The Road to Atlanta: 2025 HBCU football preseason power rankings

August is here. College Football is back this month and HBCU football is kicking it all in a week. There is no better way to prepare you for the season than with the first Football Power HBCU from 2025 from NCAA Digital’s Stan Becton.

These are the first charts of the season. The evaluation will be carried out every week during the regular season and will sort every FCS football team at the FCS level based on their performance this season. Nicknamed the “Journey to Atlanta”, the weekly energy charts leads to the annual meeting of the two best HBCU teams on this year’s celebration bowl held in Atlanta, GA.

Check out the Power Preseason below.

Journey to Atlanta: 2025 PSEEASON HBCU Football Power Rankings

1. Jackson State

Jackson State is a defending champion of celebrations and the tigers rightly open a year on their ranking of the HBCU football energy. The preseason swac offensive player of the year’s Quarterback Jacobian Morgan returns and has the best skill choir in attack and defense in SWAC. They have talent to get back to each other.

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2. North Carolina Central

North Carolina Central will return the best Quarterback in Meac in Walker Harris, which will enter the second year as a full -time starter under Trei Oliver. The eagles have the most election players of the first team of all Meac and this year they will play the state in South Carolina. This nods NCCU as the second best team in HBCU enters the year.

3. South

Southern is a popular in the Swac West enters the year and the second highest rated SWAC team in my preset ranking. I think the ground attack has the potential to be dominant in Baton Rouge this autumn. This will provide a certain balance of the defense of Jaguar, which should again be good thanks to the return of the best player in HBCU football, defensive Linman Ckelby Givens.

4. State of South Carolina

The state of Southern Carolina won Meac last year, but I have bulldogs as the second highest rated Meac team entering Preseason.

South Carolina State lost Quarterback Eric Phoenix after winning the HBCU Player of the Year. While Backup Ryan Stubblefield has shown that last year he can keep his own against the talented Morgan State defense, it is not enough to say that Phoenix will not decrease. Bulldogs also lost talent across the album, whether it was the defensive end of Ashaad Hall or others. State SC has only one player of the first team for all Meac on Eight NC Central.

This means that head coach Chennis Berry will have bulldogs ready to play every week. I see the state of South Carolina to compete for the title of Meac until the last week of the season.

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5. State Alabama

The biggest loss for Alabama the state that this offseason could be the departure of the defensive coordinator Ryan Lewis Sr. to UAB. Chief coach Eddie Robinson Jr. However, it has its roots on the defensive side of football, so it may not be too drastic to drop. The defense should still meet the elite standard that it has set in recent years.

In the offense, the biggest question is the position of Quarterback. Kareem Keye made a transition from a wide receiver last fall and went 5-2 as a starter. Andrew points back from the injury and was an artist All-Swac before injury. FBS Transfer Te’Sean Smoot is also in a building from Jacksonville.

Anyone will take over the work of Alabama State Quarterback will earn it against hard competition. If Hornets stays healthy in position, I think they can attack Jackson State on East SWAC.

6. Florida A & M

The second year of the James Colzie III era begins at Florida A&M and for the second year, Colzie must name the new starting Quarterback. Unlike last year, however, there is no transfer that would throw it to more than 2,000 yards and a two -digit touchdown season before the FBS, as Daniel Richardson did.

I love talent in the rest of the Rattle list, specifically an offensive line that should be one of the best in HBCA football. However, Florida A&M will need its new quarterback-kkoli to continue playing on the All-SWAC standard Jeremy Moussa and Richardson before them.

7. State Tennessee

State Tennessee made a play -off FCS last year, but the head coach of the run, Eddie George, left for Bowling Green. When the new head coach of Barlow entered, 14 gears left for FBS and 11 gears left for other FCS schools.

I give Tennessee State an advantage of doubt by evaluating them to the TOP 10, but this season can go in many ways. It is not very attractive that the tigers enter their return home with one victory to lose five games. TSU could also have a winning record since returning home. We’ll have to let everything play on the pitch.

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8. State Alcorn

Alcorn State lost only one Swac West game in the first year Cedric Thomas as the head coach and finished the 6-6 season. Braves returns All-Swac Run Back Jacorian Sewell, which should take a higher load this autumn. I like the potential that Quarterback Jaylon Tolbert showed in the Stints in Howard, and it will be the battle between him and Charlotte transfer Andre Washington this offseason for the initial role. This is a program that is facing up by 2025.

