The FCS season is quick approaching, so we’re going inside every convention race. With defending champ Florida A&M going through an enormous problem from contenders reminiscent of Alabama State, Alcorn State and Jackson State, right here’s our 2024 SWAC soccer preview.
Who’s SWAC?
Apparently, this season, it’s the vast majority of soccer packages within the 12-school HBCU convention.
The SWAC’s preseason predicted wide-open divisional races, with final 12 months’s winners, Florida A&M and Prairie View A&M, not put in because the favorites. Defending convention champ FAMU is also one in every of 5 packages with a brand new head coach – coming one season after 4 different packages had a brand new rent.
The West Division? Oh sure, that’s grow to be a logjam of contenders late within the season.
2024 SWAC Soccer Preview
Predicted Order of End
*-Celebration Bowl Qualifier
East Division
1. *Alabama State (2023 File: 7-4, 5-3) – Linebacker Rico Dozier, the 2023 SWAC sort out chief, transferred over from Arkansas-Pine Bluff to be part of a Hornets squad that may chase this system’s first convention title since 2004. Dozier was joined by new teammates Arelious Dunn (offensive line), Treqwan Thomas (line of defense), Demarkus Cunningham (linebacker), James Burgess (defensive again) and Robert McMinn (return specialist) on the SWAC preseason first workforce. Former Texas Southern dual-threat quarterback Andrew Physique has transferred into coach Eddie Robinson Jr.’s program.
2. Jackson State (7-4, 5-3) – The Tigers burst with offensive promise. Quarterback Jacobian Morgan produced 13 touchdowns after taking up within the last 4 video games final season, and the firepower continues with operating again Irv Mulligan (over 2,000 dashing yards in his faculty profession) and large receiver Fabian McCray. The Tigers are taking part in 10 SWAC packages, however video games in opposition to Southern and Grambling State don’t rely towards the convention standings.
3. Florida A&M (12-1, 8-0) – New coach James Colzie III faces the tough activity of changing Willie Simmons, who was 45-13 in 5 seasons earlier than he departed for an assistant’s place at Duke. Grad switch QB Daniel Richardson is reunited with former FAU teammate Kelvin Dean Jr., a operating again who caught two TDs in final 12 months’s Celebration Bowl win over Howard. Kendall Bohler and Deco Wilson type an outstanding tag-team within the secondary.
4. Alabama A&M (5-6, 3-5) – The Eagles function offensive firepower in operating again Donovan Eaglin (1,638 dashing yards, 13 TDs the final two seasons) and large receiver Jacolby Hewitt (32 receptions, 516 yards, 4 TDs). The protection seeks enchancment, though there’s measurement and expertise within the secondary with Emari Pait and Marvin Smith.
5. Bethune-Cookman (3-8, 2-6) – Having gone 2-6 in every of their first three SWAC schedules, the Wildcats search to shock within the aggressive convention. 4 of final 12 months’s losses had been one-possession video games within the last minute. Linebacker Dearis Thomas ought to construct off a banner sophomore season (97 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss).
6. Mississippi Valley State (1-10, 1-7) – It too typically feels just like the Delta Devils are constructing for the longer term, however coach Kendrick Wade ought to consider it’s right here with sophomore tight finish Jaxson Davis (36 receptions, 406 yards, three TDs). Returning QB Ty Williams, additionally a soph, and Southern switch JR Blood determine to assist elevate the workforce’s 12-point common, which ranked because the second-lowest within the FCS.
West Division
1. Alcorn State (7-4, 6-2) – Beneath new coach Cedric Thomas, the Braves are searching for to return to the SWAC championship sport for the primary time since 2019, the ultimate of six appearances in a row, together with 4 titles. The offensive personnel will look vastly totally different – the large query is who would be the simplest with changing two-year quarterback Aaron Allen – however the protection returns mainstays in defensive finish Malachi Bailey, linebacker Stemarion Edwards and cornerback Edwin Summerour.
2. Prairie View A&M (6-6, 6-2) – The defending West champion Panthers had been too typically underrated in coach Bubba McDowell’s first two seasons, so having solely two All-SWAC preseason picks – defensive finish CJ Pressley on the primary workforce and defensive sort out Jamal Marshall on the second workforce – performs into the storyline. Junior faculty switch QB Cam Peters seeks to step in and substitute Trazon Connley.
