BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Coming off of a 7-5 record a year ago fueled by a prolific passing attack, Alabama A&M has earned nine Preseason All-SWAC football selections, including five on the First-Team, as announced by the league in advance of its Spring 2021 Football Virtual Media Day on Wednesday, January 13.
 
The nine total selections are the most of any team in the league, directly ahead of Prairie View A&M's eight honorees. Additionally, the Bulldogs five First-Team nods trail only PVAMU's six on this year's team.

FIRST-TEAM HONOREES 
Headlining the class are First-Team choices sophomore wide receiver Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Miramar, Fla.), senior tight end Kendric Johnson (New Market, Ala.), junior linebacker Marcus Cushnie (Broward County, Fla.), redshirt-senior cornerback Amari Holloway (Pinson, Ala.) and senior kicker/punter Spencer Corey (New Palestine, Ind.).
 
In 11 games last year Ibrahim caught 59 balls and racked up 1,004 yards, second most on the team, while leading the club with 11 receiving touchdowns. Additionally, he placed in the top five in the league in receiving yards and TDs, receptions per game (5.4) and receiving yards per game (91.3) and was one of just three wideouts to surpass 1,000 yards. That performance netted him SWAC Freshman of the Year honors.
 
Johnson earned his spot on the team following a Second-Team selection a year ago that saw him record 24 catches for 275 yards. While playing in all 12 games he snagged four touchdowns and averaged better than 11 yards a grab.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, Cushnie is set to build off of a 2019 First-Team honor after coming away with 39 tackles -- 27 solo -- and a team-high seven sacks. He also recorded eight quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, a recovery and a blocked kick over the course of 12 games.
 
A Second-Team choice following last season, Holloway earns the Preseason First-Team nod following 114 total tackles, 62 of them on his own, and three QB hurries. No stranger to the backfield, he also registered four sacks and a team-high 14.5 tackles for loss.
 
Spencer continues to be one of the best specialists in the league as he comes off of a First-Team performance in 2019. That season he notched 57 punts and placed 14 of them inside the 20-yard line. He forced 18 fair catches and boomed seven punts 50 yards or more, including a long of 63.
 
SECOND-TEAM HONOREES
Earning spots on the Second-Team are senior quarterback Aqeel Glass (St. Louis, Mo.), junior offensive lineman Dexter Fuqua II (Tanner, Ala.), senior wide receiver Zabrian Moore (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) and redshirt-linebacker Quantravis Kelly (Montgomery, Ala.).
 
A Second-Team choice a year ago, Glass played all 12 games while anchoring the top passing attack in the SWAC. He threw for exactly 3,600 yards to lead the league by more than 600 yards over the next closest player and his 32 touchdowns was second -- by one – for the SWAC lead.
 
While Glass had the passing and touchdown numbers all last year, that doesn't necessarily happen without the efforts of Fuqua. The 6-2, then sophomore, was a staple on an offensive line that allowed for not only all of those lofty passing numbers but also the league's leading rusher and First-Team choice in Jordan Bentley. Fuqua helped Bentley to a SWAC best 1,417 total yards on the ground and a league best average of 118.1.
 
Rounding out the offensive honorees was another recipient of a number of those touchdowns in Moore. Seeing action in all 12 games, he was not only one of three wideouts to surpass 1,000 yards receiving but led the SWAC with 1,057 yards. On top of that he caught nine touchdowns to finish second on the team behind Ibrahim and sixth in the league.
 
The lone Second-Team defensive selection for the Spring 2021 season is an integral part of last year's unit in Kelly. In 12 games he recorded 80 tackles -- 40 solo and 40 assisted – and had eight of those for loss. Additionally he produced three sacks, a pair of interceptions, a forced fumble and had two recoveries.
 
Alabama A&M is set to embark upon the most unique season in program history next month as they compete in the spring for the first time in program history. Necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, the Bulldogs regularly scheduled 2020 season will begin on Saturday, February 27 when they host Alcorn State at Louis Crews Stadium. Kickoff is yet to be determined.
 
