The 2025 HBCU football season is less than a month from kicking off, and the preseason honors continue to roll in.
This time, it’s STATS Perform released its FCS preseason All-American team, which features nine HBCU names.
First Team
Travis Terrell, Jackson State, KR
Despite losing offensive talent from its HBCU national championship team, the Tigers still have loads of talent, with running back Travis Terrell Jr. being the most intriguing.
Terrell enters the 2025 season following an impressive freshman campaign, stringing together 1,405 all-purpose yards and six total touchdowns.
He is one of only two FCS players to record 300+ yards in three different categories, doing so in rushing (459), kick returns (551), and punt returns (300).
Terrell has shown superstar potential, and the 2025 season could further place his status in the elite category.
Ckelby Givens, Southern DL
The reigning co-SWAC Defensive Player of the Year has been a playmaking machine for the Jaguars’ defensive unit, accumulating 48.5 tackles for loss, 19.0 sacks, and seven forced fumbles in the past two seasons. He was most recently named the preseason SWAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Second Team
Erick Hunter, DL, Morgan State
Hunter led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with 75 tackles and ranked No. 6 in tackles for loss (9.5). In addition to his exceptional tackling ability, he also demonstrated his versatility and playmaking skills. He recorded seven quarterback hurries, 3 sacks (No. 11 in the MEAC), two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and a pass breakup.
Hunter currently ranks ninth on Morgan’s all-time tackles list with 196 career tackles, and is just four tackles shy of becoming just the seventh player in Morgan history to reach the 200-tackle milestone.
Third Team
Ashton Grable, OL, Florida A&M
Last season, Grable starred on the Rattlers’ offensive line, earning NCAA All-HBCU honors for 2024. He was named on Monday to the All-SWAC Team.
Jeremiah Williams, DL, Jackson State
Williams was named First Team All-SWAC earlier this week. After an All-American season, he was named to the All-SWAC Third Team and earned the Defensive Most Valuable Player award at the Cricket Celebration Bowl. The redshirt senior was named FCS Football Central All-American after recording 58 total tackles, including 22 solo stops. He also recorded 7.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.
Malique Leatherbury, PR, Morgan State
Leatherbury capped off an impressive 2024 season as one of the premier return specialists in FCS football. His electrifying performances earned him a spot on the All-MEAC Second Team, fueled mainly by his remarkable 17.9-yard average per punt return, ranked second-best in the FCS.