3. Southern (6-5, 5-3) – New mentor Terrence Graves was Southern’s linebackers coach final season – his fifteenth with the Jaguars over 4 stints. He already is aware of the Jaguars misplaced in opposition to the higher SWAC groups final season. If that turns round, All-America defensive finish Ckelby Givens, the SWAC’s preseason defensive participant of the 12 months, will prepared the ground. Offensive lineman Joshua Trask Jr. will clear a path for operating again Kendric Rhymes, who’s scored 18 TDs from scrimmage in his first two seasons.
4. Grambling State (5-6, 4-4) – The G-Males final gained the division and convention titles in 2017, they usually could also be primed to finish that drought in coach Mickey Joseph’s first season. Quarterback Myles Crawley, the SWAC’s preseason offensive participant of the 12 months, led an offense that jumped from tenth within the convention in 2022 to second a 12 months in the past. Huge receiver Javon Robinson was an enormous a part of the rise because the convention’s freshman of the 12 months. The protection, nonetheless, is changing a lot of standouts.
5. Texas Southern (3-8, 2-6) – A primary-time coach, Cris Dishman seeks to raise a program that hasn’t posted a successful season since 2010. The 2-time NFL Professional Bowl cornerback can assume protection first with linebacker Jacob Williams (106 tackles, 18.5 TFLs, eight sacks), defensive lineman Michaels Akins and defensive again Javius Williams. Returning QB Jace Wilson is the offensive chief.
6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-9, 1-7) – The offense wants higher continuity in coach Alonzo Hampton’s second season after the Golden Lions utilized three totally different quarterbacks and averaged solely 15.2 factors per sport. In actual fact, Jeremy Baker’s 76 punts marked the FCS excessive. Exhausting-hitting linebacker Khalil Arnold is coming off a powerful sophomore marketing campaign.
How the Convention Predicted the Race
5 Gamers to Know
Malachi Bailey, DE, Alcorn State (HBCU+ FCS Nationwide Participant of the Yr Award preseason nominee) –Bailey’s 6-foot-2, 260-pound measurement can overpower offensive lineman. He led the SWAC with 9 sacks and was third with 15.5 TFLs final season.
Kendall Bohler, DB, Florida A&M (Buck Buchanan Award and HBCU+ FCS Nationwide Participant of the Yr Award preseason nominee) – Not solely had been Bohler’s 14 go breakups a convention excessive, he picked the precise time for his lone interception – within the Rattlers’ Celebration Bowl win.
Myles Crawley, QB, Grambling State (Walter Payton Award and HBCU+ FCS Nationwide Participant of the Yr Award preseason nominee) – In his first season at Grambling following a switch from Alabama State, Crawley ranked second within the SWAC in passing yards (2,303) and landing passes (16).
Rico Dozier, LB, Alabama State (HBCU+ FCS Nationwide Participant of the Yr Award preseason nominee) – Dozier led the SWAC with 128 tackles final season and totaled 210 over three campaigns at Arkansas-Pine Bluff earlier than making a switch throughout the convention.
Ckelby Givens, DE, Southern (Buck Buchanan Award and HBCU+ FCS Nationwide Participant of the Yr Award preseason nominee) – No returning FCS participant had extra TFLs (21) a 12 months in the past than the 2024 SWAC preseason defensive participant of the 12 months.
5 Should-See Matchups
1. Florida A&M at Jackson State (Oct. 19) – These rivals have mixed on the final three SWAC championships. They’re assembly at a campus website for the primary time since 2018.
2. Grambling State vs. Southern (Nov. 24 in New Orleans)
3. Florida A&M at Alabama State (Oct. 5)
4. Alabama A&M Vs. Alabama State (Oct. 26 in Birmingham, Alabama)
5. Alcorn State at Prairie View A&M (Nov. 16)
Quick Truth
The SWAC has led FCS conferences in attendance common in 45 of the Division I subdivision’s first 46 seasons. Final season, the 2 highest-attended video games within the FCS had been the Magic Metropolis Traditional between Alabama A&M and Alabama State (69,210 at Legion Area in Birmingham) and the Bayou Traditional between Grambling State and Southern (64,699 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans).
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