Montgomery, AL – When Coach Eddie Robinson Jr was named the new Head Football Coach of the Alabama State Hornets, it wasn’t met with much fanfare. Robinson played defensive linebacker for the Hornets from 1988-1991 winning several SWAC Defensive Player of the year awards and was named to multiple postseason SWAC teams. Robinson while playing for the Hornets won the HBCU National Championship in 1991 beating North Carolina AT&T.
Coach Robinson is going into his third season as the Hornet’s head football coach and is looking to have his team ready to replicate what he was able to accomplish in 1991 during his playing days and that’s winning the HBCU National Championship. Each year Robinson Hornets football team’s win total has increased by one game. In 2022, the Hornets went 6-5 overall 4-4 in the conference, and in 2023 7-4 overall, and 5-3 in the conference. Coach Robinson held firm on his promise before Coach Prime left Jackson State for the University of Colorado Head Coaching job that he was coming to spoil Jackson State Homecoming which his team was able to do beating them 24-19 in 2023.
As the season grows closer the conversation of the Hornets being the top team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) this season has begun to get louder with Hornets fans believing this could be their year with a few of the transfers that are now a part of the team. Coach Robinson has added Texas Southern Quarterback Andrew Body, Arkansas-Pine Bluff Linebacker Rico Dozier, Clark Atlanta Running Back Dequon Kincey, University of Buffalo Defensive Back Caleb Offord, VMI Defensive Tackle Tyler Swann to name a few that will be coming into the season to position the Hornets team when the smoke clears as the last one standing having won it all.
Coach Ryan Lewis Sr is going into this second year as the Hornet defensive coordinator, where his defensive squad was ranked in the top three against the run and pass. This year the Hornets offense hopes to give the defense a little extra boost with incoming offensive coordinator Chris Barnette from Winston Salem State whose offense averaged 26.70 points per game which is a slight increase from the Hornets 20.6 points per game last season.
Texas Southern Transfer Quarterback Andrew Body along with Clark Atlanta University running back transfer Dequon Kincey will be key to jump-starting the running game to keep opposing teams guessing what the Hornets offense is going to do when out there on the field. For the Hornets to win the SWAC East this season, the others on the teams in key positions like running back, defensive back, and the offensive line will need to step up. If someone were to ask me for a prediction right now, the prediction would be the Hornets will go at best 7-4 and at worst 6-5.
The Hornets have too many uncertainties at key positions that could derail their season and one of those things is putting quarterback Andrew Body in harm’s way by having him run the ball too many times because the running game isn’t productive and players that had played last season haven’t progressed and raised their level of play from last season.