SWAC Football: Outlook, players to watch and predictions for 2021

SWAC Football moves to 12 teams this fall. How will the new teams fare in their new home?

This season the SWAC football conference will expand to 12 teams, with Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman joining the conference. The addition of the Florida schools brings a slight shake-up to the divisional alignment. FAMU and Bethune-Cookman join the SWAC East, Alcorn State heads to the West.

There was no SWAC football last fall, as the league chose to have a spring season. Though several schools had COVID issues, there were some positives about the spring. The spring season saw “Coach Prime,” Jackson State first-year head coach Deion Sanders.

Because the games were on ESPN, Alabama A&M quarterback Aqeel Glass got to display his skills for a national audience, leading the Bulldogs to the SWAC Championship this spring. The silver lining to the spring is that teams had the opportunity to assess their rosters against real competition before the fall.

Key questions:

If there is one certainty this fall, the SWAC will entertain. However, there are questions for the conference and individual teams.

What effect will the transfer portal have on teams this fall? Alabama A&M and Alcorn State lost their best defensive players to the portal in Marcus Cushnie and Qwyenterio Cole, respectively. What does Jackson State do if Shedeur Sanders gets injured? Both Quincy Carter and Jalon Jones hit the portal.

Can Southern make a run toward the West title with a new head coach? Will Arkansas-Pine Bluff repeat as Wast champs from the spring? How does the East look? Can Jackson State make a run, or will Alabama A&M repeat from spring?

No matter what, there will be some great SWAC football this fall and here is a closer look at the conference.