Snap Reed (35 catches, 375 yards, four TDs) — and add some more experienced pass catchers from the transfer portal.
“We want to sprinkle in a few older receivers that we’ve been recruiting,” Barlow said. “That would include some bigger guys that can play on the perimeter.”
TSU was second in the conference total defense (339.8 yards), but Barlow said the line on that side of the ball also needs help. Senior defensive end James Stewart, who led the Tigers in tackles (68), tackles for loss (17.5) and sacks (6.0), was a transfer from MTSU who must be replaced.
“Losing James Stewart, you’ve got to find more pass rushers,” Barlow said. “Also in the D-line room, we have to get more girth inside from a height and weight standpoint.”
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: After posting a 2-10 record, Tennessee State knows what needs fixing
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