Grambling State coach Mickey Joseph isn’t shying away from the expectations that come with Year 3.

After receiving an extension in the offseason after leading the Tigers to the program’s first winning season since 2017, Joseph said the Tigers should be ready to compete for a SWAC title in 2026.

Joseph pointed to continuity as the biggest reason for optimism. With roughly 60 percent of the roster now composed of players he brought in, he believes the Tigers are at the stage where they can turn familiarity into results.

“Year three means go win it all,” Joseph told KNOE, explaining that the roster now has enough experience and ownership of the system to make a real run.

That kind of confidence also comes from stability on both sides of the ball. On the eve of the team’s spring game, Joseph named Boston College transfer Jacobe Robinson the starter at quarterback, though Florida A&M transfer QB RJ Johnson III was selected to the preseason Stats Perform HBCU National Football Player of the Year watchlist.

Joseph said the Tigers will keep the same offensive and defensive playbooks regardless of who is in the lineup, reinforcing a message of consistency as the program heads into the new season.

Grambling State has not publicly named an offensive coordinator, a position which opened up after Shyrone Carey’s departure in mid-July.

Joseph maintained that regardless of playcaller, the offense will not change under his watch.

As it did a year ago, GSU is expected to lean on the run this season, with a group of tailbacks competing for carries in the offense.

Over his first two seasons, the Tigers have not finished better than ninth in rushing offense, including last fall when they ranked near the bottom of the SWAC with 15 rushing touchdowns and averaged 142.7 yards per game.

Fresh faces could help change that, starting with additions Jamarion Parker from Nebraska and D’Shaun Ford from ULM.

On defense, the unit will look different as well. Jon Horton, a graduate student, returns for his third season after recording 6.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss that was part of a defensive front that led the SWAC in sacks in 2025. Kilas Francis, who added 2.5 sacks and 3.5 TFL, is also back.

GSU fortified its defensive line with seven transfer additions to help replace the departures, including Corey Amos from Ole Miss, Donte Hookfin from Portland State, DeMone Green from Rice and Dinellson Exume from USF.

The hope is that the combination of transfers with veterans will be enough to contend.

Closing the SWAC gap

For Joseph, the urgency is tied to the narrow margins that have defined Grambling’s recent results.

Joseph’s outlook for 2026 is rooted in both belief and accountability. He sees a good football team, one that is expected to keep improving daily and eventually convert all those close calls into wins.

The Tigers season will be defined early by a September State Fair Classic with defending SWAC champion Prairie View A&M and late with a matchup on Oct. 10 versus a Jackson State team Joseph is unbeaten against in two meetings as head coach.

If Grambling can pass those tests, they will be legitimate in any conversation for a conference championship run.

Grambling hasn’t won the SWAC since 2017, the year it also captured the Black National Championship.

The message from the Grambling State head coach was clear: the Tigers are no longer just building. In Year 3, they expect to win big.