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FAMU football picked to miss HBCU postseason in 2025 SWAC Predicted Order of Finish
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- FAMU football picked to miss HBCU postseason in 2025 SWAC Predicted Order of Finish
Florida A&M football is expected to have a similar season to the one it had last year.
In the Southwestern Athletic Conference's predicted order of finish, the Rattlers were picked to finish second in the East division behind the defending league and Black College Football Champions, Jackson State .
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Last year, FAMU went 7-5 and tied for second in the SWAC East under first-year head coach James Colzie III .
The Rattlers earned 99 total points with three first-place votes in the SWAC predictions.
Led by Jackson State, with 126 points and 16 first-place votes, the SWAC East preseason rankings are FAMU, Alabama State (91 points, two first-place votes), Alabama A&M (62 points), Bethune-Cookman (45 points, one first-place vote), and Mississippi Valley State (24 points).
Southern leads the SWAC West with 120 points and 17 first-place votes, followed by Alcorn State (90 points, two first-place votes), Prairie View A&M (72 points, one first-place vote), Texas Southern (60 points), Grambling State (55 points), and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (28 points, one first-place vote).
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FAMU finishing second in the SWAC East means it would not qualify for the HBCU football postseason, as the league places the East and West divisions' regular season winners versus each other for the championship game in December. The SWAC champion faces the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title holder in December's Celebration Bowl, the de facto Black College Football National Championship game.
If they don't make the HBCU playoff, the Rattlers' challenging schedule this season could earn them an at-large bid to the Football Championship Subdivision tournament, which begins in late November.
The Rattlers' 2025 season kicks off in the Orange Blossom Classic versus the Howard Bison on Saturday, Aug. 30, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
SWAC Predicted Order of Finish
SWAC East
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Jackson State ― 126 points (16)
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Florida A&M ― 99 points (3)
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Alabama State ― 91 points (2)
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Alabama A&M ― 62 points
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Bethune-Cookman ― 45 points (1)
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Mississippi Valley State ― 24 points
SWAC West
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Southern ― 120 points (17)
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Alcorn State ― 90 points (2)
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Prairie View A&M ― 72 points (1)
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Texas Southern ― 60 points
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Grambling State ― 55 points
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Arkansas-Pine Bluff ― 28 points (1)
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First place votes listed in parenthesis ( )
Preseason All-SWAC Honorees
Florida A&M defensive back Jameel Sanders (8) closes in on Alabama State Hornets running back Jamarie Hostzclaw (20) during their game on the ASU campus in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday October 5, 2024.
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Offensive Player of the Year: Jacobian Morgan, Jackson State
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Defensive Player of the Year: Ckelby Givens, Southern
All-SWAC First Team Offense
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Quarterback: Jacobian Morgan, Jackson State
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Running Back: Jacorian Sewell, Alcorn State
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Running Back: Thad Franklin Jr., Florida A&M
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Offensive Lineman: D'Andre Townes-Blue, Jackson State
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Offensive Lineman: Charles Davis, Florida A&M
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Offensive Lineman: Ashton Grable, Florida A&M
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Offensive Lineman: Ronald Brown, Alcorn State
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Offensive Lineman: Desmond Daniels, Alabama State
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Wide Receiver: Nate Rembert, Jackson State
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Wide Receiver: Joanes Fortilien, Jackson State
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Tight End: Marvin Landy, Jackson State
All-SWAC First Team Defense
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Defensive Lineman: Ckelby Givens, Southern
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Defensive Lineman: Jeremiah Williams, Jackson State
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Defensive Lineman: Bryce Cage, Grambling State
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Defensive Lineman: Davion Westmoreland, Florida A&M
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Linebacker: Stemarion Edwards, Alcorn State
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Linebacker: Vincent Paige Jr., Southern
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Linebacker: Nay'Ron Jenkins, Florida A&M
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Defensive Back: Keane Lewis, Alabama State
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Defensive Back: Antwone Watts, Bethune-Cookman
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Defensive Back: TJ Huggins, Florida A&M
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Defensive Back: Horacio Johnson, Southern
All-SWAC First Team Specialist
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Place Kicker: Gerardo Baeza, Jackson State
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Punter: Johnny Schifano, Grambling State
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Return Specialist: Travis Terrell Jr., Jackson State
All-SWAC Second Team Offense
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Quarterback: Cam Ransom, Bethune-Cookman
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Running Back: Lamagea McDowell, Prairie View A&M
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Running Back: BJ Curry, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
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Offensive Lineman: Quaveon Davis, Jackson State
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Offensive Lineman: Cameron Smith, Alabama State
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Offensive Lineman: Tahj Martin, Grambling State
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Offensive Lineman: Dezmond Penn, Alabama State
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Offensive Lineman: Tyrell Lawrence, Alabama A&M
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Wide Receiver: Maleek Huggins, Bethune-Cookman
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Wide Receiver: Trenton Leary, Texas Southern
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Tight End: Dupree Fuller, Southern
All-SWAC Second Team Defense
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Defensive Lineman: Damarcus Thompson, Texas Southern
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Defensive Lineman: Adrian Hall, Bethune-Cookman
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Defensive Lineman: James Gardner Jr., Florida A&M
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Defensive Lineman: Nick Glenn, Alabama A&M
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Linebacker: Reid Pulliam, Jackson State
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Linebacker: Ashton Taylor, Jackson State
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Linebacker: Malik Stinnett, Bethune-Cookman
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Defensive Back: Shamar Hawkins, Jackson State
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Defensive Back: Blake Davis, Grambling State
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Defensive Back: Herman Brister III, Southern
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Defensive Back: Jameel Sanders, Florida A&M
All-SWAC Second Team Specialist
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Place Kicker: Trey Glymph, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
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Punter: Jeremy Ramirez, Texas Southern
Florida A&M Football 2025 Schedule
Dec. 16, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; The championship trophy sits on display during the Cricket Celebration Bowl game between Florida A&M University and Howard University at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. FAMU defeated Howard 30-26. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Network
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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.
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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.
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Week 6: Saturday, Oct. 4 ― vs. Mississippi Valley State (SWAC/at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium), 4 p.m.
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Week 7: Saturday, Oct. 11 ― vs. North Carolina Central, 3 p.m.
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Week 8: Saturday, Oct. 18 ― vs. Alcorn State (SWAC/Homecoming), 4 p.m.
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Week 9: Saturday, Oct. 25 ― at Southern (SWAC)
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Week 10: Saturday, Nov. 1 ― vs. Jackson State (SWAC), 7 p.m.
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Week 11: Saturday, Nov. 8 ― at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC), 3 p.m.
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Week 12: Saturday, Nov. 15 ― at Alabama A&M (SWAC), 3 p.m.
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Week 13: Saturday, Nov. 22 ― vs. Bethune-Cookman (SWAC/Florida Classic at Orlando's Camping World Stadium)
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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 .
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football predicted to finish behind Jackson State in SWAC poll
