The MEAC’s coaches and sports information directors voted him the preseason first-team quarterback, even though NCCU coach Trei Oliver has not named him the starter. “I was expecting Josh to come out of spring being number one,” Oliver said at MEAC Football Media Day. NCCU must replace 2025 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year Walker Harris while installing an offense under new coordinator Chris Barnett. Jones’ NCCU résumé requires some contextJones’ 2025 passing numbers hardly resemble the typical résumé of a preseason first-team quarterback. Jones earning preseason first-team All-MEAC honors while remaining QB2 on an unofficial depth chart might look like a contradiction.