​Florida A&M football enters the 2026 season with added motivation as it begins life under new head coach Quinn Fordham Gray Sr. The Southwestern Athletic Conference released its preseason teams on Wednesday, July 8, and the Rattlers did not appear on the list. There were no FAMU players selected to the offensive or defensive first or second teams, nor to the conference’s special teams unit.
The preseason outlook places Alabama State, the defending East division runner-up, at the top with nine preseason all-conference selections, led by quarterback Andrew Body, who earned the preseason Offensive Player of the Year honor. Jackson State, Bethune-Cookman, and Alcorn State each logged six selections, tying for the second-most in the conference. Prairie View A&M, the reigning SWAC champion, along with Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alabama A&M each had five players honored on the preseason rosters.
Among the league’s top defenders, Jackson State’s Kam Sallis was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year after his standout 2025 season. The honors are determined by votes from head coaches and sports information directors across the conference.
From FAMU’s perspective, the case for inclusion might appear thin given the Rattlers’ roster turnover under Gray, who previously guided NCAA Division II Albany State from 2023 to 2025. Still, Florida A&M may counter with an experienced quarterback in Isaiah Knowles, who could help accelerate the team’s transition. Knowles arrived at FAMU following success with Albany State, where he earned back-to-back Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2024 and 2025. As with most preseason polls, transfers are not always included in the selections, which can affect how a team is perceived in August.
Florida A&M’s top returning players provide some optimism. Running back Jamal Hailey is a rising redshirt senior who logged 84 rushing attempts for 516 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, in addition to 31 receptions for 199 yards and two receiving touchdowns. On the edge, defensive end Antonio Camon Jr. is another bright spot for the Rattlers; the rising redshirt junior contributed 19 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and led the team with four sacks during the 2025 campaign. Their combination of in-house experience and potential in Knowles gives FAMU reason to believe they can push for postseason recognition later in the year.
If Knowles settles in and the defense continues to grow, Camon remains a disruptive presence off the edge, and Hailey provides steady rushing and multi-faceted offensive threat, the Rattlers could materialize as one of the conference’s more dangerous teams as the season unfolds. The path to All-SWAC postseason acknowledgment will likely depend on how Gray’s system takes root across the roster and how quickly the quarterback and defense adapt to the higher level of competition in the league.
Florida A&M is set to participate in SWAC Media Day in Birmingham next Wednesday, July 15, with Gray, Knowles, and Camon representing the Rattlers as they prepare for the upcoming season. The coaching staff will be eager to translate preseason questions into in-season production and to position FAMU for a strong push within the conference.