Florida A&M football has some extra motivation entering its first season under head coach Quinn Fordham Gray Sr.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference released its preseason teams on Wednesday, July 8.
And the Rattlers have been omitted from the list, with no player selections on the offensive or defensive first or second teams, nor the special teams squad.
Led by preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year quarterback Andrew Body, defending East division runner-up Alabama State paces the league with nine preseason all-conference selections.
Jackson State, 2025’s SWAC title runner-up, Bethune-Cookman, and Alcorn State each followed with six selections to tie for the SWAC’s second-most.
Prairie View A&M, the defending SWAC champion, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and Alabama A&M each placed five on the preseason teams.
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year went to Jackson State defensive back Kam Sallis.
A case against the Rattlers could be that they have a new-look roster under the newly hired head coach Gray, who previously led NCAA Division II Albany State from 2023 to 2025.
However, FAMU may have one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the SWAC in Isaiah Knowles. The former Albany State signal caller won back-to-back Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year awards in 2024 and 2025.
But the SWAC preseason teams, voted on by head coaches and sports information directors, typically don’t include transfer players.
The Rattlers’ top returning players are running back Jamal Hailey and edge rusher Antonio Camon Jr.
Hailey, a rising redshirt senior, rushed 84 times for 516 yards and six touchdowns. He added 31 receptions for 199 yards and scored two touchdowns through the air. Meanwhile, Camon, a rising redshirt junior, had 19 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and led the Rattlers with four sacks.
If they continue their trajectory and Knowles pans out on the Division I level, those are three likely candidates when the All-SWAC postseason teams are picked later this fall.
FAMU will attend SWAC Media Day in Birmingham next Wednesday, July 15. Gray, Knowles, and Camon will represent the Orange and Green.
The 2026 season begins at home against Albany State on Aug. 29 on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee. It will be on SWAC TV.
Florida A&M football 2026 schedule
All times are Eastern
Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football shut out of 2026 All-SWAC preseason selections
Reporting by Gerald Thomas III, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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By Gerald Thomas III, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
