Alabama State head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. made it clear at SWAC Football Media Day: preseason recognition will not change the Hornets’ approach heading into the 2026 season.
Picked to finish first in the SWAC East after coming off a 10-win season, Alabama State enters the fall with heightened expectations—and a target on its back.
That is obviously a by-product of how formidable the Hornets have become under Robinson Jr, in his fifth season in Montgomery. It also isn’t lost on everyone that Alabama State returns quarterback Andrew Body, who was voted the preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year.
But even with overtures of how good the Hornets can possibly be, Robinson emphasized that his program’s mindset remains unchanged.
“I don’t think anything changed for us,” Robinson said in reference to being selected to win the SWAC East. “We were expecting to finish first every year I’ve been here. That’s always been the goal.”
Rather than focusing on preseason accolades, Robinson pointed to consistency and daily improvement as the foundation for success.
“You have to go out there with the mindset that you have to earn it,” he said. “We’re going to go out there and try to win every game and compete at a high level. We just have to win today and get a little bit better every day.”
Alabama State has identified team strength
Robinson stressed that Alabama State’s identity is rooted in discipline and routine—traits he believes will carry the Hornets through a competitive SWAC schedule.
“Our strength is in our routine,” he said. “We have a good routine, and we know that it works. It helps us get better week to week.”
Despite the high expectations, Robinson acknowledged the challenge ahead in a conference he believes continues to improve across the board.
“We know we have some really good coaches in this conference, some good teams,” he said. “Every team in the conference has gotten better. We know how hard that task is going to be, but it’s something we wake up in the morning looking forward to.”
