​In the inaugural Black College Football Poll released on Thursday, July 9, Alabama State football was positioned at No. 4, while the defending HBCU National Champion South Carolina State earned the top spot. Rounding out the top three were Prairie View A&M at No. 2 and Jackson State at No. 3. Despite Alabama State occupying the fourth slot, the Hornets captured the second-most first-place votes with six, trailing only South Carolina State, which collected 36 first-place votes. Notably, seven of the top ten teams in the poll come from the SWAC.
Last season, Alabama State achieved 10 wins, marking the program’s first double-digit win total since 2004. The Hornets narrowly missed a spot in the SWAC Championship game, losing a tiebreaker with Jackson State in the final week of the season. As the team looks ahead to 2025, Alabama State aims to continue the momentum they began last year, especially with the return of quarterback Andrew Body, who initially entered the transfer portal. Body was named the 2026 SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year on Wednesday, July 8, underscoring the optimism surrounding the Hornets’ offense for the upcoming campaign.
The season will commence with the Birmingham Classic on Aug. 28, when Alabama State travels to Legion Field to face Southern. The first Black College Football Poll of the year, along with the full ranking, is listed below.
Rank 1: South Carolina State, MEAC, 10-3, 5-0 in conference, 185 points (36 first-place votes)
Rank 2: Prairie View A&M, SWAC, 10-4, 7-1, 165 points (2 FPV)
Rank 3: Jackson State, SWAC, 9-3, 7-1, 149 points (4 FPV)
Rank 4: Alabama State, SWAC, 10-2, 7-1, 141 points (6 FPV)
Rank 5: North Carolina Central, MEAC, 8-4, 3-2, 107 points
Rank 6: Delaware State, MEAC, 8-4, 4-1, 98 points
Rank 7: Grambling State, SWAC, 7-5, 4-4, 63 points
Rank 8: Bethune-Cookman, SWAC, 6-6, 5-3, 46 points
Rank 9: Texas Southern, SWAC, 6-5, 5-3, 42 points
Rank 10: Florida A&M, SWAC, 5-7, 4-4, 32 points
Jaeden Day covers high school sports, Alabama State football, and Auburn recruiting for the Montgomery Advertiser/USA Today. You can find him on X at dayjaeden12, or reach him at JDay@montgome.gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser. The report highlights Alabama State’s top-10 ranking in the first Black College Football Poll, a milestone that sets a promising tone for the Hornets as they prepare for the 2025 season and beyond. The focus now shifts to how the team will leverage the returning leadership, including Body’s anticipated impact, as they prepare to open the season in late August at the Birmingham Classic.