FAMU football preview: Rattlers picked to finish second in switch to new league

When the Florida A&M Rattlers make their Southwestern Athletic Conference debut on Sunday Sept. 5 at Hard Rock Stadium, they will likely have a Miami native as their new starting quarterback.

Rasean McCay, who left the 305 and played high school ball at Tallahassee Godby, is the front-runner to get the start against Jackson State, coached by NFL legend Deion Sanders. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m., and the game will be televised by ESPN2.

McCay, a redshirt junior, would replace Ryan Stanley, who was the MEAC’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2019.

Junior Muratovic, a freshman, and redshirt sophomore Cameron Sapp are also in the QB competition, but McCay is the one to beat.

“Rasean is showing command of the offense,” FAMU coach Willie Simmons told The Tallahassee Democrat. “He takes charge. He learned a lot from [Stanley] over the past few years.”

The Rattlers, who finished 9-2 in 2019 and did not play in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns, switched from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to the SWAC.

Now in its new league, FAMU has been picked to finish second in the SWAC’s East Division.

Meanwhile, McCay played in 2018 and 2019 as the backup to Stanley, a four-year starter who graduated with a master’s degree and holds FAMU records for career completions, yards and touchdowns.

McCay, who is still close to Stanley and watches game film with him on occasion, had perhaps the biggest moment of his career so far on Oct. 20, 2019. Stanley got injured in that game, and McCay came in and tossed a game-winning touchdown pass in a 34-31 overtime victory.

The next week, McCay earned the start and completed 25-of-35 passes for 246 yards and one touchdown in a win over Morgan State.

McCay, assuming he wins the job this year, has an appealing target in wide receiver Xavier Smith, who caught 77 passes for 1,159 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019. He led the MEAC in yards and catches in 2019, and his 105.4 yards per game ranked fifth in the nation.

But it’s not just Smith. FAMU also has David Manigo, a 6-3, 190-pounder who caught 41 passes for 575 yards and five TDs in 2019.

“It’s an extremely deep and talented group,” Simmons said of the 15 receivers on the roster, including Chad Hunter, Chris Sanders, Jah’Marae Sheread and 6-5, 220-pound Jeremiah Pruitte, a Colorado State transfer.

New offensive line coach Ryan Stanchek inherits a unit that includes All-MEAC performer Keenan Forbes, a 6-3, 330-pounder from Miami. The Rattlers have also added three transfers: Michael Arnold and Jay Jackson-Williams (both from Florida State); and Orlando Heggs (Wake Forest).

At running back, the Rattlers have no sure starter. Bishop Bonnett and De’Andre Francis are the top backs this fall, and Jalyn McCloud, a 6-2, 240-pound transfer from Savannah State, could be a short-yardage option.

Still, FAMU was last in the MEAC in rushing yards in 2019, a cause for concern for Simmons.

“I’ve taken more of an active role in the development of the running backs this year,” Simmons said.

Defensively, the Rattlers lost coordinator Ralph Street to Marshall. The Rattlers will now have co-coordinators: Ryan Smith and Brandon Sharp.

FAMU’s top defensive player is safety Markquese Bell. In 2019, he led the MEAC with five interceptions. Bell also forced two fumbles and posted 61 tackles.

Eric Smith and Javan Morgan are two other defensive backs to watch as the Rattlers led the MEAC with 15 interceptions in 2019.

The defensive line should also be a Rattlers strength, especially Renaldo Flowers, who led the team with 4.5 sacks in 2019; and Richard Summers, a 6-2, 345-pound run-stuffer. FAMU has also added defensive lineman Savion Williams, an ex-Tennessee Volunteers four-star recruit.

FAMU’s special teams are led by punter Chris Faddoul, a second-team preseason All-SWAC performer. Kicker Julius Duarte went 3-for-3 on field goals in this fall’s first scrimmage.