HBCU Football Power Rankings: A Season in Review
The landscape of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) football is ever-evolving, marked by rising contenders, fading pretenders, and intense rivalries. This article provides a comprehensive review of the HBCU football season, culminating in the final power rankings. These rankings, compiled weekly throughout the regular season, assess each HBCU football team at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level based on their performance.
The Top Tier
1. South Carolina State Bulldogs: What a comeback! Down 21 points and down a starting quarterback, South Carolina State played the second half of a lifetime as it came back to win the 2025 Celebration Bowl over Prairie View A&M. The Bulldogs' resilience and determination in the face of adversity cemented their place at the top. Their journey to the Celebration Bowl was a testament to their unwavering spirit and ability to overcome challenges. South Carolina State also won the preseason MEAC game of the year, taking down North Carolina Central.
2. Alabama State Hornets: There's an argument that Alabama State should be the No. 1 team in the season-ending power rankings. After all, 2021 is proof that the Celebration Bowl winner isn't guaranteed the top spot. However, unlike 2021, Prairie View A&M and South Carolina State were both top-5 teams entering the game. The Hornets displayed a potent offense and a knack for exciting games, making them a force to be reckoned with. A Week 12 matchup against Texas Southern saw them explode in the second half, showcasing their ability to dominate. Alabama State kept its SWAC East hopes alive with a win over Texas Southern. Quarterback Te'Sean Smoot won his second straight start as he continued to fill in for SWAC Offensive Player of the Year candidate Andrew Body.
3. Prairie View A&M Panthers: The SWAC Champions come in at No. 3 after a Celebration Bowl loss. Despite the loss, their dominant run throughout the season showcased their strength and consistency. Prairie View responded from a 5-0 deficit with 48 straight points.
4. Jackson State Tigers: Jackson State had an impressive run, overcoming injuries to quarterback JaCobian Morgan to still clinch the SWAC East. The Tigers demonstrated resilience and depth, maintaining a high level of play despite setbacks. Jackson State won another game with Jared Lockhart at quarterback. The team continues to find ways to win with quarterback Jared Lockhart under center. Jackson State remains the only HBCU team to crack the top 25 rankings in the FCS.
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5. Delaware State Hornets: Delaware State lost a chance at a MEAC title with a season-ending defeat to South Carolina State, but it still was a remarkable year for head coach DeSean Jackson in his first season. The Hornets' strong performance throughout the year highlighted their potential and marked a significant step forward for the program. Delaware State won a nail-biter on a short week against Morgan State.
The Middle Ground
6. North Carolina Central Eagles: It was a disappointing year for North Carolina Central, which goes to show how great of an HBCU program the Eagles are. Despite the setback, their consistent performance over the years underscores their status as a strong HBCU program. North Carolina Central is now out of the MEAC title race after a loss to South Carolina State.
7. Texas Southern Tigers: Texas Southern has now finished No. 7 in back-to-back years of my season-ending HBCU football power rankings. The team ended a two-game losing streak with a win over Southern. Yet, it wasn't an easy victory.
8. Bethune-Cookman Wildcats: Bethune-Cookman beat Florida A&M to win its first Florida Classic since it left the MEAC.
9. Alcorn State Braves: After starting the season 0-5 and later 1-6 without a DI win, Alcorn State won four straight games late in the season before a season-ending loss to Jackson State. Alcorn State has gone from the worst team in HBCU football to start the year to winners of four straight games. Even though Alcorn State lost to Arkansas-Pine Bluff earlier this season, the Braves move in front of the Golden Lions after winning three straight SWAC games. Grambling State's four-game winning streak is over after a loss to Alcorn State.
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10. Southern Jaguars: Southern moves up in the final rankings after a Bayou Classic win.
11. Howard Bison: Howard beat Norfolk State in the season finale for its second MEAC win. Howard suffered an embarrassing defeat to South Carolina State, not finding the endzone until late in the fourth quarter.
12. Florida A&M Rattlers: Florida A&M drops out of the top 10 after closing the season with back-to-back losses to Bethune-Cookman and Mississippi Valley State. Florida A&M won a thriller against Alabama A&M that I got the chance to be in the booth for. Alabama A&M fans might be thinking about the ending to the FAMU game all offseason after a late sack ended a comeback effort.
13. Alabama A&M Bulldogs: After a 3-1 start, an injury to quarterback Quad Brown derailed head coach Sam Shade's first season at Alabama A&M. Alabama A&M allowed 48 unanswered points against Prairie View A&M in its third straight loss.
14. Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions: Arkansas-Pine Bluff lost its final three games, suffering blowout losses to Prairie View A&M and Alabama State in their last two outings.
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15. North Carolina A&T Aggies: North Carolina A&T beat Hampton and picked up its first-ever PWI CAA win with a win over Campbell this year. North Carolina A&T holds off Morgan State in the rankings because of its prior win over Campbell. North Carolina A&T lost to Stony Brook 38-12 last week.
16. Grambling State Tigers: Grambling State picked up a good win over Bethune-Cookman to guarantee itself a winning record for the first time since 2019.
17. Morgan State Bears: Morgan State might have four wins, but a win over Norfolk State is the only DI win. Morgan State missed a game-winning field goal attempt that could've knocked off Delaware State. However, the Bears won't move up because of a what-if.
18. Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils: The first year of the Terrell Buckley era ended on a high note with the head coach's first DI win over Florida A&M in the season finale.
19. Hampton Pirates: Hampton won two games this year, one game over DII Elizabeth City State and another over the last team in the rankings, Norfolk State. Hampton lost to Maine, its fourth straight loss of the year.
20. Reggie Barlow's Team: Reggie Barlow ended his first year as head coach with a 2-10 record, going winless in OVC-Big South play and ending on a five-game losing streak.
The Bottom
21. Norfolk State Spartans: The worst team in HBCU football this year was Norfolk State.
Teams Trending Upward
While a lot of rankings remained the same, as the contenders separate from pretenders in HBCU football, two teams - Florida A&M and Alcorn State - are trending upward.
Rookie Head Coaching Mistakes
Collegiate rookie head coaches' teams led in their games entering the fourth quarter but allowed their opponents to come back and win. Howard also did the same. Still, we observed Prairie View, NCCU, Morgan State, and even UAPB hold off rallies and win with leads.
Delaware State, Norfolk State, and Mississippi Valley State lost the hard way after squandering double-digit leads. A poor coaching call decided the game for the Delta Devils, who outplayed Texas Southern. Penalties and questionable officiating affected the outcomes for the Hornets and Spartans. However, in-game coaching adjustments failed these rookie head coaches. None more glaring than what happened with Mississippi Valley State versus Texas Southern.
Special Teams Problems
Special Note: Too many field goals and extra points are being missed by placekickers in HBCU football. Also, punts are being shanked and long snapping is a problem.
