SIAC Season Preview and Opening Week Predictions
August 23rd, 2025 10:00am
With the start of the 2025 D2 football season just days away, let's take a look through the SIAC to see how each team stacks up.
Miles
Miles is coming off a ten-win season and a SIAC Championship. After winning the SIAC crown over Clark Atlanta, the Golden Bears followed up with a playoff victory over Carson-Newman. Miles eventually fell to national runner-up Valdosta State in the second round. The Golden Bears will be looking to defend their title in 2025 but will do so under the leadership of a new head coach. SIAC coach of the year Sam Shade earned a Division I opportunity at Alabama A&M after the Golden Bears’ championship season. His successor is Chris Goode, an NFL veteran with a long history of developing young athletes.
Miles’ offense will be led by returning senior quarterback Kamren Ivory. Ivory led the offense in passing last year while throwing for 1476 yards and 14 touchdowns against only five picks. Leading rusher Jonero Scott has moved on but Javonta Leatherwood looks to lead the ground attack this year. Leatherwood, a junior from Tuscaloosa was the second leading rusher from a year ago. He rushed for 411 yards on 77 carries and led all running backs with 11 touchdowns. The wide receiver room will have a lot of new faces as the top four pass catchers from year ago are no longer with the program. The new crop of wideouts will need to step up this year to help maintain balance on offense.
The Golden bears defense was incredible last season. Miles’ defense was number one in scoring defense in the SIAC, giving up only 18.2 points per game. They were second in the conference behind Fort Valley State in total defense while holding their opponents to 299.8 yards per contest. The defense had six guys who accumulated over 50 tackles each. All are gone, but young linebacker Carson Pritchett had 33 tackles in a reserve role a year ago and is expected to take on a much larger role this season.
Roderick Smith returns as the punter and kicker to give the Golden Bears experience on special teams.
Miles opens their season in a neutral site game vs Virginia Union at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Virginia Union is the defending CIAA champs and were quarterfinalists in the 2025 Division II football playoffs. This is a real heavyweight matchup to open the season between two strong HBCU teams.
PREDICTION Virginia Union 34 Miles 17
Fort Valley State
The Wildcats are looking ahead to the 2025 season with some momentum after finishing last season 6-2 in conference play. Outside of a 30-3 loss to an FCS level opponent, the Wildcats lost three games by a combined 11 points. This year’s team will have new leadership as previous head coach Shawn Gibbs departed for the same position at North Carolina A&T. Marlon Watson, previously an assistant at Prairie View A&M, was hired to take over the program.
FVSU was quite productive on offense a year ago, finishing second in the SIAC in total offense. The well-balanced attack also saw them finishing fourth in passing offense as well as fourth in rushing offense. They will have a lot of re-building to do if they want to match that output in 2025. Quarterback Kelvin Durham was the spark that ignited the offense but the rising senior announced his commitment to transfer to Johnson C. Smith in the off season (though he is not listed on their 2025 roster.) As many as six quarterbacks will be in camp competing for the starting job. The Wildcats will also be replacing their top two wideouts and rushers.
Last season the Wildcats defense ranked number one in the SIAC in total defense allowing only 269.3 yards per game. They also finished second in scoring defense. The 2024 squad had 11 different guys record at least 20 tackles. Their three leading tacklers, Malik Harp, Jayden Walker and Kentrell Lawson all play in the middle. All three linebackers were expected to return but none appear on the fall roster, so expect more new faces in the starting lineup.
Punter Elan Hall and place kicker Daniel Gibbs also return. Gibbs made 43 of 45 extra points while also connecting on eight of nine field goal attempts.
FVSU will play West Alabama at historic Legion Field in Birmingham, AL. West Alabama is coming off a solid 2024 season where they made the playoffs. This should be a competitive and exciting game to kick off the season for both teams.
PREDICTION
Fort Valley State 24 West Alabama 20
Albany State
The Golden Rams enter the 2025 season after a solid 6-4 campaign in 2024. While it’s a brand-new season, the 2024 team did finish off their campaign with a hard-fought 20-15 victory over arch rival Fort Valley State in the Fountain City Classic.
