Montgomery, AL – The preseason conversation of who will become the new Football King of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) this upcoming season has everything pointing to the GUMP. Will the pressure of getting Alabama State to the SWAC Championship all fall on Andrew Body shoulders?
Alabama State Hornets Head Football Coach Eddie Robinson Jr. has fans excited and believing this is their year with the acquisition of Texas Southern quarterback Andrew Body, and a few other pieces on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. One thing some analysts may have overlooked when it comes to the Hornets football team is the play makers they lost via the transfer portal, declaring for the NFL or no longer have any eligibility.
The Hornets were able to recruit athletes into the program that could be serviceable early in the season to give some kind of inclination as to what they will be able to do in certain key moments in a game. Honestly, luck will need to be on the Hornets side this upcoming season barring anyone getting injured in any key positions.
The Hornets new offensive coordinator former Winston Salem State University Coach Chris Barnette will look to showcase what opposing defenses will have to contend with this upcoming season. Last season Coach Barnette while with the Rams used multiple running backs to rush the ball up and middle and spread out opposing teams’ defenses looking to get the defensive backs to play out of position because of their fear of seeing plays run to the outside. This will more than likely be the blueprint that will be used for Andrew Body this upcoming season because of his speed and his ability to throw the ball down the field.
To get the best out of Andrew Body this upcoming season who is coming off a medical redshirt year for his shoulder injury, the Hornets will need to make sure a tight end is used within the offense when it requires slipping the tight end out for a short pass route or for blocking purposes to whichever side the play is run if Body is required to move the pocket to throw a pass down the field.
The question concerning Andrew Body having a lot of pressure on his shoulders to lead his team to a SWAC Championship could be held true if this was his second season in Coach Barnette’s offense. Body will have a decent season throwing the ball, for around 1800 to 2000 yards, depending on the receivers catching passes and the running game setting the table for the offense to move. Right now, the depth at key positions isn’t there and if the playmakers are on the team and have been overlooked, North Carolina Central University football will find out fast in the Orange Blossom Classic game. There is still much to learn about this Hornets team and the development of the players that were in the program last year.
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