BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The four-time defending SWAC East Division champion Alcorn State University football team was picked to win the championship again in the 2018 SWAC Preseason Poll.

The Braves also landed 11 Preseason All-Conference selections in total including four on the First-Team. Joining P.J. Simmons on the First-Team were senior quarterback Noah Johnson, junior offensive lineman Mustaffa Ibrahim and senior linebacker Trae Ferrell.

On the Second-Team, Alcorn was represented by offensive linemen Deonte Brooks and Kevin Hall, senior defensive lineman Sterling Shippy, junior linebacker Solomon Muhammad, senior defensive back Brady Smith and junior Corey McCullough as both the kicker and punter.

The announcements were made Friday at 2018 SWAC Football Media Day at the Birmingham Marriott.

The Braves were the favorite in the SWAC East Division with 95 points, ahead of Alabama State with 72 points. Grambling State was projected to win the SWAC West Division with 96 points.

“It’s big to get the respect from all the coaches in the league, but being picked first preseason doesn’t win us anything. We have to stay focused on our mission to get back to the SWAC Championship game and come out on the winning side,” said Alcorn head coach Fred McNair. “We have a lot of work ahead of us and we don’t have any easy games on the schedule. We’re going to have to execute our game plans every week and take advantage of the opportunities we have when they present themselves.”

Simmons, from Tallahassee, Florida, rushed for 687 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry with a long of 64 yards. Simmons was part of an Alcorn offensive that led the SWAC in both total offense and rushing offense last year. He aided the Braves in racking up 461.3 yards per game and 237.4 rushing yards per outing – both marks were top-10 in the country.

“It’s an honor to be picked the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, but my main focus is still on the task at hand. The goal remains the same, and that’s to win the SWAC Championship and to play in Atlanta two times; once at Georgia Tech and another for the Celebration Bowl,” Simmons said. “The preseason recognition is great, but we have to perform on the field and take care of business.”

The Braves open the season Saturday, Sept. 1 at Georgia Tech. They will play their home-opener the following week on Saturday, Sept. 8 at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium. Click here for the full schedule.