SWAC: 5 Breakout Players to Watch in 2023
The SWAC contained a variety of impact talents this past season that will not be playing within the conference in 2023. With their respective voids currently unattended, many programs will be leaning on in-house gems to rise to the occasion in hopes of them becoming their program's new standouts.
Here are the SWAC's five candidates to watch in 2023 with chances to breakout and thrive in starting roles.
WR Kiesan Johnson, Alabama State Hornets
With last season's WR1 Jeremiah Hixon now a Grad Transfer for the FBS New Mexico Lubbocks, the Bama State Hornets have a vital role to fill in their developing passing game. 2022 was the gradual uncapping of redshirt sophomore Kiesan Johnson in a full-time WR2 position. He averaged 17.1 yards per catch on 31 receptions which helped him go for 530 receiving yards and three scores in his nine-game appearances.
Johnson's best performance as a collegiate athlete was his season-finale clinic versus UAPB which saw him go for over 100 yards receiving (126) on seven total receptions. His last season numbers can climb this year as he serves as the Hornets' unabated top-flight pass-catching target.
HB Floyd Chalk IV, Grambling State Tigers
Due to the surprise departure of junior Maurice Washington to the NFL Draft, one of the best backfields in the SWAC will have even more opportunities for the team's lead-back role. Floyd Chalk IV was one of Hue Jackson's crowning jewels in his first-ever Grambling State recruiting class that showed flashes of promise, albeit in a limited role as a true freshman.
The former three-star back from Mission Hills, CA, was an impact player during last year's Bayou Classic, which featured him going for a season-high 120 rushing yards on just eight carries. The performance helped Chalk achieve a 99.3 PFF rushing grade on the afternoon and Bayou Classic Offensive MVP Honors. Both are just glimpses of his ALL-SWAC potential if given an enhanced workload.
HB Donovan Eaglin, Alabama A&M Bulldogs
While it took about midseason for Eaglin to become the true workhorse in Cornell Maynor's offense, the former Michigan State transfer tallied five 100-yard rushing performances in his last seven starts to help him finish with 873 rushing yards on 171 carries.
The late-season emergence allowed the sophomore to finish with second-team all-conference honors, but an even bigger campaign awaits the Bulldogs' back during his upcoming junior campaign. With better QB1 play projected for A&M this season, lighter boxes will be presented within Eaglin's sights, opening the door for his first 1,000-yard rushing collegiate season as the program's feature back.
DB Chase Alexander, Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils
Alexander was one of the lone bright spots within a dismal Valley State secondary a season ago and registered the team's highest PFF coverage grade of the year at 66.7. After some convincing from the new Delta Devils coaching staff, Alexander returns to the program for his second season as the team's projected full-time starting safety.
Suppose the standout can fully recover from recent knee surgery and add to his promising 2022 campaign that foresaw five takeaways, four pass breakups, and 37 tackles. In that case, the sky is the limit within the team's redeveloping defense.
CB Ke'Vric Wiggins Jr., Jackson State Tigers
A 92.8 coverage grade during last season's Southern Heritage Classic slightly previewed what Ke'Vric Wiggins Jr. could be in a full-time boundary cornerback role. With the defensive backroom at JSU currently in the reloading stage, Wiggins is the leading returnee that received substantial reps during Coach Prime's final season with the program.
There's a strong chance by the MEAC/SWAC challenge, Wiggins will become the team's starting cornerback come week one. He can become one of the conference's best defensive backs by the season's end if given the opportunity.