HOUSTON-- Looking back on Alabama State's previous two seasons, you can argue that the time is now for Coach Eddie Robinson Jr, quarterback Andrew Body, and this version of the Alabama State Hornets to capitalize on winning the 2026 Cricket Celebration Bowl and HBCU Football National Title.
Flashback to when Body was lined up for Alabama State on the final snap at the Jackson State game. The Hornets were on the 2-yard line on Oct. 11 at The Vet, one play from a win that would have swung the SWAC East. When defensive end Quincy Ivory penetrated the Hornets' offensive line and blew up the play, forcing Body's pass to running back Jamarie Hostzclaw incomplete. The game was over at 38-34.
However, one more year loomed for Bama State-provided Body returned-he did.
Andrew Body | ASU Athletics
When Body got injured at Prairie View on Nov. 1, Te'Sean Smoot stepped in as quarterback and led the Hornets to four straight wins, finishing the 2025 season with a 10-2 record. Robinson, unlike in years past, has strong confidence that his team could be the SWAC Champions.
"I see the toughness aspect of it," Coach Robinson told media at SWAC Media Day. "I see the guys making good decisions on and off the field; they're holding each other accountable. I see the work ethic part of it. Now we have to have that grind, enduring the season."
With fall camp just days away, Coach Eddie Robinson Jr., Andrew Body and the rest of the team are ready to make their push for a championship.
Here are the main things to know:
Robinson is starting his fifth season in Montgomery with a 30-16 record, after leading the Hornets to their first 10-win season in 21 years.
Body is heading into his last season of eligibility as the preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and the current Stats Perform HBCU National Player of the Year.
Robinson and his staff have built a strong team. After four years of recruiting, they now have a roster that's picked to win the East.
Everything is set for a championship run.
Eddie Robinson Jr. | CREDIT: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends
At SWAC Football Media Day in Birmingham on July 15, Alabama State was picked as the East Division favorite with 131 points and 16 first-place votes. Jackson State came next with 122 points and seven first-place votes. Bethune-Cookman was third with 71 points, Florida A&M fourth with 70, Alabama A&M fifth with 66 and one first-place vote, and Mississippi Valley State was sixth with 29.
Nine Hornets made the preseason All-SWAC teams. Body led five first-team picks, joined by offensive lineman Elijah Baker, defensive lineman Micael Joiner, safety Ta'Shaun Sims and return specialist Nehemiah Hixon. Running back Jamarie Hostzclaw, offensive lineman Dezmond Penn, kicker Andrew Abu-Akel and long snapper Garrett Wilemon were named to the second team.
In the first Black College Football Poll, Alabama State ranked fourth nationally with six first-place votes. Prairie View A&M was first, and Jackson State was third. Seven SWAC teams made the preseason top 10, showing how tough the competition will be for the Hornets.
Robinson was direct when SWAC TV asked him about the Cricket Celebration Bowl at media day.
"Buy your tickets, because we believe we're going to be there," Robinson said.
Body played eight games in 2025. He completed almost 71 percent of his passes for 1,770 yards, with 20 touchdowns and just one interception, earning a 203.6 efficiency rating. He also ran for 518 yards and scored four rushing touchdowns. He led the SWAC in touchdown passes and total points responsible for with 144, and was second in completion percentage.
The season opener at UAB set the tone. Body threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another 119 yards in a 52-42 loss to the FBS team, earning HBCU national player of the week honors. In the Magic City Classic against Alabama A&M, he scored six touchdowns.
In Week 10 at Prairie View A&M, Body reinjured his surgically repaired right shoulder while reaching the ball across the goal line during a 31-28 win. He missed the last four games of the season. Alabama State still tied for the division lead but did not win the tiebreaker.
Body entered the transfer portal in December and got interest from FBS schools, but chose to return to Montgomery. Since then, he's been named to the Walter Payton Award preseason watch list, won the Alabama Sports Writers Association Small College Athlete of the Year award, earned BOXTOROW first-team All-America honors and was picked as the SWAC preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
Still, none of this changes the main issue. Body hasn't played a full HBCU season since he arrived in 2024, when a shoulder injury in the Orange Blossom Classic ended his year in Week 1. For Alabama State, their potential depends on staying healthy.
Robinson's record over the last four years is 6-5, 7-4, 7-5 and 10-2. The jump from regular contender to conference favorite didn't happen in just one season. He's been building a strong program for years. Now the Hornets are on the precipice of taking over the division and possibly the conference.
The Hornets have a soldi fanbase as they averaged 20,618 fans at ASU Stadium in 2025, ranking seventh among all Division I FCS teams. Robinson had a special offseason, as he was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in June, along with Tyrone Poole (Women's Flag Football's head coach).
Still, there's one missing ingredient for Robinson: Winning a SWAC championship as a head coach.
The Hornets start the season on Aug. 29 against Southern at Legion Field in the first Birmingham Football Classic, which is also Marshall Faulk's debut as Jaguars coach. Lane College comes to ASU Stadium on Sept. 5 for the Labor Day Classic. They travel to Troy on Sept. 12. SWAC play starts at home against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 26, and the season ends with the Turkey Day Classic against Tuskegee.
"We have nine games in the state of Alabama," Robinson said in an interview with WVAS.
Having so many games in Alabama is a big advantage. It also means there are no excuses.
Jackson State brings back T.C. Taylor after a 9-3 season and a close 23-21 loss to Prairie View A&M in the SWAC Championship Game. The Tigers won the last matchup that kept Alabama State out of a December game. The East won't be decided until these teams meet again.
Prairie View A&M, coached by Tremaine Jackson, is the defending league champion and the favorite in the West again. The Panthers led South Carolina State 21-0 at halftime of the Celebration Bowl in December but lost 40-38 in four overtimes. That's how close they came to winning both a SWAC title and an HBCU national championship.
Alabama State's roster is built to compete for both titles. At media day, Body said the Hornets plan to be still playing when the season ends in December.
We'll get the first real test at Legion Field on Aug. 29.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/hbcu as Road to the Celebration Bowl: Time is Now for Coach Robinson, Andrew Body, and Bama State Football .
