BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced its Spring 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football team highlighted by Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Felix Harper and Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Keonte Hampton.

The preseason team was voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors and was announced during day one of the Cricket Wireless SWAC Football Virtual Media Days. The preseason poll was voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.

After helping lead the Braves to an eight-win regular season highlighted by a 6-1 mark in conference play, Alcorn State quarterback Felix Harper was tabbed as the Preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year. Harper took the league by storm this past season after taking over as the Braves starter at quarterback. He tallied 29 touchdowns during the regular season to go along with 167 completions, 2,387 passing yards good for a 167.9 efficiency rating.  

Jackson State’s Keonte Hampton, a sophomore linebacker from West Point, Miss. was named Preseason SWAC Defensive Player of the Year after racking up 106 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. Hampton concluded the regular season ranked in the top five in the SWAC in total tackles, tackles per game (8.8 tpg), and sacks (4.5).

Alabama A&M led all member institutions with nine total selections followed by Prairie View A&M (8), Alcorn State (7), Univ. of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6), Southern (6), Alabama State (5), Jackson State (5), Texas Southern (2), and Mississippi Valley State (1).

Earlier, the SWAC announced its preseason football poll on Thursday with the Alcorn State Braves and Southern Jaguars tabbed to once again win their respective divisions.

You can find a full 2021 Spring schedule for the SWAC here on College Sports Journal, as well as team pages for every team in the SWAC, which includes a news feed, team schedule, current standings, and the latest in each team’s Twitter feed.

East Division

Alabama A&M
Alabama State
Alcorn State
Jackson State
Mississippi Valley State

West Division

Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Grambling State
Prairie View A&M
Southern
Texas Southern

A complete listing of the Spring 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Team and individual award winners can be found below.

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year- Felix Harper, QB, Alcorn State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year- Keonte Hampton, LB, Jackson State

Spring 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football First Team Offense

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
QB	Felix Harper	Redshirt Senior	Alcorn State	Fairburn, Ga.
RB	Devon Benn	Redshirt Senior	Southern	New Orleans, La.
RB	Keshawn Harper	Senior	Jackson State	Mobile, Ala.
OL	Mark Evans, II	Junior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	Houston, Texas
OL	Danny Garza	Senior	Prairie View A&M	San Antonio, Texas
OL	Atondre Smith	Senior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	Desoto, Texas
OL	Cedric Dunbar	Junior	Jackson State	Natchez, Miss.
OL	Johnathan Bishop	Senior	Southern	Birmingham, Ala.
WR	Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim	Sophomore	Alabama A&M	Miramar, Fla.
WR	Harry Ballard, III	Senior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	St. Louis, Mo.
TE	Kendric Johnson	Redshirt Junior	Alabama A&M	New Market, Ala.

Spring 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football First Team Defense

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
DL	Jason Dumas	Junior	Prairie View A&M	Vacherie, La.
DL	Jerry Garner	Senior	Mississippi Valley State	Chunchula, Ala.
DL	Christian Clark	Redshirt Senior	Alabama State	Euclid, Ohio
DL	Marcus Cushine	Junior	Alabama A&M	Broward Ct., Fla.
LB	Armoni Holloway	Senior	Alabama A&M	Pinson, Ala.
LB	Keonte Hampton	Junior	Jackson State	West Point, Miss.
LB	Tre’Shaud Smith	Senior	Prairie View A&M	Centreville, Miss.
DB	Qwynnterrio Cole	Senior	Alcorn State	Memphis, Tenn.
DB	Naytron Culpepper	Junior	Alabama State	Miami, Fla.
DB	Drake Cheatum	Junior	Prairie View A&M	Mesquite, Texas
DB	Jaylen Harris	Redshirt Senior	Prairie View A&M	Round Rock, Texas

Spring 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football First Team Specialist

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
K	Spencer Corey	Senior	Alabama A&M	New Palestine, Ind.
P	Caleb Darbone	Junior	Prairie View A&M	Lake Charles, La.
RS	Tyrin Ralph	Redshirt Senior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	New Orleans, La.

Spring 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football Second Team Offense

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
QB	Aqeel Glass	Senior	Alabama A&M	St. Louis, Mo.
RB	Ezra Gray	Redshirt Senior	Alabama State	Lynnhaven, Fla.
RB	Niko Duffey	Sophomore	Alcorn State	Tampa, Fla.
OL	Dexter Fuqua, II	Junior	Alabama A&M	Tanner, Ala.
OL	J’Atyre Carter	Senior	Southern	White Castle, La.
OL	DeJohn Jones	Senior	Prairie View A&M	Garland, Texas
OL	Joseph Milburn	Senior	Alcorn State	Mansfield, Texas
OL	Will Ready	Sophomore	Alcorn State	Mansfield, Texas
WR	Zabrian Moore	Senior	Alabama A&M	Tuscaloosa, Ala.
WR	Michael Jefferson	Junior	Alabama State	Mobile, Ala.
TE	Kyland Richey	Senior	Jackson State	Cedar Hill, Texas

Spring 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football Second Team Defense

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
DL	Jordan Lewis	Junior	Southern	Ocala, Fla.
DL	Xavier Mitchell	Redshirt Junior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	New Orleans, La.
DL	Chris Monroe	Senior	Alcorn State	Petal, Miss.
DL	Michael Badejo	Redshirt Senior	Texas Southern	Mansfield, Texas
LB	Caleb Carter	Redshirt Senior	Southern	Shreveport, La.
LB	Quantravis Kelly	Redshirt Senior	Alabama A&M	Montgomery, Ala.
LB	Storey Jackson	Senior	Prairie View A&M	Olathe, Kansas
DB	Tamaurice Smith	Redshirt Junior	Southern	Mobile, Ala.
DB	Shawn Steele	Senior	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	Arlington, Texas
DB	C.J. Holmes	Senior	Jackson State	New Orleans, La.
DB	Juwan Taylor	Senior	Alcorn State	Jackson, Miss.

Spring 2021 Preseason All-SWAC Football Second Team Specialist

Position	Name	Classification	School	Hometown
K	Richard Garcia, III	Sophomore	Texas Southern	Mesquite, Texas
RS	Ezra Gray	Senior	Alabama State	Lynn Haven, Fla.

About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams. 

Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis. 

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball. 

Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.