HBCU Football: SWAC Pre-Season 2024-25 - Five Questions
HBCU football has always had a devout and passionate following, but the past decade has seen an explosion of more mainstream visibility for the programs, names, and faces that make up the football ecosystem for HBCUs.
There may not be a more viewed conference on that landscape, than the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The 2023-2024 season saw FAMU Head Coach Willie Simmons finally bring the Celebration Bowl title back to the SWAC after years of MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) dominance, defeating Howard University 30-26.
That loaded FAMU squad is gone, along with its record-breaking coach. The race to get back to the promised land of the Celebration Bowl looks to be a more wide-open affair going into this season. Here are five questions on some of the more prominent storylines going into the fall.
Can Florida A&M Hold on to the SWAC crown with new Head Coach James Colzie?
Florida A&M experienced the highest of highs when they got to the top of the HBCU Football Mountain last year. Unfortunately, that high wore off pretty quickly in the shadow of a pretty tumultuous off-season that saw a good deal of controversy when it came to retaining, then replacing then Head Coach Willie Simmons. James Colzie eventually won the gig, and he's been on a mission to re-stock the talent pantry for FAMU. Among the more high-profile transfers into the program are QB's Daniel Richardson (FAU) and Alston Hooker (North Carolina A&T), along with ACC transfers Running Back Rodney Hill (Florida State), and Defensive Back Demorie Tate (Florida State). The class in its totality, may very well be the most talented recruiting class in all of HBCU Football. The question is whether that talent will translate to resumed continuity and results come the fall. It's going to be interesting to see whether that comes to fruition or not.
Is This the Year that Alabama State finally breaks through the glass ceiling?
Bama State Head Coach Eddie Robinson Jr. has generated a ton of optimism for Hornet football fortunes going into this season. At the top of that reasoning (besides the steady growth of the ASU defense into arguably the most dominant unit in the conference) is what they were able to accomplish in recruiting and the portal. In an off-season that says a LOT of high-profile talent come into the conference, it's an in-conference transfer that may give Alabama State the offensive punch it lacked the past few seasons. Texas Southern transfer Andrew Body's career has been one of the more prolific in the recent history of the conference. It's also been plagued by some injury setbacks. Enter a new home in Montgomery, and a fully healthy outlook for Body, gives the Hornets a potential All-Conference/Offensive Player of the Year option at Quarterback. UAPB transfer Rico Dozier comes back to his home state to integrate into arguably the best defensive unit in the conference under Coach Robinson's watch. The big question is how WILL this offense look with Body at the helm? The answer will go a LONG way to determining who comes out of that SWAC East.
Can Jackson State recover some of its Past swag?
Long gone is the successful, but circus-like atmosphere that was the Deion Sanders era at Jackson State, but there's still a LOT for Tiger fans to be excited about under Head Coach T.C. Taylor going into the season. Case in point? Let's start with potentially one of the best 1-2 offensive tandems in the SWAC in QB Jacobian Morgan and RB Irv Mulligan. Add on to that a pretty talented offensive line and there's good reason for optimism regarding Tiger fortunes as it relates to getting back to the top of the heap in the SWAC East. Questions still loom about how effective JSU will be on the other side of the ball, but there's no denying the talent that's there. A couple of X factors to look for on either side of the ball are talented Delaware State Transfer DB Esaias Guthrie and Redshirt Junior WR Rico Powers. Both have the potential to really make an impact on their respective units. We know JSU will be able to run the ball. Will they be able to balance that strength enough to keep defenses on their heels? Folks inside Tiger football circles are betting that they can. If they do, they could find themselves back in the hunt for a Celebration Bowl berth.
Can New Grambling HC Mickey Joseph meet Expectations?
The Grambling brand evokes a LOT of images, mostly about the best HBCU Football has had to offer the sport. It's not surprising then that the Grambling Tiger fan base is a pretty discerning bunch. They expect to win. New Head Coach Mickey Joseph has embraced that legacy lock, stock, and barrel. At the forefront of those expectations is one of the better-returning QBs in the conference, Myles Crawley. While the transfer portal has been a staple for the conference in general, there's been a HUGE emphasis on retaining in-state talent from this staff. Grambling is looking for that re-dedication to recruiting in-state in one of the most talent-rich places in the country to pay dividends. Will those dividends come due this season? If they do, Grambling will truly be a contender for the SWAC West crown.
Will Prairie View A&M return for an Encore, or will Alcorn State take the Mantle?
Prairie View HC Bubba McDowell exceeded expectations in getting the Panthers to the SWAC Championship game. That run established McDowell as one of the best in-game coaches in the SWAC. The big question is whether they can sustain that momentum, particularly with a potentially resurgent Alcorn State under Head Coach Cedric Thomas waiting in the wings. Both teams have some pretty intense QB battles going on that won't be resolved until the season actually gets underway. BOTH programs have potential difference-makers at that position. How will Alcorn continue to look in the post-McNair family era? Will PV's offensive progression match their prowess on the defensive side of the ball? Those answers will factor a great deal in the fortunes of both programs as they vie for the SWAC West crown.
Five questions... Five Story-lines... LOTS of intrigue... There's absolutely nothing like the anticipation that comes with a SWAC Football Preseason. There's a ton of football to be played, but the intensity for the 2024-25 SWAC football season is already front and center.
If you're a fan of HBCU football's culture and pageantry, there's not a better place to start prepping for the upcoming College Football season!