Can the SWAC’s preseason football honors predict which teams will be contenders in 2026?
Alabama State, Jackson State and Prairie View A&M all came out of the vote with serious preseason respect, which matches the league’s recent balance of power.
Let’s dive in.
Voters really love Alabama State
Alabama State is the clearest signal that the Hornets are expected to contend again, not just compete. Quarterback Andrew Body was named preseason offensive player of the year, and the Hornets led all SWAC schools with nine preseason selections.
That kind of recognition usually means coaches and SIDs see a roster with both star power and enough depth to survive the grind of the league schedule.
The bigger question is whether Alabama State can turn preseason praise into a championship finish. The Hornets were part of the SWAC East Division race last season, and the honors suggest they are now being treated as one of the league’s most complete teams entering 2026.
Jackson State is not close to dropping off
Jackson State still looks like the favorite in the East despite another offseason of roster turnover. Kam Sallis was voted preseason defensive player of the year, and the Tigers also placed five others among the league leaders in preseason selections, including promising sophomore quarterback Jared Lockhardt and 1,000-yard wide receiver Nate Rembert.
Jackson State went 9-3 overall and 7-1 in conference play in 2025, then reached the SWAC title game before losing to Prairie View A&M. Jackson State has won the SWAC East four of the last five years. That staying power won’t go away.
Prairie View A&M has earned trust
Prairie View A&M may be the most interesting team here because it enters 2026 with championship credibility it has not historically possessed.
The Panthers stunned Jackson State to win the SWAC title last season, and the preseason buzz suggests voters are not treating that run as a one-off under second-year coach Tremaine Jackson and his championship-or-bust mantra.
Even though the program did not lead the league in total selections, it remained firmly in the upper tier of the preseason conversation with five selections — all on the first-team — anchored by SWAC Freshman of the Year Chase Bingman.
That matters because it suggests the Panthers are being treated like a team with real expectations to win, not just compete, as in previous iterations.
What the vote really shows
The honors also suggest the SWAC is entering 2026 with a clear top group and very little separation between them. Alabama State, Jackson State, and Prairie View A&M are the schools most directly tied to the title picture, while there seems to be a crowd in the middle before a drop off throughout the rest of the conference.
That is the real story behind the preseason awards: they do not just name stars, they map the league’s likely path to a champion.
But can preseason status determine which teams will ultimately end up holding the trophy at the end?
Since 2019, three teams — Alcorn State, Florida A&M and Jackson State — have led the SWAC in preseason All-SWAC selections and gone on to win the conference championship.
