BIRMINGHAM - The Southern Jaguars were picked to finish atop the SWAC West in the coaches’ preseason selections at SWAC Media Day in Birmingham, Alabama on Tuesday morning.

Southern finished atop in first place in the SWAC West last season under then first-year head coach Eric Dooley.  His Jaguar team would lose the SWAC Title game to Jackson St. last season.

The league’s 2023 Preseason All-SWAC teams were also announced, and no Southern Jaguar made the first team on offense.
 
Florida A&M’s Jeremy Moussa was named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Grambling State’s Sundiata Anderson was tabbed Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

In addition to the preseason rankings and awards, the SWAC also announced a number of games that will be broadcast on the ESPN+ platform this season and Southern has five games scheduled to appear on the network along with the Bayou Classic on national television.

Southern starts their season on September 2 at Alabama St. which is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+

SWAC East

1. Florida A&M- 116 points (16)
2. Jackson State- 94 points (2) 
3. Alabama State- 80 points (2) 
4. Alabama A&M- 73 points (2) 
5. Mississippi Valley State- 35 points (2)
6. Bethune-Cookman- 34 points

 SWAC West 

1. Southern- 122 points (13) 
2. Alcorn State- 94 points (6) 
3. Texas Southern- 73 points (1)
4. Grambling State- 69 points (2)
5. Prairie View A&M- 68 points (2) 
6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 33 points

 *First place votes listed in parenthesis ( )

2023 SWAC Football Preseason Team

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Jeremy Moussa, Florida A&M

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Sundiata Anderson, Grambling State

 
All-SWAC First Team Defense

Defensive Lineman: Tahj Brown, Southern  
Defensive Back: Jordan Carter, Southern
 
All-SWAC First Team Specialist

Place Kicker: Joshua Griffin, Southern
 
All-SWAC Second Team Offense

Offensive Lineman: Eli Fields, Southern

All-SWAC Second Team Defense

Defensive Lineman: Ckelby Givens, Southern
Linebacker: Jalan Campbell, Southern
Defensive Back: Kriston Davis, Southern
 
All-SWAC Second Team Specialist

Punter: Robens Beauplan, Southern
Long Snapper: Braxston Blackwell, Southern