The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its 2025 preseason all-SWAC football selections on Monday morning and its preseason Predicted Order of Finish on Wednesday.
In both cases, 2024 overall champion Jackson State was at the top of the lists voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
The Tigers, who went 8-0 in SWAC play last season, 12-2 overall enroute to winning the league title over Southern and the Celebration Bowl title over MEAC champion South Carolina State, are picked to again finish on top of the SWAC’s East Division.
JSU, under third-year head coach T. C. Taylor,garnered 126 votes to lead all East Division teams followed by Florida A&M (99), Alabama State (91), Alabama A&M (62), Bethune-Cookman (45) and Mississippi Valley State (24).
2024 West Division champion Southern (120), led by second year head coach Terrence Graves. was tabbed to repeat in first place in the West followed by Alcorn State (90), Prairie View A&M (72), Texas Southern (60), Grambling State (55), and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (28).
In the voting, Southern tallied the most first place votes with 17 overall followed by Jackson State (16) and Florida A&M (3).
JSU quarterback Jacobian Morgan and Southern defensive lineman Ckelby Givens were named preseason offensive and defensive players of the year and lead the preseason all-SWAC selections (see STAT CORNER).
Morgan led his team to the 2024 SWACand Celebration Bowl titles and eventual black college national championship while being named
Offensive MVP of the Celebration Bowl last season. He finished the regular season with 2,051 passing yards completing 150 of 234 passing attempts in 13 games and a 10-1 record as a starter. The Tigers only loss with Morgan at the controls came in theTigers’ season opener vs. Louisiana-Monroe.
His JSU teammates, wide receivers Joanes Fortilien and Mississippi Valley State transfer Nate Rembert and tight end Marvin Landy make up the first team receiving corps. JSU had just one first teamer on defense, redshirt senior tackle Jeremiah Williams. Placekicker Gerardo Baeza and dynamic kick returner Travis Terrell Jr. were also selected as first team specialists.
Givens led the nation and the SWAC in tackles for loss (26.5) and was a key contributor for the Jaguars team who claimed the 2024 SWAC West Division title with a 7-1 conference record. He ranked eighth in the nation in sacks while ranking second in the league in that category.
The new head coaches in the SWAC this season are Sam Shade at Alabama A&M, Terrell Buckley at Mississippi Valley State and Tremaine Jackson at Prairie View A&M.
The 2025 SWAC Football Media Guide is available online at: https://swac.org/documents/2025/7/14/2025_SWAC_FB_Media_Guide.pdf