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The city of Tallahassee has had exceptional football success in the last five years. No, it hasn’t been at Florida State, though Mike Norvell has the program on the right track. Instead, only a few miles southeast, former head coach Willie Simmons has led the Florida A&M Rattlers to top-two SWAC finishes every year since he arrived in Florida’s capital city, including an unbeaten conference record last year. Simmons’ efforts resulted in Florida A&M being awarded the Black College National Co-Champions in 2019 and 2023.
However, following last season’s success, Simmons decided to take his talents to the ACC, where he now serves as the running backs coach at Duke under coach Manny Diaz.
The transfer dealt a significant blow to the Rattlers and HBCU football, where Simmons was regarded as one of the most promising coaching prospects. The school quickly shifted away from Simmons, promoting cornerbacks coach James Colzie III to interim coach. The interim tag was later removed, and Colzie was named permanent head coach on January 29th.
The good news for Colzie and the Rattlers is that they have retooled their squad, adding talented Power-Four and G5 players via the transfer site. One of these guys is quarterback Daniel Richardson, who has been chosen the starter for the season opener against Norfolk State.
Richardson is joining the Rattlers from Florida Atlantic, where he threw for 2,001 yards and 13 touchdowns, along with 10 interceptions. Other notable transfers to FAMU include former Florida State defensive back Demorie Tate, former USF defensive back Jameel Sanders, former Florida Atlantic receiver A’Ceon Cobb, and former UCF receiver Amari Johnson. The Rattlers also have key returning players ready to make an impact. Redshirt senior James Ash is regarded as one of the top returning interior defensive linemen in the SWAC, having recorded 42 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss in 2023. Defensive end Allen Smith, a graduate student, chose to stay with the Rattlers after considering the transfer portal. He finished last season with 30 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Both Ash and Smith are expected to be disruptive forces against opposing offenses this season.
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Receiver Jamari Gassett is also poised for a breakout year. Despite being behind All-SWAC stars Jah’Marae Sheread and Marcus Riley, Gassett managed 24 receptions for 320 yards and three touchdowns. With Sheread and Riley gone, Gassett aims to become the Rattlers’ top receiver in 2024.
With the talent FAMU has retained and attracted through the transfer portal, expectations in Tallahassee are high. Many believe the Rattlers remain strong contenders for the SWAC title this season, despite competition believing they’ve made significant strides. The Rattlers will start their season against Norfolk State and South Carolina State, two of the weaker teams in the MEAC. However, they face tougher tests in weeks three and four with road games against Miami (FL) and Troy before diving into SWAC play. The Rattlers’ toughest conference opponents—Alabama State, Jackson State, and Prairie View A&M—all come on the road. With such a demanding schedule, replicating last season’s 12-1 record will be challenging. Nevertheless, despite having a new head coach, the SWAC acknowledges that the conference championship still runs through Tallahassee.
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