HBCU Football Rankings Week 5: South Carolina State Remains Unanimous No. 1

HOUSTON -- The unbeaten South Carolina State Bulldogs (5-0) are the unanimous No. 1 team in Division I HBCU football rankings entering Week 5.

The HBCU Legends combined and averaged the rankings from the BC+ analytics model, the BOXTOROW HBCU FCS Coaches Poll, Black College Football Poll, and my personal DI ranking.

HBCU Legends took the averages of the four ranks and lists those outside the averaged top 10 as No. 11 and No. 12. Ties are broken by the BC+ rating model.

South Carolina State remains unanimous No. 1 in the HBCU football rankings entering Week 5. | South Carolina State Athletics

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE RULES

Coach Chennis Berry and South Carolina State, the reigning Division I HBCU national championship team, are off to an impressive start to the 2026 season. The national FCS polls have the Bulldogs rising in their weekly rankings:

AFCA FCS Coaches Poll: No. 12, up from No. 14
Stats Perform FCS Top 25: No. 15, up from No. 16

Defensive lineman Joshua Barker was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week on his four tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two quarterback hurries during the Bethune-Cookman contest. The Bulldogs were victorious, 31-21, in Daytona, Florida.

Bulldogs running back Mason Pickett-Hicks turned in another strong Saturday as he rushed 14 times for 136 yards, averaging 9.7 yards per carry, with a long run of 41 yards against Bethune-Cookman. He notched his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the 2026 season.

HBCU Football Consensus Rankings - Entering Week 5 - 2026 | HBCU Legends, BC+, BCFP, and BOXTOROW

Division I Consensus Rankings - Week 5

1. South Carolina State (5-0): 1.00 consensus average.
2. Alabama State (3-1): 2.88.
3. Jackson State (4-0): 2.88.
4. Prairie View A&M (2-3): 4.00.
5. Delaware State (3-2): 4.50.
6. Morgan State (3-1): 7.25.
7. Alcorn State (3-2): 7.75.
8. Alabama A&M (4-1): 8.75.
9. Grambling State (2-2): 9.25.
10. North Carolina Central (2-3): 10.00.

First out:

Bethune-Cookman (2-2): 10.50.
Norfolk State (3-2): 10.75.

Consensus incorporates KTM, BC+, BOX, and BCFP rankings.

Alabama State and Jackson State tied with an average ranking of 2.88. Alabama State, which is 3-1, ranked No. 2 in BC+ and tied for second in the coaches poll.

Jackson State is 4-0, joining South Carolina State as one of the unbeaten HBCU DI teams. The BCFP ranks the Tigers No. 2. The reasoning behind Alabama State at No. 2 in the consensus ranking is that BC+ gives the Hornets a rating three-tenths of a point higher than Jackson State.

Prairie View A&M is No. 4 despite a 2-3 overall record. Coach Jackson’s team has had a heavy schedule, going against two top-ranked FCS teams (Tarleton State and Stephen F. Austin) and one FBS program in Baylor.

In Week 4, the Panthers improved to 2-0 in SWAC action, defeating Grambling State 21-14 in the State Fair Classic.

Delaware State had a big win against Towson to reach 3-2 on the season. The Hornets are No. 5 in the consensus ranking. Voters and the model agree by placing them fourth or fifth on the four lists.

Alcorn State won a critical SWAC West battle over Texas Southern in overtime, 43-40. Coach Thomas’ Braves are No. 7 in the consensus rankings despite placing eighth on three of the four ballots.

Why Alabama A&M is Rising

Alabama A&M is No. 8 in the consensus rankings, with a seven-place spread between ballots, the widest gap this season. The Bulldogs are sixth in the BOXTOROW coaches poll and fifth in the BCFP poll. Neither the BC+ model nor Mosley's ballot includes them in the top 10.

Alabama A&M improved to 4-1 with a 40-21 win at Florida A&M on Saturday, but its strength of schedule remains the primary question. Two of the Bulldogs' four wins came against Division II opponents Miles and Bowie State.

Their strongest win came against Florida A&M, which sits outside the Division I top 10. Their only matchup against a ranked Division I opponent ended in a Week 0 loss to Howard.

That gives the Bison a strong claim to be considered in the rankings, but three losses to one FCS and two FBS opponents have weakened their argument for the moment.

BC+ evaluates a team's resume by weighing scoring margins against opponent quality rather than counting wins alone. Alabama A&M's 4-1 record against that schedule has not been enough to push the Bulldogs into the model's top 10.

It appears as the human polls weigh their record and road victories more heavily. Both assessments are defensible, and the consensus splits the difference, placing Alabama A&M eighth.

BOXTOROW Polls Through Week 4

Records through Sept. 26, 2026: rankings and vote totals transcribed from your attachment.

