Preseason Honors Spotlight
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has unveiled its 2026 preseason award winners, and Alabama State football stands out with nine players earning preseason all‑conference honors. The accolades set the tone for a season that could see the Bulldogs contend for the championship.
Quarterback Andrew Body, the centerpiece of Alabama State’s offense, was crowned the SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Body’s 2025 campaign was nothing short of spectacular: he guided the Bulldogs to a 10‑win season, their first such achievement in 21 years, while completing nearly 71 % of his passes for 1,770 yards, 20 touchdowns and just one interception.
Body also proved dangerous with his legs, rushing for 518 yards and four touchdowns, a dual‑threat that helped cement his reputation as the team’s most dynamic playmaker. The quarterback’s excellence extended beyond the field, as he was named the ASWA’s Small College Athlete of the Year and placed on the 2026 Walter Peyton Award Preseason Watch List.
Defensive standout Kam Sallis of Jackson State earned the preseason Defensive Player of the Year award, underscoring the conference’s depth of talent. The 2026 Preseason All‑SWAC First Team features a mix of stars from Alabama State, Jackson State, Prairie View A&M, Bethune‑Cookman, Alcorn State, Arkansas‑Pine Bluff, Texas Southern, Grambling State and Southern University, promising a competitive slate of games.
With such recognitions, the Bulldogs enter the upcoming season carrying high expectations. Fans and analysts alike will watch closely as Andrew Body looks to translate preseason buzz into on‑field dominance, while the broader SWAC landscape prepares for a year of heightened competition.