Albany State led the SIAC in total offense a year ago and they bring back graduate quarterback Isaiah Knowles who shined bright in 2024. Knowles completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 2555 yards. He also threw 32 touchdown passes with only eight interceptions. His top three targets from a year ago all return to the team. Jamill Williams, Javion Jackson and Devon Dorsey all had over 500 yards receiving with at least six touchdowns. Rising sophomore Tiant Wyche returns in the backfield where he led the Golden Rams in rushing with 553 yards and a 5.5 yards per carry average.
Defensively, Albany State finished last season third in total defense and fourth in scoring defense within the conference. Both leading tacklers from a year ago, Andrew Ruffin and Aydin Henningham return to a stellar defense. Derrick Drayton returns to anchor the defensive line. Drayton led the team in tackles-for-loss and sacks with five and a half and four and half, respectively.
On special teams the Golden Rams will have to replace punter Devin Woolsey. Woolsey had a stellar season with a 41.6 yards per punt average and seven punts that eclipsed 50 yards. Kicker Kyle Wright returns hoping to improve on a 2024 campaign that saw him make just two out of four field goal attempts. Although, he was able to convert on 39 out of 42 PAT tries.
Albany State opens the season at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Last year Shaw was able to upend the Golden Rams in a high scoring affair that saw both teams eclipse the 40-point mark. The final was 43-40 at the Albany State University Coliseum. Albany State will look to repay the Bears for a tough loss a year ago while getting their 2025 campaign off to a winning start.
PREDICTION
Albany State 38 Shaw 20
Clark Atlanta
The Panthers had a solid 2024 season that saw them finish in a three-way tie for second place in the SIAC. Clark-Atlanta got the tie-breaker nod over Fort Valley State and Albany State and played Miles in the conference championship game. If the Panthers are hoping to make it back to the conference title game, they’ll need their defense to improve. Their offense was their calling card in 2024.
Offensively, Clark Atlanta was number one in the conference in total offense, averaging 390.1 yards per game. Scoring wise, they were towards the top of the SIAC as well, finishing third, scoring just over 31 points per contest. Quarterback David Wright III was expected to return for his senior season but he is not in camp and his status is unknown. Wright’s production will be a lot to replace as he threw for nearly 300 yards per contest with 31 passing touchdowns. Leading rusher Trayvon Pinder returns after a solid freshman season where he tallied 387 yards and two scores. Jamal Jones and Armone Harris, two Florida natives return for their senior campaigns to attempt to put on another receiving show like they did a season ago. Their numbers are nearly identical with Harris catching 75 passes for 1004 yards and Jones hauling in 74 receptions for 987 yards. If the offense plays like its capable, expect Clark Atlanta to light up the scoreboard once again.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers were solid in total defense finishing fourth in the conference. Unfortunately, when they did bend, they often broke because they finished tenth in scoring defense giving up a hefty 32.6 points per game. James Summersett had an impressive team high 65 tackles last season. He’ll be back for his junior season, but when the free safety leads the way in tackles by a large margin, there’s not enough playmaking at the first and second levels.
Just a freshman a season ago, place kicker Leonardo Cabrera made good on nine of eleven field goal attempts and 36 of 43 PAT’s. He also handled punting duties and will look to improve upon a 29.1 yards per punt average.
Clark Atlanta will have their hands full in the season opener as they face-off with perennial Division II power Valdosta State in the Week Zero Labor Day Classic. Valdosta State is from South Georgia and Clark Atlanta is from North Georgia and they’re both heading west to play this season-opening contest in Birmingham, AL at Legion Field.
PREDICTION
Valdosta State 52 Clark Atlanta 28
Tuskegee University
A season ago, Tuskegee did something that is quite abnormal for them - they had a losing season. While the Golden Tigers did post a winning record in the conference, their overall record was 5-6. I’m sure Coach Aaron James has higher expectations for his team this season.
Offensively, Quarterback Raequan Beal returns for his senior season. The 6’5 Michigan product will look to improve this season as he completed only 54.5 percent of his passes a year ago. He passed for just over 1500 yards with 14 touchdown passes. His top three leading receivers are all gone, but he did have a freshman playmaker in Gabriel Garmon. Garmon hauled in 19 balls for 213 yards and a touchdown. I expect even more production from him in the 2025 campaign. The rushing attack for the Golden Tigers saw their leading rusher, Johnny Morris tally just 374 yards. However, their 5th leading rusher still managed 147 yards. That’s five guys that tallied a combined 1324 yards and ten touchdowns for the Golden Tigers. The good news for Tuskegee is all five running backs are back for the 2025 season.
