There is a new vibe surrounding the Florida A&M football team.
The Rattlers needed to change something after going 7-5 in 2024 under then-rookie head coach James Colzie, which prompted him to express that the season-long performance was “not the damn standard.”
“The lights were bright last year,” the FAMU coach said at SWAC Football Media Day on Wednesday. “We’ve got work to do. It is a new season. I’m excited about what our team’s going to look like.”
If last season was one of adjustment and uncertainty. This offseason has been marked by assurance and clarity.
“January 1 of 2024, compared to January 1 of 2025 ― the vision was clear,” Colzie said. “We knew what we needed to do, and there were things we needed to and could address.”
Colzie said he’s observed offseason progression at every level of the operation. Players. Coaches. Offense. Defense. You name it, and the Rattlers are different.
Though FAMU was picked to finish second behind defending conference and HBCU national champion Jackson State in the SWAC East, there is a sense that the team understands who they are and what’s required to get back into championship contention again.
Last season, the defense struggled at every level. The Rattlers ranked seventh overall, allowing 27.2 points per game and 167 yards per game on the ground. FAMU was last in the SWAC in forced fumbles and 10th in the conference in interceptions.
But East Carolina transfer Daylyn Diston has made an impact in the secondary in the offseason. The coach also noted that linebacker Nay’Ron Jenkins and defensive back Chase Lloyd stood out, too.
On offense, the Rattlers added several quarterbacks, including Tyler Jefferson from Central Michigan and Jett Peddy of Long Beach City College.
All quarterbacks, Colzie said, have taken snaps with the starting offensive units during spring and summer workouts.
A QB1 will be named, said Colize, well before the Rattlers’ season opener against Howard on Aug. 30 in the Orange Blossom Classic in Miami, Florida.
“There’s a different aura right now as far as where our football team is, where our staff is, and where I am as the head coach of this prestigious institution,” he said. “We’re going in the right direction. Our Rattler fanbase and alumni’s expectations are what their expectations are.”
