North Carolina A&T is changing quarterbacks again for a rivalry game that has already gone sideways in recent seasons. Braxton Thomas is out for Saturday’s trip to Durham, and Kevin White is expected to start when the Aggies face North Carolina Central in the 98th Aggie-Eagle Classic at 12 p.m. on Sept. 12.
The move matters because A&T is trying to stop a fast slide in the series while getting its season back on track. Thomas, who was hurt in last week’s 59-10 loss to Georgia State, is out for his second straight Aggie-Eagle Classic, and White now gets the job in a game that will help shape whether the Aggies can recover from an 0-2 start.
White gave A&T a useful look against Georgia State, throwing for 122 yards and a touchdown while adding 55 more yards on the ground. That kind of production is part of why he is the next man up, especially with A&T having protected the football through two games while still searching for a steadier offensive rhythm. The Aggies have not thrown an interception or lost a fumble this season, but they have also been under pressure in ways that have made every possession matter.
North Carolina Central brings its own edge into the game. The Eagles are 1-1, and their defense has already forced four takeaways, including two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. That makes Saturday less about whether A&T can simply replace Thomas and more about whether White can keep the ball moving against a defense that has already made opponents pay for mistakes.
There is also the matter of Nelson Layne, who started two games for A&T in 2025 before transferring to North Carolina Central in the offseason. Layne has thrown for 291 yards and three touchdowns through two games as an Eagle, leads North Carolina Central with 157 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 19 carries, and gives the matchup an extra layer of familiarity. Shawn Gibbs said the Aggies know he is a dynamic player and have to contain him, but he also made clear the bigger issue is how A&T plays as a unit.
That is where the rivalry gets sharper. North Carolina A&T still leads the all-time series 54-38-5, but North Carolina Central has won the last four meetings, including 66-24 in Durham in 2024 and 62-20 in Greensboro last year. Gibbs said his team is tired of it and believes the Aggies are better than they showed in those losses, yet the numbers say A&T must deal with more than history: it has allowed seven sacks through two games, while its defense has not recorded a sack. North Carolina Central’s Zarion Walters, who leads the team with 14 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks, is the kind of front-line force that can expose that weakness quickly.
For A&T, Saturday is not just another checkpoint. It is the first chance to prove that White can settle the offense, that the line can hold long enough to matter, and that the Aggies can make the Aggie-Eagle Classic competitive again before the rivalry drifts any further away.
