Nate Blount IV shines in Jackson State spring game as Tigers evaluate 2026 roster

Nate Blount IV made the kind of first impression that changes a spring depth chart. The redshirt sophomore from Brandon, Mississippi, opened the first scrimmage play with a big gain into the red zone, bounced through contact and looked like the most difficult runner on the field as Jackson State used its Blue and White Game to sort out a roster in transition.

That matters more at Jackson State than it would in a normal spring drill. The Tigers entered the April 11 showcase with 40 new additions on the 2026 roster and a spring game format that included live seven-on-seven and live scrimmage periods, not just ceremonial work. After losing 40 players, including 19 starters, to graduation and the transfer portal, every live rep carried real weight for a team coming off a 9-3 season and a SWAC championship game loss to Prairie View A&M. The day around the game reflected that scale, too, with the Sweetness 5K, A Day with the Boom, Junior Preview Day, tennis against Alcorn State, baseball against Florida A&M and Thee I Love Bash all on the campus schedule.

Blount’s stock rose highest because Jackson State needs a back who can survive contact and settle the offense down. At 5-foot-10 and 214 pounds, he looked built for workload football, not just spring highlights. He entered the game with only 75 rushing yards on 17 carries over his first two seasons, but Coach T.C. Taylor said Blount ran the ball well, a blunt endorsement that suggested the Tigers may have found a more dependable option in a backfield that needs one.

The next most important takeaway came on defense, where Keith Bass Jr. intercepted a pass intended for Brendan Brown. That play did more than end a drive; it hinted at a secondary that can manufacture turnovers in a league where one extra takeaway can swing a title race. With Jackson State trying to replace so much production, Bass’s ball skills looked like the kind of trait that can win him more snaps and give the Tigers a needed playmaker in the back end.

The quarterback picture still looms over everything, with Jared Lockhart and Caron Tyler both part of the live-action look inside Walter Payton Center. Jackson State does not just need bodies after the roster overhaul; it needs answers. Blount supplied the clearest one on Saturday, and that kind of early separation can matter when a SWAC contender is trying to turn a rebuilt spring into a real title push by fall.