Alabama State’s offense just lost its brightest star.
Quarterback Andrew Body, the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year and 2025 HBCU Player of the Year, is entering the NCAA transfer portal after a spectacular season in Montgomery.
Big move by a big-time star
Body’s decision comes on the heels of a 10-win campaign in which he powered Alabama State to one of the most explosive offenses in HBCU football. He led the SWAC in multiple categories, including total offense and passing efficiency, while earning national recognition as the top player in HBCU football.
Body threw for 2,112 yards, 24 TD passes and has rushed for 708 yards this season in eight games.
Body, however, missed the final five games of the regular season after sustained a shoulder injury, his second in as many seasons since transferring to Alabama State from Texas Southern in 2024.
Why this shocks Alabama State
For Alabama State, this is a program-altering development. Body was widely viewed as the centerpiece of a potential conference title push after finally staying healthy and turning in one of the most productive seasons in program history. His dual-threat ability and leadership made him the face of the program and a key reason the Hornets’ offense ranked near the top of the league and among the best in the FCS.
What the portal could mean
Body now becomes one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the transfer portal, with his blend of production, experience and star power guaranteed to draw interest from both HBCU powers and FBS programs looking for an instant-impact starter.
The road that led here
The move caps a remarkable comeback story for a player who battled through multiple season-ending shoulder injuries between his time at Texas Southern and Alabama State. After missing most of 2024, Body returned in 2025 to deliver the kind of season that not only rewrote sections of the school record book but also earned him national hardware and HBCU All-America recognition.
What’s next for the Hornets
Alabama State must now pivot quickly, with the program turning toward its quarterback room and recruiting board to identify Body’s successor under center. The program did find success with backup Jacksonville State transfer Te’Sean Smoot who went 4-0 as the starter.
The Hornets are likely to be active on the market themselves as they try to maintain the momentum created during Body’s award-winning year.