Alabama State instantly enters the SWAC East title conversation with Andrew Body back under center for another season.
The quarterback remaining at ASU stabilizes the position and affords the Hornets the opportunity to deploy the top offensive weapon in HBCU football.
But does Body’s return finally put Alabama State over the top in the SWAC East? How about the SWAC itself?
Why Andrew Body’s return is such a big deal
Body is coming off a season in which he was named Stats Perform HBCU National Player of the Year and SWAC Offensive Player of the Year after piloting Alabama State to its first 10-win campaign since 2004, a run that reset the program’s ceiling.
He completed nearly 71 percent of his passes for 1,770 yards with 20 touchdowns against just one interception and added 518 rushing yards and four scores, giving Alabama State one of the most efficient dual‑threat quarterbacks in the country.
At his peak, he put up video‑game numbers, including a six‑touchdown outing against Alabama A&M and a 431‑plus yard performance in a narrow loss at Jackson State.
That context makes his decision to withdraw from the transfer portal and return for his senior year program‑altering. His presence stabilizes the most important position on the field, gives new offensive coordinator Tony Hull a proven playmaker to build around, and immediately raises the ceiling on an offense that already showed it could stress defenses vertically and horizontally when he was healthy.
In a league where elite quarterback play often determines who competes for championships, Alabama State checks that box.
The health and depth questions
If there is a reason to hesitate before penciling Alabama State in ink at the top of the division, it starts with Body’s medical file. He missed all of the 2024 season after suffering an injury in his Hornets debut and was lost for the final five weeks of the 2025 regular season after suffering an injury against Prairie View A&M.
Follow‑up imaging brought good news — no new structural damage and a rehab‑and‑rest timetable, but the episode reinforced how fragile Alabama State’s title hopes become if its star quarterback is not upright.
The Hornets did see transfer quarterback Te’Sean Smoot play capably in relief is a reminder that there is at least a plausible succession plan if disaster strikes again. Still, Body’s combination of efficiency, explosiveness, and poise is precisely what turns Alabama State from spoiler into contender.
The Hornets also had 13 offensive players enter the transfer portal, including receiver Jalen Jones and running backs Jamarie Hostzclaw and Marcus Harris II. How the new-look roster projects — even with Body back in the fold — remains the biggest caveat attached to any “favorite” label.
Alabama State will have to overcome Jackson State in the East
Any argument for Alabama State as the team to beat has to be weighed against the recent and projected hierarchy in the SWAC East. Jackson State is coming off its second straight division title and loaded up in the transfer portal to fortify its already strong roster.
The Tigers will once again be a favorite to win the division again along with Florida A&M, providing a possible challenge with first-year coach Quinn Gray, who has a history of success in Division II football.
Body narrows that gap because he gives the Hornets the one element you cannot manufacture in August: a proven, late‑game difference‑maker at quarterback who has already gone toe‑to‑toe with Jackson State on the road. But until Alabama State turns that into a division crown on the field, the burden of proof still rests in Montgomery.
Verdict: Challenger, not front‑runner yet
So does Andrew Body’s return make Alabama State the favorite in the SWAC East? It almost does, and in some corners of the league, it might be enough to nudge a few preseason votes in the Hornets’ direction.
Between a returning national player of the year at quarterback, the momentum of a 10‑win season, and a fresh offensive mind in Hull designing around his strengths, Alabama State has the clearest path to closing the gap on Jackson State. However, the Hornets did lose a wealth of talent in the transfer portal that they must overcome.
While Alabama State did beat Prairie View in the regular season, the Panthers won the SWAC West, the conference title, and nearly the HBCU crown. And they’re projected to be just as good next season, too.
As far as the SWAC East goes, Jackson State’s sustained dominance and Alabama State’s own dependence on one player’s health argue for a more measured headline.
The Hornets have every right to see themselves as contenders in the SWAC, and if Body is still standing when the calendar flips to November, they may well look like the safest bet. Until then, the race remains Jackson State’s and Prairie View’s to lose.
