North Carolina A&T scores a big-time win early on the recruiting trail, landing a highly coveted 3-star defensive lineman to kick off its 2025–2026 class. The commitment is not only a huge moment for the Aggies, but also a major recruiting grab for HBCU football over Power Four programs. Defensive lineman Ben Boulware announced his commitment to North Carolina A&T on November 30th, posting a graphic and the message “I’m finally home” across his social media platforms.
For A&T fans, it marks one of the first big recruiting sparks of the Shawn Gibbs era.
North Carolina A&T made a major coaching change in late 2024, moving on from Vincent Brown and bringing in Shawn Gibbs as the new head coach. Because Gibbs arrived so late in the cycle, he had limited time to scout and recruit during the 2024–25 season.
But now that his first season has wrapped, Gibbs is wasting no time. Boulware becomes the first major commit under his leadership—an early sign that the Aggies are ready to rebuild and re-establish their identity.
A Nationally-Recruited Defender Chooses an HBCU
Boulware enters the class as a 3-star defensive lineman, ranked among the top 50 DLs in the nation and a top 25 player in North Carolina out of Oak Grove High School. His recruitment was loaded with attention, earning 20 Division I offers, including several from top Power Four programs.
Michigan, Auburn, Florida State, and Georgia were among the biggest names in pursuit. On3 even projected him 68% to Michigan and 16% to USC, while NCAT sat at just 1.3% in their prediction model.
But that didn’t matter. Gibbs and the Aggies closed strong, flipping the narrative and landing one of the most impressive HBCU recruiting victories of the cycle.
What This Means for A&T
For North Carolina A&T, this commitment sends a clear message: The Aggies are not waiting to rebuild—they’re ready to fight now.
With early signing day on December 3rd, Ben Boulware could be just the beginning. The Aggies are looking to restock their roster and bring back the winning, dominant culture that once defined football in Greensboro.
For fans of NCAT and supporters of HBCU football nationwide, this is the kind of win that signals momentum. And if Gibbs continues to reel in recruits of this caliber, the Aggies might be much closer to returning to championship form than many expected.