2021 was littered with accolades and accomplishments in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. It housed the best Freshman, Defensive Player, and Coach in FCS Football. For the first time in 32 years, multiple teams from the SWAC participated in post-season play on the FCS level. On its way to recording its best record in school history, Jackson State won its first conference title since 2007. But the Tigers, and every other program within the 12-team league, are looking to win a Black College Football National Championship. A feat no team in the SWAC has performed since 2016.
As we close in on the start of the upcoming season, here’s a look at the top returning players and our predicted order of finish.
2022 FCS Preseason Preview Central
Returning All-Conference Players
From last season’s All-SWAC Team
Jackson State – 5: RS Isaiah Bolden (1st Team), LB Aubrey Miller (1st Team), OL Tony Gray (2nd Team), QB Shedeur Sanders (2nd Team, FOY), DB Shilo Sanders (2nd Team)
Texas Southern – 4: OL Drake Centers (1st Team), QB Andrew Body (2nd Team), LB Tarik Cooper (2nd Team), TE Jyrin Johnson (2nd Team)
Alabama A&M – 3: WR Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (1st Team), RB Gary Quarles (1st Team), OL Robert Alston (2nd Team)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff – 3: OL Mark Evans II (1st Team), P Josh Sanchez (1st Team), LB Monroe Beard III (2nd Team)
Bethune-Cookman – 3: TE Kemari Averett (1st Team), DB Omari Hill-Robinson (1st Team), RS Darnell Deas (2nd Team)
Florida A&M – 3: DB BJ Bohler (1st Team), LB Isaiah Land (1st Team, DPOY), K Jose Romo-Martinez (1st Team)
Grambling State – 2: DL Sundiata Anderson (1st Team), K/P Garrett Urban (2nd Team)
Mississippi Valley State – 2: RB Caleb Johnson (2nd Team), DL Ronnie Thomas (2nd Team)
Southern – 2: OL Dallas Black (1st Team), DL Jason Dumas (1st Team; w/Prairie View)
Alcorn State – 1: RB Niko Duffey (2nd Team)
Returning HERO Sports All-Americans
From last season
Jackson State – 3: RS Isaiah Bolden (1st Team), LB Aubrey Miller Jr. (3rd Team), QB Shedeur Sanders (Fr.)
Alcorn State – 1: RB Niko Duffey (Soph.)
Bethune-Cookman – 1: TE Kemari Averett (2nd Team)
Florida A&M – 1: LB Isaiah Land (1st Team)
Mississippi Valley State – 1: RB Caleb Johnson (Soph.)
Teams With The Most D1 Transfers
FBS-to-FCS Transfers & FCS-to-FCS Transfers
Alabama A&M – 33 (27 FBS, 6 FCS)
Jackson State – 19 (17 FBS, 2 FCS)
Florida A&M – 16 (14 FBS, 2 FCS)
Alabama State – 15 (12 FBS, 3 FCS)
Grambling – 14 (9 FBS, 5 FCS)
Southern – 14 (10 FBS, 4 FCS)
Alcorn State – 8 (8 FBS)
Bethune-Cookman – 7 (5 FBS, 2 FCS)
Names To Know
TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYER: Shedeur Sanders, Jackson State QB — The younger Sanders had an outstanding debut season for the Tigers. Leading the SWAC with a completion percentage of 68.7% and passing for 2,971 yards and 28 touchdowns, Sanders was a 2nd Team All-SWAC selection, the conference’s Freshman of the Year, and the recipient of the Stats Perform FCS Jerry Rice Award. If the sophomore wants to win the conference’s top offensive honor, he will have to compete with the likes of RBs Gary Quarles (AAMU) and Caleb Johnson (MVSU), and maybe a few of his own teammates.
TOP DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Isaiah Land, Florida A&M LB — The 2021 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award recipient returns to Tallahassee for one more season. At the end of regular season play, he led the nation with 25.5 tackles for loss and 19 sacks. He’ll have to improve on those stats if he expects to beat out the Southern DL pair of Jordan Lewis and Jason Dumas.
TOP NFL PROSPECT: Isaiah Land, Florida A&M LB — Along with his previously listed achievements, the 6’4 linebacker also added three forced fumbles, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery while recording a sack or tackle for loss in ten of the 11 games last season.
Other Players to Watch: TE Kemari Averett (Bethune-Cookman), CB Terence Dunlap (Southern), C Mark Evans II (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), S John Huggins (Jackson State)
HERO Sports’ Predicted Order of Finish
SWAC East
1. Jackson State
2. Florida A&M
3. Alabama State
4. Alabama A&M
5. Bethune-Cookman
6. Mississippi Valley State
SWAC West
1. Southern
2. Grambling State
3. Alcorn State
4. Texas Southern
5. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
6. Prairie View A&M
Amidst a bevy of wholesale changes within the SWAC, JSU comes into this season with a lot of attention and expectation, being the only HBCU ranked in HERO Sports’ preseason Top 25.
Finishing last year 9-0 against SWAC opposition, the Tigers look to go undefeated in conference play in consecutive seasons for the first time in 34 years with a talent-laden roster that is bolstered by eight preseason all-conference selections and 2022’s No. 1 recruit WR/DB Travis Hunter. Expect the Orange Blossom Classic to once again be the de facto East Division Title Game.
With three new head coaches and four new starting QBs in the West Division, look for Coach Eric Dooley to lead a team to the SWAC Title Game in back-to-back seasons. This time it’ll be with his new team Southern. But if Southern’s standout DL duo of Jordan Lewis and Jason Dumas look to square off against JSU in December, they’ll have to get by Grambling and their new head coach Hue Jackson at The Bayou Classic.
