BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Coming off a record-setting championship season, Alabama A&M football has been picked to repeat in the East Division, second overall and garnered eight All-Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) selections, headlined by graduate quarterback
Aqeel Glass (St. Louis, Mo.) repeating as league Preseason Player of the Year, at the annual Football Media Day on Tuesday, July 20.
Returning to an in-person format for the first time since 2019, the event officially kicked off the Fall 2021 season with a live broadcast on ESPN3 with each of the SWAC's 12 head coaches and two student-athletes from each institution taking center stage as well as the announcement of the preseason team and the opportunity for media to interact with the individuals representing those teams.
After notching an undefeated season for the first time since 1966, claiming the SWAC Championship for the first time since 2006 and earning the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) National Championship this past spring, the Bulldogs come in picked to repeat in the East Division with 122 points but trail perennial power Alcorn State (West) overall with 128 points.
Newcomer Florida A&M (109) was picked second in the East, followed by Jackson State (80), Alabama State (76), Bethune-Cookman (71) and Mississippi Valley State (25) while spots 2-6 in the West were held down by Southern (108), Grambling (85), Prairie View A&M (78), league runner-up Arkansas-Pine Bluff (68) and Texas Southern (37), respectively.
In terms of the individual league honors, A&M delivered eight honorees, including three on the First-Team with Glass leading that group with his third SWAC Player of the Year honor in 2021, counting two preseason awards and the postseason recognition this spring.
Joining Glass on the First-Team were junior wide receiver
Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Miramar, Fla.) and kicker
Spencer Corey (New Palestine, Ind.) while five other Bulldogs comprised the Second-Team.
That group was lead by three offensive selections in senior running back
Gary Quarles (Cottondale, Ala.), junior offensive lineman
Jonathan Williams (Mobile, Ala.) and senior wideout
Zabrian Moore (Tuscaloosa, Ala.). It was rounded out by a family affair with senior cornerback
Amari Holloway (Pinson, Ala.) and senior linebacker
Armoni Holloway (Pinson, Ala.).
Alabama A&M and those honorees begin defense of both their SWAC and HBCU titles when they host South Carolina State at Louis Crews Stadium under the lights at 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 4.
FALL 2021 PRESEASON ALL-SWAC HONORS
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year – Aqeel Glass, QB, Alabama A&M
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – Jordan Lewis, DL, Southern
Fall 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football First-Team Offense
| Position |
Name |
School |
| QB |
Aqeel Glass |
Alabama A&M |
| RB |
Ezra Gray |
Alabama State |
| RB |
Jarod Sims |
Southern |
| OL |
Mark Evans II |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| OL |
Brian Williams |
Southern |
| OL |
Dallas Black |
Southern |
| OL |
Ja'Tyre Carter |
Southern |
| OL |
Johnathan Bishop |
Southern |
| WR |
Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim |
Alabama A&M |
| WR |
Josh Wilkes |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| TE |
Ethan Howard |
Southern |
Fall 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football First-Team Defense
| Position |
Name |
School |
| DL |
Jordan Lewis |
Southern |
| DL |
Christian Clark |
Alabama State |
| DL |
Jalen Ivy |
Southern |
| DL |
Andrew Ogletree |
Alabama State |
| LB |
Keonte Hampton |
Jackson State |
| LB |
Aubrey Miller Jr. |
Jackson State |
| LB |
Kolby Watts |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| DB |
Jalon Thigpen |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| DB |
Irshaad Davis |
Alabama State |
| DB |
Chase Foster |
Southern |
| DB |
Caleb Brunson |
Mississippi Valley State |
Fall 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football First-Team Specialist
| Position |
Name |
School |
| K |
Spencer Corey |
Alabama A&M |
| P |
Aubrey Grace |
Alabama State |
| RS |
Tyrin Ralph |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
Fall 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football Second-Team Offense
| Position |
Name |
School |
| QB |
Skyler Perry |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| RB |
Gary Quarles |
Alabama A&M |
| RB |
Caleb Johnson |
Mississippi Valley State |
| OL |
Jonathan Williams |
Alabama A&M |
| OL |
Jeremiah Stafford |
Southern |
| OL |
Noah Hayes |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| OL |
Atondre Smith |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| OL |
Nicholas Roos |
Bethune-Cookman |
| WR |
Zabrian Moore |
Alabama A&M |
| WR |
Tyrin Ralph |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| TE |
Terrence Ellis |
Alabama State |
Fall 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football Second-Team Defense
| Position |
Name |
School |
| DL |
Michael Badejo |
Texas Southern |
| DL |
Jason Dumas |
Prairie View A&M |
| DL |
Jerry Gardner |
Mississippi Valley State |
| DL |
Renaldo Flowers |
Florida A&M |
| LB |
Isaac Peppers |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| LB |
Armoni Holloway |
Alabama A&M |
| LB |
Untareo Johnson |
Bethune-Cookman |
| DB |
Amari Holloway |
Alabama A&M |
| DB |
Naytron Culpepper |
Alabama State |
| DB |
Kenan Fontenot |
Grambling State |
| DB |
Markquese Bell |
Florida A&M |
Fall 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football Second-Team Specialist
| Position |
Name |
School |
| K |
Zack Piwniczka |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| P |
Chris Faddoul |
Florida A&M |
| RS |
Ezra Gray |
Alabama State |