Tuskegee’s defense last year was a bend but don’t break squad. While finishing ninth in total defense, the Golden Tigers finished third in scoring defense giving up only 23 points per game. Tuskegee must replace a lot of production on the defensive side of the ball. They do bring back linebacker Kaquon Kimber who finished third a season ago with 53 tackles and eight tackles for loss. Javeon Miller’s production returns as well as he produced 9.5 tackles for loss to go along with four sacks. Mikael King Jr. has two picks with 7 pass break-ups and was named to the D2football.com elite 100 list entering the 2025 season.
Lorcan Ryans returns for his junior season to continue place kicking and punting duties. Ryans converted on 13-18 field goals with a long of 47 yards. He also made 25 of 29 extra point attempts. Ryans had a net punting average of 34.6 yards while putting eight punts inside the 20-yard line.
The Golden Tigers will face-off against Winston-Salem State on Sunday August 31st at the Cramton Bowl in what is dubbed the Red Tail Classic.
PREDICTION
Tuskegee 24 Winston Salem State 20
Savannah State
Savannah State started the 2024 campaign going 1-3, yet finished the season 5-5. And one of those losses was a heartbreaking 28-27 homecoming loss to Lane. The Tigers finished the 2024 season hot.They’ll look to carry what momentum they can into the 2025 season. They must improve offensively if they want be in the mix for a SIAC championship. Savannah State finished 11th out of 13 SIAC teams in total offense and tenth in scoring offense at just over 20 points per game. Leading passer Jhaydon Sullivan has moved on and Christian Burks looks to take the reins for Savannah State. Burks did participate in eight different games a year ago, completing 29 of 53 passes for 469 yards, two touchdowns and three picks. He got his feet wet last season, but those shoulders are going to have to carry a lot more weight this year. Over half of the wide receiver production is gone from a year ago. They’ll need some young guys or the transfer portal to produce some playmakers on the outside. The offense didn’t produce much in the running game, but leading rusher Joseph Hampton is back. He only rushed for 248 yards in 2024, but he did average a hefty 5.3 yards per carry.
Defensively, the Tigers allowed 346 yards per game and 25.3 points per contest in the 2024 season. Linebackers Darrian Bell and Gary Davis Jr. are back to anchor the second level of the defense. They led the team in tackles a year ago with 60 and 59, respectively. Xavier Esquillen will return as an absolute force on the edge. His state line a year ago was as follows, 32 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. Savannah State will rely heavily on a playmaking experienced defense in 2025.
Jimmy Tran returns for place kicking duties as a senior and will look to improve upon a season where he saw only three of eight field goal attempts soar through the uprights. He was able to convert on 24 of 29 PAT attempts. Lexington Matthews will need to be replaced at punter.
An opening weekend conference game will be on the horizon for Savannah State as they open against SIAC opponent Edward Waters. When the Tigers play the Tigers, I’m certain the Tigers will win.
PREDICTION
Savannah State 20 Edward Waters 14
Kentucky State
2024 saw Kentucky State finish in the middle of the pack within the SIAC. They posted a 4-4 record, although they finished the season below .500. The Thorobreds finished last season 4-6 overall and were in a three-way-tie for sixth place in the conference.
KSU finished ninth in total offense and eleventh in scoring offense last year. They’ll look to improve upon last season’s totals. Denim Johnson will return after having a very efficient sophomore season. While his passing numbers were not exorbitant, Johnson was able to complete nearly 65 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns while throwing only one interception. Johnson also led the team in rushing with 466 yards. Jaden Hale and Roscoe Parrish Jr. return as two of the top three wideouts from a season ago. Jaylen Middleton had a solid freshman campaign as the leading rusher among running backs. He averaged over six yards per carry.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Thorobreds will need dramatic improvement to be competitive with the higher echelon teams in the SIAC. KSU was dead last in the conference in total defense giving up a whopping 425.1 yards per contest. They finished second to last in scoring defense allowing 34.6 points per game. Defensive back Lawrence McConnell returns for his junior season as the teams leading tackler. Kendrick and Navy Curry both return as important pieces to the defensive side of the ball.
Landon Glover returns as place kicker and punter. His freshman campaign saw him make five out of seven field goal attempts and 20 of 24 extra point tries. He averaged just a nudge under 36 yards per punt with seven downed inside the 20.
