HBCU Football Team Earns Coveted FCS Top 25 Vote

NCAA reporter and FCS analyst offers weekly transparency in his FCS Top 25 voting.

Andrew Body runs his annual The Chosen 1 Flight Academy camp for high school football players on Tuesday, July, 30, 2024, in Taft, Texas. / Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

NCAA analyst and reporter Stan Becton released his ballot for the 2024 FCS Top 25 Poll. In the first poll, Becton voted for the Alabama State Hornets at No. 25.

Here is Becton's rationale:
"Alabama State is my top team in HBCU football this year. Defensively, I think it can match up with any of the teams I picked it over for this final spot in my preseason top 25. Offensively, I think the addition of Andrew Body could be exactly what the Hornets have been missing during the Eddie Robinson Jr. era. With nonconference games against North Carolina Central and Samford in 2024, Alabama State will have chances to prove its worthiness of a spot in the top 25 throughout the season."

Becton follows suit with most early prognosticators about Alabama State's chances to ride through the season and claim the 2024 HBCU Football Division I National Championship at the 2024 Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, on Dec. 14.

Alabama State University quarterback Andrew Body (1) looks to pass during the Black and Gold Spring Game at ASU Stadium on the ASU campus in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday April 6, 2024. / Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

For the record, two NCAA transfers for Coach Eddie Robinson, Jr., have gone under the radar. Acquiring Andrew Body as his starting quarterback and replacing Colton Adams's (graduated) loss of production with former UAPB tackling machine Rico Dozier are huge.

The Hornets have a challenging schedule coming out of the gate. First, they may preview the Celebration Bowl as the NCCU Eagles clash with Bama State at the 2024 Orange Blossom Classic. After games against a pesky Miles College and Samford, two SWAC East battles loom.

In the fourth game, be wary. Bethune-Cookman is no longer an automatic win for any SWAC team. Next up is Florida A&M at home on Oct. 5. After Mississippi Valley State, it's a murderous row of SWAC teams on the slate.

Alabama State Hornets head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. takes the field against Tuskegee for the Turkey Day Classic on the ASU campus in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday November 23, 2023. / Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

It won't be easy on Oct. 26 vs. Alabama A&M. The following week, the Hornets host Alcorn State at Ladd-Peoples and then travel to Grambling to face Tigers signal-caller Myles Crawley on Nov. 9.

Fortunately, ASU returns home for three straight games to close the 2024 season. On Nov. 16, there's a meaningful game against a dangerous Jackson State team, followed by a showdown against Prairie View. The season finale will be at the Turkey Day Classic versus Tuskegee.

Will the Hornets go through the trials and tribulations of the 2024 HBCU football season relatively unscathed?

We shall see.

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