DAYTONA BEACH — For part of the Bethune-Cookman football roster, the answer is yes.
The returning players entered spring practice off their most successful season of head coach Raymond Woodie Jr.’s three in charge. They capped their 6-6 record with their first Florida Classic victory since 2019.
That matters. It instills belief.
“Yeah, definitely,” said wide receiver Josh Evans, who caught the game-winning touchdown against Florida A&M. “Just trying to keep the forward momentum going. You’ve got a lot of guys returning. Just trying to build onto that this spring.”
But in today’s world of college football, where player and coach movement is as routine as brushing your teeth, those past achievements don’t resonate much with the other half of the Wildcats’ roster — the newcomers.
“They don’t know what they don’t know,” Woodie said with a laugh.
Thus, the challenge:
“Now, it’s like bringing those other guys along,” Woodie said. “That’s what we’re looking for this summer.”
Bethune-Cookman completed Step 1 of preparation for the 2026 season with its annual spring game on April 17.
Woodie’s staff divided the roster into two teams, trying to balance the talent level. Maroon beat Gold 17-0.
All of the scoring came in the first half, with a pick-six by defensive lineman Lewon Lurry Jr. in the first quarter and then a field goal and a 25-yard touchdown toss by quarterback Tyler Jefferson in the second quarter.
“I thought it was very competitive,” Woodie said. “We’re obviously using this as a measuring stick.”
In the days after the spring game, Woodie lined up meetings with every player. Woodie will be joined by that player’s position coach, coordinator and strength coach.
“It’s like court,” he said.
They’ll review the spring with the player and let him know exactly where he stands.
“It’s good,” Woodie said. “When I finish, I know the players. I want to know everything about the guys, and I want them to know everything about me and how I feel about them in the classroom, on the field and then off the field.”
Woodie never names starters before the fall. And even then, he emphasizes that keeping a job is a daily task. Slack off, and someone else will snatch the opportunity.
But he did highlight a pair of changes on each side of the ball.
On offense, the Wildcats are looking for a new quarterback to step up. Cam Ransom and Timmy McClain, the two men who threw passes for B-CU last fall, are out of eligibility. In their places will be Florida A&M transfer Jefferson, returner Amari Jones and freshman Joel Morris.
Jefferson took every snap for Maroon during the spring game. Jones and Morris split reps for Gold.
“They’ve all been doing pretty well so far in the spring,” Evans said. “Amari has been pushing it. He’s been a leader for us. And then we got Tyler and Joel. They’re all doing pretty well so far.”
Woodie wants someone who can command the unit.
“When we watch film and look at it, we’ll know kind of who that person is,” he said.
On defense, Woodie himself will be operating as the coordinator and calling the plays. The last time he served as a full-time play-caller was 2016 at South Florida, when the Bulls went 11-2 and defeated South Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl.
He mentioned another bowl game at the end of the Wildcats’ post-spring huddle Friday.
Yes, claiming the Florida Classic is great. But that’s a yearly expectation, he said. The ultimate goals are winning the SWAC and the Celebration Bowl.
“The standard is the standard,” Woodie said. “I feel good about where we’re at. Now, we have to take the next step.”
As one cohesive group.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: With spring complete, Bethune-Cookman football looks to take next step
Reporting by Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
