The world has watched the back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference champions go through changes dating back to December 2022.
Former Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders has moved on to Boulder, CO, taking a lot of his “luggage” from Jackson, MS with him. 24 pieces to be exact. And, if you are to include the players that graduated, the Tigers will have lost last year’s SWAC Offensive Player of the Year (Colorado), Defensive Player of the Year (NFL), and nine other all-conference performers.
Amidst a bevy of wholesale changes at JSU, several questions loom over the SWAC in 2023.
Which team will take advantage of the roster turnover in Jackson and potentially win the SWAC East Division title? Is someone from the West capable of bringing the conference championship back to the Division for the first time in six seasons? Despite losing key talent in the offseason, does new Tiger head coach T.C. Taylor and his staff have the “championship mentality” needed to win a third straight conference title, a feat that hasn’t been achieved in the SWAC in 20 years?
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.
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Returning All-Conference Players
From last season’s All-SWAC Team. Players in italics received Preseason All-SWAC Honors in 2023.
Alcorn State – 5: DL Malachi Bailey (1st Team), LS Jason Longcor (1st Team), RB Jarveon Howard (1st Team), OL Will Ready (2nd Team), OL T.J. Yarbrough (2nd Team)
Florida A&M – 5: OL Jalen Goss (1st Team), LB Isaiah Major (2nd Team), OL Cameron Covin (2nd Team), QB Jeremy Moussa (2nd Team), WR Jah’Marae Sheread (2nd Team)
Alabama A&M – 3: DL Zareon Hayes (2nd Team), OL Jonathan Williams (2nd Team), RB Donovan Eaglin (2nd Team)
Bethune-Cookman – 2: DB/CB Omari Hill-Robinson (1st Team), RS Darnell Deas (1st Team)
Grambling State – 2: DL Sundiata Anderson (2nd Team), LB Lewis Matthews (2nd Team)
Southern – 2: DL Tahj Brown (2nd Team), LS Braxton Blackwell (2nd Team)
Alabama State – 1: LB Colton Adams (1st Team)
Jackson State – 1: TE D.J. Stevens (2nd Team)
Texas Southern – 1: RS Chaunzavia Lewis (2nd Team)
Teams Bringing In The Most D1 Transfers
FBS-to-FCS Transfers & FCS-to-FCS Transfers
Jackson State — 29 (17 FBS, 12 FCS)
Florida A&M — 28 (17 FBS, 11 FCS)
Alabama A&M — 12 (10 FBS, 2 FCS)
Bethune-Cookman — 12 (9 FBS, 3 FCS)
Grambling State — 11 (7 FBS, 4 FCS)
Mississippi Valley State — 11 (8 FBS, 3 FCS)
Southern — 11 (4 FBS, 7 FCS)
Prairie View A&M — 10 (4 FBS, 6 FCS)
Alcorn State – 9 (2 FBS, 7 FCS)
Alabama State – 5 (3 FBS, 2 FCS)
Texas Southern – 5 (2 FBS, 3 FCS)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff – 4 (1 FBS, 3 FCS)
Names To Know
TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYER: Jeremy Moussa, Florida A&M QB — A Second Team All-SWAC selection in 2022, the FAMU signal-called ranked in the top 25 nationally in touchdown passes (21 TDs, 18th) and passing yards (2,735 yards, 22nd) while leading the Rattlers to a 7-1 record in conference play. Moussa would go on to pass for at least two touchdowns in eight games last year.
Other players to watch: QB Andrew Body (Texas Southern), RB Donovan Eaglin (Alabama A&M), RB Jarveon Howard (Alcorn State), WB Derek Morton (Texas Southern)
TOP DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Sundiata Anderson, Grambling State DE — The Tiger defensive lineman wreaked havoc in opposing backfields last season, racking up seven total sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, and tallying 50 total tackles in 10 games on his way to becoming a second team All-SWAC performer in 2022.
Other players to watch: LB Colton Adams (Alabama State), LB Lewis Matthews (Grambling State), DL Tahj Brown (Southern), DB Javan Morgan (Florida A&M)
THE NFL PROSPECT: Sundiata Anderson, Grambling State DE — At 6-5, 240 lbs., the athletic edge rusher is big, long, and has the speed to be effective in pursuit. With a skillset that has seen steady improvement, Anderson is widely considered to be the best HBCU prospect this season.
Other Players to Watch: RB Jarveon Howard (Alcorn State), CB Jordan Carter (Southern), DB Kendall Bohler (Florida A&M)
HERO Sports’ Predicted Order of Finish
SWAC East
1. Florida A&M
2. Jackson State
3. Alabama State
4. Alabama A&M
5. Bethune-Cookman
6. Mississippi Valley State
SWAC West
1. Southern
2. Alcorn State
3. Texas Southern
4. Grambling State
5. Prairie View A&M
6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Last season, Southern needed a win at The Bayou Classic to clinch a trip to the SWAC Championship Game after four teams entered the final week of the regular season vying for the West Divisional Title. But finishing the season as the second-best team in the conference is not the goal for the Jags. If head coach Eric Dooley expects to win his third consecutive divisional title and bring the SWAC Title back to the Bluff for the first time in 10 seasons, he’ll have to do so with new offensive play-caller Harold Blood leading a revamped offense while the defense will have to play fast and physical, led by DL Tahj Brown and DB Jordan Carter.
SU has a favorable schedule, facing Florida A&M, Jackson State, and Texas Southern at home. The Jags went 0-3 versus these opponents, losing by a combined score of 89-13. If Southern is successful through this stretch of the schedule, they’ll have to travel to Lorman in November to face Alcorn State.
Braves head coach Fred McNair addressed some key positions with the hopes of getting better play at the quarterback position and the receiving corps, but if McNair wants to return to Atlanta for a third time, the success of his offense will have to rest on the shoulders of running back Jarveon Howard. The Syracuse transfer led the SWAC with 1,275 yards on 250 carries and scored 12 touchdowns.
Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons has led the Rattlers to nine-win seasons in their first two years in the SWAC. And, in those two seasons, FAMU has fallen short of winning the East Division by one game. That one game was the Orange Blossom Classic against Jackson State. And, for the third consecutive season, many expect the Rattler season opener to once again be the de facto East Division Title Game.
Expectations for this matchup are high, with the winner going on to represent the SWAC in the Cricket Celebration Bowl in 2021 & 2022. The Tigers believe they can set the tone for the 2023 league play in the SWAC with a win over the Rattlers, but FAMU QB Jeremy Moussa declares his team “(understands) the magnitude that (the Orange Blossom Classic) holds.”
