Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls Embrace Heightened Expectations with Ambitious 2026 Schedule

Johnson C. Smith (JCSU) football no longer has to convince anyone it belongs in the conversation. The Golden Bulls already climbed the mountain - a CIAA championship, a school-record 10 wins, and the HBCU football program's first-ever NCAA Division II playoff appearance. Just as important, a national profile that now stretches beyond Charlotte and beyond the conference.

Now comes the harder part: sustaining it. That challenge sits at the center of JCSU's newly released 2026 schedule. It's a slate that reflects a program no longer chasing belief, but instead preparing to live with expectation.

A Schedule That Matches the Moment

The Golden Bulls' 2026 schedule wastes no time reinforcing that shift. JCSU football opens the season Aug. 29 in the Battle of the Border Classic against Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. Notably, Benedict is a fellow Division II HBCU program that reached the 2025 NCAA playoffs. As a result, the opener immediately sets a championship-level tone.

One week later, the stage widens dramatically. As reigning CIAA champions, JCSU heads to Canton, Ohio, to face Albany State in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Champion meets champion. CIAA faces SIAC. Momentum collides with momentum.

"We've gotten stronger as a ball club," Flowers told The Charlotte Post. "We've hit some what we call some need areas, we've got a couple more we're trying to get in. Still, we know nothing's going to be given to us with a bull's-eye on us."

Importantly, the opening month offers no soft landing. After Canton, JCSU opens CIAA play on the road at Winston-Salem State. The Golden Bulls then return home to face Fayetteville State in Charlotte. By the fourth game, JCSU will have already faced two playoff teams, a championship peer, and two traditional conference rivals.

Later in October, another familiar test emerges. A late-month road trip to Bowie State looms large.

Reloading With Purpose, Not Panic

The schedule sets the tone. Meanwhile, the roster ensures JCSU can meet it. The Golden Bulls approached the transfer portal with intention rather than volume, reinforcing specific needs while preserving the developmental core that produced a championship season.

• At quarterback, JCSU landed Josh Jackson, a 6-foot-5 dual-threat and former Tennessee Mr. Football who spent two seasons at Central Connecticut State.
• At receiver, JaQuan Albright, a former UNC Pembroke standout, steps into a unit that lost key pieces to graduation and transfer.
• The backfield in Charlotte gains another layer with Fabian Duncan, the SIAC's reigning MVP at Allen University.
• Defensively, JCSU added edge Jason Romero from East Carolina and interior presence Anthony Binyard, a former Fayetteville State standout who was a thorn in the Golden Bulls' side in 2023.

All of it feeds directly into what comes next. The final regular-season episode of Brick x Brick with JCSU Football is set to transition into a feature-length CIAA championship episode, expanding the series at the exact moment the HBCU football program reached its peak.

HBCUConnect Perspective: JCSU's ambitious 2026 schedule and strategic roster moves send a clear message to the HBCU community: the Golden Bulls have arrived. No longer content to be an underdog or Cinderella story, this program is embracing the heightened expectations that come with their recent success and seeking to cement their status as a championship-caliber HBCU football power. For the HBCU alumni and supporters who have long championed the rich tradition and potential of Black college sports, JCSU's evolution is a testament to what is possible when an institution fully invests in its athletic programs. As the Brick x Brick docuseries expands to capture this next chapter, it offers a platform to showcase JCSU's inspiring journey and inspire other HBCUs to follow in their footsteps.

Originally reported by HBCU Gameday.