The defending HBCU National Champion Florida A&M (FAMU) Rattler football team officially opened camp on July 25 with a 6:20 AM session on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium. The squad was full strength and represents a rebuild of last year’s team that left many positions to fill with graduation and the transferring of players through the NCAA portal.
Head coach James Colzie III opens his first season at the helm of the Rattlers after a lengthy process to replace former head coach Willie Simmons who left his HBCU football post at FAMU and accepted the running backs coach position at Duke University. With a vast array of experience, Colzie is not new to opening camp as a head coach, but the experience as FAMU’s coach and the expectations that accompany it are sinking in on him.
“It feels good to see our guys moving around a little bit,” Colzie said. ” We got some new guys, we’ve just got to learn how to practice. We had a little bit of confusion, but the biggest thing for us on offensive and defense…we wanted to try to get as many reps on film so we could start assessing and evaluating where guys are going to be. I thought we did a good job of that.”
Offensive line is massive, plentiful, and talented
FAMU has revitalized areas of the team and may be considered more talented in those areas than last season, particularly on the offensive line. With most of the HBCU national champion starting o-line returning, anchored by Jalen Goss, the offensive linemen account for nearly 20 of the players dressed for action. This may be FAMU’s biggest line in history and they are a very athletic squad.
Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joseph Henry has reloaded the position with an athletic lineup that should make it one of the top lines in the conference. With defense being the hallmark of last year’s team, a stout offensive line could help control the line of scrimmage allowing the offense to be more dominant.
“We’re very deliberate about the way that we developed our whole offensive roster, specifically the offensive line,” Henry said. “We knew that we needed more bodies. We knew that we needed athleticism and size and strength.We evaluated over 180 offensive linemen and we brought in four transfer portal guys and two freshmen that we feel like can come in immediately and provide depth for us. They’re competing for a starting spot and it’s something that we’ve worked for. It didn’t happen by accident and we’re really proud of the recruiting job that we’ve done. We got great young men in addition to good looking guys.”
Rattlers have yet to name a starting quarterback
For the last two years, the Rattler offense was guided by Jeremy Moussa. Moussa, who earned SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and attained All-American honors was the steady leader of the offense. Coming to FAMU as a graduate student from Vanderbilt, Moussa was the steady force that helped propel Willie Simmons’ offense to the pinnacle of HBCU football.
This season, the Rattlers will have a new signal caller. Junior Muratovic has to be considered the front-runner as he has been with the team since he was a freshman recruited by Simmons. He also had a start as a true freshman and a start last season against the University of West Florida. For most considerations, the job is his to lock down and not lose.
However, the Rattlers have five or six quarterbacks in camp. Most notably, former FAU quarterback Daniel Richardson, a graduate transfer. Richardson has an explosive arm and even more game experience than Muratovic. Several other quarterbacks are also set to compete for the starting signal-caller position. They will all compete under the tutelage of 2020 Canadian Football League Hall of Famer Henry Burris.
Rattlers open their season in Atlanta with MEAC/SWAC Challenge
The Rattlers open their season in the same city as they ended last season. FAMU will face the Norfolk State Spartans in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge on Aug. 24 at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. This will be the Rattlers’ third time playing in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge, compiling a 1-1 record.
In 2007, the Rattlers led by Rubin Carter fell to the Southern Jaguars 33-27 at Legion Field in Birmingham, AL. Earl Holmes would help the Rattlers even the record at 1-1 with a 27-10 win over Mississippi Valley State in 2013 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. That historic win over the Delta Devils also marked the return of the Marching “100” in their first performance after their hiatus.
FAMU wants to start and end in Atlanta
The Rattlers have set a goal of playing twice in Atlanta this year, defending their HBCU championship in the Cricket Celebration Bowl to end the season. There is a lot of football to be played between the end of the season. For the time Colzie is satisfied preparing for the Spartans.
“It’s been a long time coming from spring ball when we were actually able to have a ball and helmets and get out here and actually play real football. Guys have been working really hard over the course of the summer and you can see that I’m proud of the way they attacked practice today,” said Colzie.