9. Morgan State

The Morgan State has an offensive and defensive players of the year in 2025, but the team was selected only the third in the Meac Preseason survey. This is because no matter how good Baltimor skills have been good for the last three years, the game has seriously fought the game.

This means that I think Bears will be difficult for any team they play this year and should be around the 10 best teams in HBCU for the whole season.

10. Prairie View A & M

The new head coach Tremainine Jackson attracted a ton of subseason’s subseason to Prairie View A&M when he arrived after Valdosta State led until last year’s national play for the national title. Arrival with the head coach is one of the best class transmission classes in SWAC with 24 FBS gears and 16 FCS gears. A good transmission class should allow Panthers to hit the country in SWAC.

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11. GRAMBLING STATE

Gambling State lost five swac games in 2024 and no loss was decided by more than 10 points. If Mickey Joseph can get his team to appear big at the moment of the clutch, this grambling state team will be in rivalry with the title SWAC West.

12. Status Norfolk

No HBCU will get more eyes this fall than coach Michael Vick and Norfolk State Spartans. I think the Spartans could surprise a lot this fall.

Quarterback Otto Kuhns is back with experience as an appetizer, while FBS Transfer Israel Carter is in southern Florida. Running Back Kevon King will reduce the burden, anyone is a starter, and I expect the offensive line to be detained this year in Norfolk with Vincent Byrd Jr.

I think the Spartans could have the best seven in Meac. Linebackers and secondary have a lot of potential.

The non -conference schedule is the place where I was most interested in the state of Norfolk in the first year of Vicka coach. The opponents are Towson, Virginia State (DII), Sacred Heart, Wagner, Hampton and Wofford. Only one of these teams had a winning record last year. Could Michael Vick complete only one loss of FBS in a non -unconference game? I believe so.

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13. Texas Southern

Texas Southern ended last season on two gaming lanes for the nearby year under Cris Disman. We will see if this momentum is immediately transmitted to 2025, when the Tigers have been trying to win the Labor Day for the first time since 2003.

14. Alabama A & M

I loved how coach Sam Shade turned around the program at Miles College. I think he will do the same in Alabama A&M. I don’t know if it happens this year, because Swac East is a difficult mountain.

On the pitch, the Quarterback Cornelious Brown IV is set up as a full-time starter this autumn after the Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer Mekhi Hagens was found to be unfit. Brown is operating under the center, but will have to improve the 12-7 TD ratio for bulldogs to fight in the Eastern East.

15. Howard

Howard last season completed the disappointment of 4-8 with one victory in the game Meac. In 2025 it will not be easier for Bizon, because they will not play the home game until the Meac game at the end of October. Howard actually plays only three home games throughout the season.

Even with continuity since the return of Quarterback Ja’shawn Scroggins, running back Eden James and others, it is difficult to overcome this schedule. I do not see Howard to complete 0.500 this year.

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16. Hampton

This year’s Hampton’s plan does not give them a break with Villan, William and Mary and Rhode Island on Slate. Monmouth probably has the highest returning QB in FCS, so this game will not be easy.

As for HBCUS, the competition for the opening of the road season in Jackson can be the loudest game in Hampton’s schedule and rivalry against Howard and Norfolk State are throwing.

With such a schedule, I do not see Hampton, who fought for the TOP 10 this year.

17. Delaware State

I do not see Delaware State, which is fighting for the title of Meac in the first year Detean Jackson as the head coach, but Hornets have a non -FCS winning game in the non -faulty slate. That potential land of DSU at No. 17.

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18. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

I think Arkansas-Pine Bluff will win two victories against Lincoln (CA) and Westgate Christian-Dvy School NCAA. I don’t know if Golden Lions will win elsewhere in 2025.

19. Bethune-Cookman

Bethune-designer plays two FBS opponents, defending Meac champion and division rival II. In 2025 it will again be a difficult year on the Dayton beach.

20. State Mississippi Valley

Mississippi Valley State knocked Florida A&M last year in the football disturbance of the year HBCU of the year. My expectations are not high for Delta Devils in 2025, but I wouldn’t be surprised if another best team knocked down this fall.

21. North Carolina A & T

North Carolina A&T won only one game in each of the last two seasons. Aggies do not play opponents of Division II in 2025, so in their third year in CAA could end without victory.