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FAMU football offensive coordinator Henry Burris on QB battle: 'It's a reward for them.'
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- FAMU football offensive coordinator Henry Burris on QB battle: 'It's a reward for them.'
Who will it be?
Florida A&M football's starting quarterback spot is still up for grabs as the Rattlers cross the two-week threshold of training camp .
The Rattlers began training camp with five quarterbacks competing to lead the offense : Traven Green , Tyler Jefferson, RJ Johnson III, Bryson Martin, and Jett Peddy.
RJ Johnson III, a quarterback, transferred to Florida A&M as a redshirt sophomore from Toledo before the 2025 football season. Johnson is an Atlanta native, where he was an All-Star selection out of Westlake High School.
Johnson and Peddy have separated themselves as the top two candidates to become QB1 when FAMU's 2025 season kicks off versus the Howard Bison in two and a half weeks.
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"We're going to have a fantastic quarterback battle," FAMU offensive coordinator Henry Burris told the audience at Wednesday, Aug. 13's 220 Quarterback Club luncheon.
"I've got to give two guys kind of the edge right now when it comes to Jett Peddy and RJ Johnson. These kids are going out battling. When one guy makes a throw, the next one is like 'Oh my gosh, I got to match that' then he comes back and makes a throw."
Burris, also the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach, praised the quarterbacks' short-term memory after errors and attention to detail in film sessions and meetings.
Florida A&M Rattlers assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Henry Burris looks on during a training camp football practice on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Aug. 5, 2025.
Moreover, despite the Rattlers having three offensive HBCU All-Americans in running back Thad Franklin Jr. and offensive linemen Charles Davis and Ashton Grable, the signal callers' command of the offense has echoed during preseason training camp practices.
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"They'll have a couple of mistakes. We'll talk about it as far as the meetings. They'll grow from it, learn from it, come out the next day and execute it," Burris said. "Now, you're starting to see their voices lift because they know in order for us to have success, the quarterback has to take control."
Sophomore quarterback Traven Green has an outside shot of becoming the Rattlers' starter this season.
However, the Rockledge native is "going to be the future of FAMU," Burris says.
Florida A&M quarterback Traven Green attempts a pass during the Rattlers' first spring football practice of 2025 on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Friday, March 7, 2025.
"This kid has a bright future ahead of him," Burris said.
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"You see him galvanizing and embodying the attitudes of all the guys around him. He's taking the lessons, writing down the notes, and he's a young kid coming on. Even though he's our fourth quarterback, the future is bright for him. He's that kid who sits in the back and is just quiet. Doesn't say much. But everything you say, he's a sponge, soaking up that information."
FAMU head coach James Colzie III plans to announce the Rattlers' starting quarterback at an upcoming 220 Quarterback Club luncheon. The 220 Quarterback Club broadcasts live on YouTube every Wednesday at noon .
The Rattlers' season opener is on Aug. 30 versus the Howard Bison in the Orange Blossom Classic at Miami Gardens' Hard Rock Stadium.
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"We're getting these young quarterbacks ready, and when we do make that announcement here on an upcoming Wednesday, you will know we put these guys through the rigor, made them strain, made them stress ― we put them through everything," Burris said.
"So, when we step out there on gameday on Saturday, it's a reward for them."
Florida A&M Football 2025 Schedule
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Week 1: Saturday, Aug. 30 ― vs. Howard (Orange Blossom Classic at Miami Gardens' Hard Rock Stadium), 4 p.m., ESPNU
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Week 2: Saturday, Sept. 6 ― at Florida Atlantic , 6 p.m., ESPN Plus
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Week 3: Saturday, Sept. 13 ― vs. Albany State , 7 p.m., SWAC TV
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Week 4: BYE/OPEN WEEK
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Week 5: Saturday, Sept. 27 ― vs. Alabama State (SWAC), 3 p.m., HBCU GO
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Week 6: Saturday, Oct. 4 ― vs. Mississippi Valley State (SWAC/at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium), 4 p.m., SWAC TV
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Week 7: Saturday, Oct. 11 ― vs. North Carolina Central , 3 p.m., HBCU GO
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Week 8: Saturday, Oct. 18 ― vs. Alcorn State (SWAC/Homecoming), 4 p.m., ESPN Plus
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Week 9: Saturday, Oct. 25 ― at Southern (SWAC), 5 p.m., SWAC TV
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Week 10: Saturday, Nov. 1 ― vs. Jackson State (SWAC), 7 p.m., ESPN Network
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Week 11: Saturday, Nov. 8 ― at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC), 3 p.m., HBCU GO
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Week 12: Saturday, Nov. 15 ― at Alabama A&M (SWAC), 3 p.m., SWAC TV
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Week 13: Saturday, Nov. 22 ― vs. Bethune-Cookman (SWAC/Florida Classic at Orlando's Camping World Stadium), TIME TBA, ESPN Plus
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Saturday, Nov. 29 ― NCAA FCS Playoffs Begin (If Necessary)
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Saturday, Dec. 6 ― SWAC Championship Game (If Necessary)
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Saturday, Dec. 13 ― Celebration Bowl at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium (If Necessary)
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Monday, Jan. 5, 2026 ― NCAA FCS National Championship Game at Nashville's FirstBank Stadium (If Necessary)
All times listed are in Eastern Standard Time.
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee .
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU's RJ Johnson, Jett Peddy leading QB battle, OC Henry Burris says
