The SWAC’s annual Football Media Day takes place this week, and ahead of the festivities, we give you our top five questions about Media Day and the 2025 season.
1. Can Jackson State run it back?
The Tigers’ second season under T.C. Taylor was a successful one. They returned to the top of the SWAC world with Eastern Division and conference titles, followed by a dominant 28-7 win over MEAC champ South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl.
Jackson State returns a ton of talent, most notably starting quarterback Jacobian Morgan, who was named the SWAC’s offensive preseason player of the year on Monday. Also returning are receivers Joanes Fortilien and Nate Rembert and defensive lineman Jeremiah Williams.
JSU will face some challenges from improved teams in their division, but Taylor and his staff’s preparation carried the Tigers a long way last season, and it likely will do so again in 2025.
2. How good will Prairie View A&M be?
Since taking the job earlier this winter, New Panthers head coach Tremaine Jackson has been outspoken about winning recruiting battles and becoming a nationally renowned program.
He’ll have a chance to prove it in the annual Labor Day Classic against Texas Southern, followed by games against UT-Rio Grande Valley and Northwestern State.
It’s a New Era on the Hill#D.O.G. | #PVAMUFootball pic.twitter.com/RG2o9rGVAx
— Prairie View A&M Football (@pvamufb_) January 7, 2025
The Panthers were SWAC West winners in 2021 under Eric Dooley and 2023 under Bubba McDowell, so Jackson will have not just his own high expectations to meet, but those of a PVAMU fanbase ready for a trip to Atlanta.
3. Will Shade cover the SWAC East?
Sam Shade took Division II Miles from a 1-9 football team to a NCAA Division II playoff winner. He’ll look to do the same for Alabama A&M, which underperformed under Connell Maynor, aside from the spring 2021 SWAC title.
The Bulldogs last won a non-pandemic SWAC East title in 2011, so Shade will have some catching up to do, especially in a division that features Jackson State, 2023 Celebration Bowl champion Florida A&M and in-state rival Alabama State.
4. Will Southern win the West again?
The Jaguars won a battle royal for the 2024 SWAC West title, and with conference preseason defensive player of the year Ckelby Givens returning to lead a hungry Southern defense, they should be in the mix again this year.
The big question for Southern is at quarterback. The Jags had no less than four guys take snaps a season ago, but were able to get away with it. Terence Graves and his staff must identify QB1. That will go a long way toward a return trip to the SWAC championship game.
5. Can Florida A&M rebound?
The Rattlers have been in the media for non-football-related reasons all summer long, so a competitive football team should serve as a worthy distraction from government-installed presidents.
The Rattlers have brought in FBS-level talents at quarterback and tight end to shore up an offense that took a step back following their 2023 Black College Championship year.
James Colzie’s second year in charge of the program will be an important one as FAMU not only faces the prospect of trying to unseat Jackson State, but challenges from Alabama State, Alabama A&M, and possibly longtime rival Bethune-Cookman lie ahead on the horizon.