KSU will make their way up north to open the season as they play conference foe Central State at Ford Field in the Detroit City Classic.
PREDICTION
Kentucky State 34 Central State 21
Benedict
2024 saw the Benedict Tigers finish 4-4 in conference and 4-6 overall. This year’s team is hoping to return to the upper tier of the SIAC. Landing a transfer from defending SIAC champion Miles College in Cam Wilson, who is on our D2football.com Elite 100 will certainly help their cause.
On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Tre Simmons will be back for his senior season after leading the Benedict offense in 2024. Simmons threw for 1507 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He did a nice job of not turning the ball over, but his completion percentage of 49 percent will need to improve. His top target Troy Hillman is coming off a nice freshman season where he tallied 35 catches for 421 yards and five touchdowns. Simmons also led the team in rushing with 448 yards.
The Tigers defense finished second to last in total defense a season ago. But they did a good job of keeping opponents from maximizing on their scoring chances. They were seventh in the league in scoring defense. Benedict finished 11th in pass defense, but that number should go down considerably with transfer Cam Wilson coming in. Senior defensive lineman Israel Nwokocha returns to the Tigers coming off a stellar season that saw him register 14.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks.
Lucas Wynn returns as both place kicker and punter. Wynn, had an outstanding season as a punter averaging 41 yards per punt with 18 punts downed inside the 20. Kicking was an obstacle for Wynn a season ago as he was 0-7 on field goal tries. But he was able to convert extra points at a high percentage, connecting on 27 of 29.
Benedict will play host to Fayetteville State in the Labor Day Classic to open the season. This game looks on paper to be a tossup.
PREDICTION
Fayetteville State 17 Benedict 16
Edward Waters
While the Tigers 3-7 overall record doesn’t look impressive from the 2024 season, four of those losses were by ten points or less. EWU also finished last years campaign with two victories in a row. The Tigers have gone through an ill-timed coaching change as head coach Toriano Morgan left in early July for another opportunity. Associate head coach and offensive coordinator Brian Jenkins will serve as interim head coach this fall.
Two new quarterbacks have transferred into the program with former Southern University QB Noah Bodden and Florida A&M quarterback Demetrius Boney. One of these guys will have to earn it in camp. Leading rusher Riley Williams has departed but second leading rusher Johntarrious Thomas returns to the backfield. He rushed for 368 yards and had 4.8 yards per carry average in 2024.
EWU was seventh in total defense and ninth in scoring defense last season. The Tigers had two players eclipse the 50-tackle mark, Trevon French and Widmyer Garcon’. Garcon’ has moved on, but French is back to anchor the defense. French recorded a team high 55 tackles and is also one of four players to have four interceptions last year. His all-around playmaking will be a must if EWU is to continue improving on the defensive side of the ball.
A great opportunity presents itself to two middling 2024 SIAC teams in Savannah State and Edward Waters in week zero. The Tigers from EWU will travel north to Georgia to take on the Tigers from Savannah State. I expect a very close and competitive game here.
PREDICTION
Savannah State 20 Edward Waters 14
Lane
Outside of a 58-7 thumping to FCS power Jackson State, the rest of the Dragons eight losses were within two scores. This is a new season and Lane has a brand-new man at the helm. The Dragons hired Stanley Conner as their new coach. Conner is new to Lane, but certainly not new to coaching football. His latest stop was at Miles where he held the title of recruiting coordinator as well as being the running backs coach.
Lane will have a lot of new faces on offense as both quarterbacks that played meaningful snaps are gone. Lane finished second in the SIAC in rushing offense a season ago, and stalwart tailback Ike Brown is gone as well. It’ll be interesting to see what the new look Lane College offense looks like to start the year.
Defensively, Lane needs to improve upon that side of the ball. 2024 saw the Dragons finish near the bottom of the conference in just about every defensive statistical category. A brand-new coaching staff and a lot of new defensive players tells me that it’s hard to get any read on what this team may look like this year.
Special team’s coordinator Jerrell Cogmon takes over a unit that finished 12th out of 13 teams in both punting average and extra point percentage. The Dragons were however able to convert four of five field goal attempts.
The Dragons season will pick up where it left off, at least in terms of opponents. Lane finished last year with a 41-28 victory over Lincoln University of Missouri. They’ll kick-off the 2025 campaign hosting that very same team.
