The Jones College football team enters the 2026 season with a chance to change the direction of the program.
After missing the playoffs for the third straight year and finishing 5-4 last season, the Bobcats are looking to form a new identity with head coach Lytrel Pollard entering his second full season and Dominique Sullivan taking over as the offensive play caller.
“Jones College is looking to snap a three-year playoff drought in head coach Lytrel Pollard’s second full season,” Jones Assistant Athletic Director Kevin Maloney said.
The Bobcats finished 2-4 in conference play last season, with several close games keeping them out of the playoff picture. Jones averaged 27.6 points and 360.4 yards per game while allowing 21.2 points and 342.3 yards.
Pollard took over as interim coach for the final two games of the 2024 season before becoming the full-time head coach of the Bobcats in December 2024.
Jones will open the 2026 season Aug. 27 at home against Northwest. This season will mark the first time since 2000 that the MACCC has used a 10-game regular-season schedule.
The Bobcats will face Coahoma on Sept. 3 and Northeast on Sept. 10 before hosting Pearl River for the Hall of Fame Game on Sept. 17. Jones then travels to Copiah-Lincoln on Sept. 24 and hosts Mississippi Gulf Coast for Homecoming on Oct. 3.
The Bobcats will travel to Itawamba and Southwest before returning home against East Central on Oct. 22. Jones will close out the regular season Oct. 29 at Hinds.
The offense will be led by new play caller Dominique Sullivan. Former Ole Miss standout Shay Hodge also joins the staff as wide receivers coach.
Headlining the offense at quarterback will be Jevarion Glover, who is entering his first full season as the starter. Last season, he was thrown into the starting role and showed flashes of potential.
The 6-foot-4 sophomore completed 63.1% of his passes last season. He threw for 1,189 yards and five touchdowns while adding 539 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
“Glover’s 63.1 completion percentage is the second-best among starting quarterbacks for Jones over the last two decades,” Maloney said. “He threw for five touchdowns and ran for nine more.”
The tone up front will be set by offensive lineman Nylun Williams. As a freshman, Williams started all nine games, including eight at left tackle and one at left guard.
“Nylun Williams will protect Glover’s blind side and could have a big season,” Maloney said.
In the receiving group, Tyree Barnett and Kaiden Smith return for their second year. As a return man, Barnett had 119 punt return yards and 295 kick return yards with one touchdown. On the outside, Smith played all nine games and averaged 26 yards per game.
On the defensive side of the ball, Pollard will call the defensive plays. Kwési Drake will oversee the defensive line, Slade Buckley will coach the linebackers, and Tevin Lakes will oversee the safeties.
Jones returns four defensive starters. Linebackers Delarrius Hayes and Ny’Zavion McClendon will step into bigger roles after both made a name for themselves during their freshman seasons. On the outside, Arterus Moffett and Kelton McLaurin will lead the cornerback group going into their second year.
“Defensively, Jones returns four starters as well in cornerbacks Arterus Moffett and Kelton McLaurin and linebackers Ny’Zavion McClendon and leading tackler Delarrius Hayes,” Maloney said.
Hayes led the team with 60 tackles last season, with nine coming for a loss. He also had two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. McClendon recorded 36 tackles, including five for a loss, while also adding an interception and a forced fumble.
Moffett finished with 44 total tackles and four pass breakups, while McLaurin had 19 tackles and one interception.
This offseason, Jones added more than 20 new players to the roster, giving Pollard additional depth heading into the longer schedule.
With experience returning on both sides of the ball and a new offensive structure, Jones enters the season with an opportunity to turn last year’s close losses into wins.
Jones’ first test comes against Northwest on Aug. 27, and while some things may look different, the goal of winning remains the same for the Bobcats.
Kickoff at home is 7 p.m. Single-game and season tickets for Bobcat home games can be purchased through the Jones website. Ticket prices are higher at the gate.
by Jackson Vella