2026 HBCU FCS Coaches Poll

1. South Carolina State: 5-0, 160 points, 16 first-place votes. Previous: 1.
T-2. Alabama State: 3-1, 134 points. Previous: 2.
T-2. Jackson State: 4-0, 134 points. Previous: 3.
4. Delaware State: 3-2, 95 points. Previous: 4.
5. Prairie View A&M: 2-3, 93 points. Previous: 5.
6. Alabama A&M: 4-1, 78 points. Previous: 7.
7. Morgan State: 3-1, 71 points. Previous: 8.
8. Alcorn State: 3-2, 34 points. Previously unranked.
9. Norfolk State: 2-3, 31 points. Previous: 10.
10. Grambling State: 2-2, 27 points. Previous: 6.

Others receiving votes:

North Carolina Central: 2-3, 20 points.
Bethune-Cookman: 2-2, 3 points.

2026 HBCU Football Media Poll

1. South Carolina State: 5-0, 210 points, 21 first-place votes. Previous: 1.
2. Jackson State: 4-0, 176 points. Previous: 3.
3. Alabama State: 3-1, 174 points. Previous: 2.
4. Prairie View A&M: 2-3, 126 points. Previous: 4.
5. Delaware State: 3-2, 110 points. Previous: 5.
6. Alabama A&M: 4-1, 107 points. Previous: 7.
7. Morgan State: 3-1, 57 points. Previous: 9.
8. Alcorn State: 3-2, 45 points. Previously unranked.
9. Kentucky State: 4-1, 24 points. Previously unranked.
T-10. Johnson C. Smith: 3-1, 22 points. Previous: 10.
T-10. Grambling State: 2-2, 22 points. Previous: 8.
T-10. Benedict: 3-1, 22 points. Previous: 6.

Others receiving votes:

Virginia State: 4-1, 16 points.
Virginia Union: 4-1, 15 points.
Norfolk State: 2-3, 9 points.
Bethune-Cookman: 2-2, 9 points.
Howard: 1-3, 5 points.
Edward Waters: 4-1, 4 points.
Shaw: 4-1, 1 point.
Tuskegee: 1-2, 1 point.

BCFP - Week 5 | BCFP - Week 5; Dr. Kenyatta Cavil's Inside the HBCU Sports Lab

BCFP Rankings Entering Week 5

The attached Black College Football Poll graphics are labeled Week 4, dated Sept. 27, 2026. Records below are overall and conference.

HBCU Football Division I

1. South Carolina State: 5-0 overall, 0-0 conference; 540 points; 27 first-place votes. Previous: 1.
2. Jackson State: 4-0, 1-0; 440 points. Previous: 2.
3. Alabama State: 3-1, 1-0; 420 points. Previous: 3.
4. Delaware State: 3-2, 0-0; 316 points. Previous: 4.
5. Alabama A&M: 4-1, 1-0; 292 points. Previous: 7.
6. Prairie View A&M: 2-3, 2-0; 276 points. Previous: 6.
7. Morgan State: 3-1, 0-0; 238 points. Previous: 5.
8. Alcorn State: 3-2, 2-0; 174 points. Previous: 9.
9. Grambling State: 2-2, 0-1; 60 points. Previous: 8.
10. Norfolk State: 3-2, 0-0; 58 points. Previously unranked.

Others receiving votes:

North Carolina Central: 54 points.
Bethune-Cookman: 28 points.
Howard: 16 points.

Dropped out: North Carolina Central.

HBCU Football Division II

Kentucky State is a quiet No. 1 in HBCU DII Football. The Thorobreds are 4-1 after a 24-16 victory against Albany State in a meeting of teams unbeaten in SIAC play.

VA Union sits at No. 2 with a 4-1 record following a 14-0 shutout of Fayetteville State.

Albany State lands at No. 4, with the widest disagreement on the Division II board at six places.

After a shocking 20-17 victory over Benedict in Week 4, Tuskegee is No. 8. Three Division II programs also drew votes in the HBCU Football Media Poll, which ranks both divisions together.

Kentucky State placed ninth in that poll, with Johnson C. Smith and Benedict tied for 10th.

BCFP Division II Ranking

1. Kentucky State: 4-1 overall, 3-0 conference; 356 points; 15 first-place votes. Previous: 2.
2. Virginia State: 4-1, 3-0; 284 points; one first-place vote. Previous: 4.
3. Johnson C. Smith: 3-1, 2-0; 282 points. Previous: 3.
4. Virginia Union: 4-1, 3-0; 262 points; two first-place votes. Previous: 6.
5. Edward Waters: 4-1, 3-0; 252 points; one first-place vote. Previous: 5.
6. Benedict: 3-1, 1-1; 226 points. Previous: 1.
7. Shaw: 4-1, 2-1; 130 points. Previous: 8.
8. Tuskegee: 2-2, 2-0; 104 points. Previously unranked.
9. Albany State: 2-3, 2-1; 40 points. Previous: 7.
10. Fayetteville State: 2-3, 1-2; 32 points. Previous: 9.

Others receiving votes:

Allen: 30 points.
Miles: 28 points.
Central State: 12 points.
Lincoln (Mo.): 10 points.

Dropped out: Allen.

HBCU Legends will have the Week 6 HBCU football consensus poll on Oct. 6, 2026.

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