PREDICTION
Lane 34 Lincoln (Mo) 17
Allen
The Cedric Pearl era got underway in 2024 at Allen. The Fighting Yellow Jackets finished 1-7 in SIAC play and 2-8 overall. Year one for head coaches can be difficult with the transfer portal playing a role every season. Year two is where you can really see your guys find their rhythm.
Quarterback Jamis Dismukes returns for his senior season after a solid first year at Allen. He averaged over 200 yards passing per game and 19 touchdowns through the air. He also touched paydirt six more times with his legs. Fabian Duncan led the team as a freshman in rushing yards and is expected back to help keep this Allen offense dynamic. Kaleb Commings led the team with six receiving touchdowns and Nanders Lawrence led the team in receptions and total receiving yards. Allen has not confirmed the roster for 2025, but both of these playmakers on on the outside should be back for the 2025 campaign.
Just looking at Allen from an offensive and defensive standpoint, you’d likely think their 2-8 mark would be much better. They finished in the top half of the league in offense and in the middle of the league, defensively. Linebacker Andre Phillips was the key defensive piece for the Yellow Jackets. He finished 2024 with a team high 57 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss (also a team high) and 2.5 sacks. If he returns for 2025, they’ll have something to build around.
Allen will have their hands full to open the 2025 season as they travel to Division I FCS Morehead State of the Ohio Valley Conference.
PREDICTION
Morehead State 34 Allen 24
Morehouse
The Maroon Tigers had a 2024 season they’d like to leave in the rearview mirror. There are some things to look forward to and it starts with their beautiful new helmets donated by Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons for the 2025 campaign.
Morehouse has not made a roster available as of August 22 so there are still many unsanswered questions about personnel. Looking back at 2024, Quarterback Miles Scott took most of the starting snaps Scott threw for 1449 yards with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. His completion percentage was 44.6 percent. Chase Devaughn led the team in rushing with just 144 yards and 1.7 yards per carry.
Last season the Maroon Tigers finished in the middle of the conference in yards allowed but unfortunately, they were last in points given up. Leading tackler Caleb grant is gone, but their next two top tacklers should be returning. Linebacker Sean Johnson is one of those players and he registered 77 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Defensive back Tyler Davis managed 79 tackles in his own right.
Morehouse College will travel to Massachusetts to play Johnson C. Smith in the Essence HBCU Classic. This will be a rematch from year ago where JCS defeated Morehouse 37-13.
PREDICTION
Johnson C. Smith 45 Morehouse 16
Central State
The northern-most team in the SIAC is who we come to last. A season ago, Central State finished 1-8 in conference play and 1-10 overall. The Marauders are looking to have a bounce back season in 2025. Optimism for this year centers around the hiring of head coach Tony Carter, a former player and assistant coach in the National Football League. Carter has built a staff with years of NFL playing and coaching experience.
Offensively, CSU struggled mightily to move the ball last year. They averaged 217.1 yards per contest and only 10.9 points per game. Tison Hill served as the backup quarterback last season, but did get some playing time. He played in four games and he completed 54.1 percent of his passes for 458 yards. He is the expected starter as camp progresses. Jaden Bossie returns as a junior in the backfield. While not the featured back in 2024, he did participate in every game and picked up 205 yards and two touchdowns on 55 carries.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Marauders epitomized bend but don’t break. They finished 11th in total defense, yet finished in the top half of the conference in points allowed. Much of the defensive production from a season ago is gone, but defensive lineman Mike White is back for his fifth year. And he’ll look to be on a tear again in 2025 after posting 35 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks a in 2024.
CSU will have to replace both their punter and kicker for the 2025 season.
Central State will have a great opportunity to open the 2025 season with a conference win as they travel to Detroit, Michigan to play SIAC foe Kentucky State in the Detroit Football Classic at Ford Field.
PREDICTION
Kentucky State 34 Central State 21
Matthew Suleski joins the D2Football.com team as the SIAC columnist for the 2025 season. Matt is a graduate of the University of North Alabama with a degree in broadcast journalism. A former radio personality and host of "Matt in the Morning" on Fox Sports Shoals, he currently works in the hotel industry. As a hobby, Matt is an avid coin collector and the author of the book Bowls Half Empty.