SPRING 2021 PRESEASON ALL-SWAC HONORS
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year- Felix Harper, QB, Alcorn State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year- Keonte Hampton, LB, Jackson State

First-Team Offense
 

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
QB	Felix Harper	Redshirt-Senior	Alcorn State	Fairburn, Ga.
RB	Devon Benn	Redshirt-Senior	Southern	New Orleans, La.
RB	Keshawn Harper	Senior	Jackson State	Mobile, Ala.
OL	Mark Evans II	Junior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	Houston, Texas
OL	Danny Garza	Senior	Prairie View A&M	San Antonio, Texas
OL	Atondre Smith	Senior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	Desoto, Texas
OL	Cedric Dunbar	Junior	Jackson State	Natchez, Miss.
OL	Johnathan Bishop	Senior	Southern	Birmingham, Ala.
WR	Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim	Sophomore	Alabama A&M	Miramar, Fla.
WR	Harry Ballard, III	Senior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	St. Louis, Mo.
TE	Kendric Johnson	Redshirt-Junior	Alabama A&M	New Market, Ala.

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
DL	Jason Dumas	Junior	Prairie View A&M	Vacherie, La.
DL	Jerry Garner	Senior	Mississippi Valley State	Chunchula, Ala.
DL	Christian Clark	Redshirt-Senior	Alabama State	Euclid, Ohio
DL	Marcus Cushnie	Junior	Alabama A&M	Broward County, Fla.
LB	Armoni Holloway	Senior	Alabama A&M	Pinson, Ala.
LB	Keonte Hampton	Junior	Jackson State	West Point, Miss.
LB	Tre'Shaud Smith	Senior	Prairie View A&M	Centreville, Miss.
DB	Qwynnterrio Cole	Senior	Alcorn State	Memphis, Tenn.
DB	Naytron Culpepper	Junior	Alabama State	Miami, Fla.
DB	Drake Cheatum	Junior	Prairie View A&M	Mesquite, Texas
DB	Jaylen Harris	Redshirt-Senior	Prairie View A&M	Round Rock, Texas

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
K	Spencer Corey	Senior	Alabama A&M	New Palestine, Ind.
P	Caleb Darbone	Junior	Prairie View A&M	Lake Charles, La.
RS	Tyrin Ralph	Redshirt-Senior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	New Orleans, La.

Second-Team Offense

 

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
QB	Aqeel Glass	Senior	Alabama A&M	St. Louis, Mo.
RB	Ezra Gray	Redshirt-Senior	Alabama State	Lynnhaven, Fla.
RB	Niko Duffey	Sophomore	Alcorn State	Tampa, Fla.
OL	Dexter Fuqua II	Junior	Alabama A&M	Tanner, Ala.
OL	J'Atyre Carter	Senior	Southern	White Castle, La.
OL	DeJohn Jones	Senior	Prairie View A&M	Garland, Texas
OL	Joseph Milburn	Senior	Alcorn State	Mansfield, Texas
OL	Will Ready	Sophomore	Alcorn State	Mansfield, Texas
WR	Zabrian Moore	Senior	Alabama A&M	Tuscaloosa, Ala.
WR	Michael Jefferson	Junior	Alabama State	Mobile, Ala.
TE	Kyland Richey	Senior	Jackson State	Cedar Hill, Texas

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
DL	Jordan Lewis	Junior	Southern	Ocala, Fla.
DL	Xavier Mitchell	Redshirt-Junior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	New Orleans, La.
DL	Chris Monroe	Senior	Alcorn State	Petal, Miss.
DL	Michael Badejo	Redshirt-Senior	Texas Southern	Mansfield, Texas
LB	Caleb Carter	Redshirt-Senior	Southern	Shreveport, La.
LB	Quantravis Kelly	Redshirt-Senior	Alabama A&M	Montgomery, Ala.
LB	Storey Jackson	Senior	Prairie View A&M	Olathe, Kansas
DB	Tamaurice Smith	Redshirt-Junior	Southern	Mobile, Ala.
DB	Shawn Steele	Senior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	Arlington, Texas
DB	C.J. Holmes	Senior	Jackson State	New Orleans, La.
DB	Juwan Taylor	Senior	Alcorn State	Jackson, Miss.

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
K	Richard Garcia, III	Sophomore	Texas Southern	Mesquite, Texas
RS	Ezra Gray	Senior	Alabama State	Lynn Haven, Fla.