SWAC Media Day is officially here, amplifying the countdown to the start of the 2024 HBCU football season. Here are the five top storylines to watch for heading into the anticipated event.
1. Florida A&M’s quest for a repeat under new direction
Florida A&M enters the 2024 season looking to repeat as SWAC and Celebration Bowl champions in a year of change in the program.
James Colzie, who served as an assistant coach for the Rattlers the past two seasons, is taking over for longtime head coach Willie Simmons, who accepted a position on Duke’s coaching staff this offseason.
Simmons had been Florida A&M’s head coach since 2018 and has not had a losing season since. In fact, Florida A&M has not had a winning season without Simmons as its head coach since 2011.
Last year, FAMU had its best season since entering the SWAC, posting a 12-1 overall record and a perfect 8-0 record against the SWAC.
The Rattlers nearly swept the SWAC postseason awards with Simmons being named Coach of the Year, quarterback Jeremy Moussa winning the Offensive Player of the Year, and Isaiah Major winning Defensive Player of the Year.
In addition to Simmons’s departure, Florida A&M will also be without Moussa and Major, both of whom entered the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Rattlers made promising moves this offseason, such as acquiring former Central Michigan quarterback Daniel Richardson from the transfer portal, one of 29 FBS transfers.
While this roster has enough talent to contend for a second straight conference title and Celebration Bowl appearance, the question is whether the chemistry is good enough to make it work.
2. How will Jackson State fare in its second season under T.C. Taylor?
After two dominant seasons in their last two years under head coach Deion Sanders, the Tigers transitioned to the T.C. Taylor after Sanders accepted a position as the head coach of the University of Colorado.
Taylor had the unenviable task of taking over for a team that had posted a 23-3 overall record in the past two years and had won SWAC championships each year.
Although the Tigers could not claim a third straight SWAC title, they put up a modest 7-4 overall record, including a 5-3 record against the SWAC.
The Tigers’ strengths were their pass offense and defense. They had the most efficient passing offense in the SWAC, recording 21 touchdowns and completing 65% of its passes to just four interceptions.
Meanwhile, on the defensive side, JSU notched a SWAC-high 17 interceptions (tied for fourth in FCS) and 29 total sacks (third in SWAC).
Though it would be a tall task, Jackson State will be in the mix to win the SWAC East and the conference title.
3. Alabama State contender or pretender
Another team that will be in contention to win the SWAC East is Alabama State, who looks to be on the verge of finally getting over the hump and claiming a division title.
Since Eddie Robinson Jr. took over as the head coach of his alma mater, Alabama State has improved each season and is looking more and more like a contender in the SWAC.
Last year, the Hornets improved from their 6-5 record in 2022 to a 7-4 record. They were among the top defenses in the nation, allowing 14.4 points per game (second in FCS) and 281.9 offensive yards (third in FCS).
Their main weakness has been their play on offense, ranking in the bottom half of the SWAC in scoring (19.5) and total offense (299.9 yards per game).
While the defense remains strong, the offseason was a mixed bag for the offense as leading receiver Kisean Johnson entered the transfer.
However, they made some big moves to address inconsistencies on offense, such as former Texas Southern quarterback Andrew Body and Clark Atlanta running back Daquon Kincey.
Body comes to the team after missing much of last season due to injury, while Kincey had a breakout performance for Clark Atlanta, tallying 668 rushing yards and ten touchdowns.
Alabama State is searching for its first conference title since 2004.
4. Connell Maynor on the never-ending hot seat
One team that has not exactly been trending upward is the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, which have entered yet another season with their head coach in the hot seat.
Connell Maynor and the Bulldogs have had a hard time moving on from the Aqeel Glass era, which has raised questions about whether and when A&M’s head man will be removed from his duties sooner or later.
Alabama A&M is looking to avoid recording three losing seasons in a row, something it has not done since hiring Maynor in 2018.
They will have a gauntlet against them to prevent this from happening. They are widely viewed as the fourth-best team in the SWAC East division at best.
Whether or not this is Maynor’s last season as head coach, the Bulldogs are in the midst of a rebuild that could take years to get back on track.
5. The SWAC West is open for the taking
As was the case last season, the SWAC West is completely wide open, and the offseason has done nothing to separate any team from the pack.
It was a race between the top three teams for the division crown last year, and each had a case for why they should be the favorites this year.
The reigning division champion Prairie View A&M was picked to finish fifth in the Preseason Predicted Order of Finish.
The Panthers’ key will be adding balance to their rushing offense, which led the SWAC with 17 rushing touchdowns.
Alcorn State finished with a better overall record than Prairie View A&M but had the same conference record, missing out on a conference title berth after losing the tiebreaker.
The Braves are another team that underwent a major coaching change after Fred McNair’s contract expired.
Despite this, Alcorn will again be in the mix, arguably having the more talented roster of their SWAC West competitors.
Rounding out the trio of SWAC West contenders is Southern, who went through a coaching change. Despite leading the team to the SWAC championship the previous year, the Jaguars moved on from Eric Dooley midway through his second season.
The Jags had one of the best defenses in the conference last year, allowing just 20.5 points per game against the SWAC and 16 offensive touchdowns (second in SWAC).
This will be key to their overtaking Prairie View A&M and Alcorn State as they seek to win their third division crown in five seasons.
