FAMU football veterans ushering a 'new identity' for the new-look 2024 Rattlers team
Florida A&M has a brand new football team.
Starting from the top, the Rattlers welcome first-year head coach, James Colzie III, promoted coordinators, and three newly hired position coaches.
Colzie replaces Willie Simmons, who left FAMU in January after six years to coach the Duke Blue Devils’ running backs.
The Simmons era ended with the Rattlers claiming their 16th Black College Football National Championship for winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship and Celebration Bowl last December.
The 2024 edition of FAMU football is a far cry from Simmons’ championship team. Colzie had to replace key graduated players and departing transfers with a recruiting class of nearly 50.
Instead of basking in the championship glory of the 2023 season, the current Rattlers are finding themselves. However, they have the same goal of reaching and winning the HBCU national title game at Dec. 14’s Celebration Bowl.
“We don’t have a title. This team doesn’t have a title. Last year’s team has a title, and a lot of those guys are gone,” FAMU running back Kelvin Dean Jr. said after the Rattlers’ first training camp practice on Thursday.
“Now, we focus on building a new identity by showing that this is the 2024 Rattlers. The 2024 Rattlers still have to go back and do the same thing to be established.”
Alongside having a relatively new team, FAMU’s top training camp storyline is who will start at quarterback when it’s time to kickoff against Norfolk State in Week 0’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta.
Rattlers quarterback Junior Muratovic, who arrived at FAMU in 2021, is a candidate to lead the unit. On the other side from Muratovic is Daniel Richardson, a graduate transfer from Florida Atlantic with starting quarterback experience on the Football Bowl Subdivision level.
Now, a redshirt junior, Muratovic says those camps where he learned behind former FAMU starting quarterbacks Rasean McKay and Jeremy Moussa during his formative years are “just as important” as he battles for this year’s starting spot.
He’s focusing on developing as a quarterback instead of worrying about who will be named starter come Week 0.
“Just important as all the ones. I’m just taking the same approach and take it day-by-day,” Muratovic said. “You can’t worry about the future. You got to handle what today holds.”
Muratovic has been patient for three seasons as he seeks to become FAMU’s starting quarterback.
And he’s respecting the process, the good and the bad, to hopefully become the next quarterback to lead the Rattlers to a Black College national title.
“One of the best things FAMU teaches you is how to overcome adversity,” Muratovic said. “Just being able to put all that aside and focus on keeping the main stuff the main stuff to do whatever we got to do to win.”
FAMU football growing closer, building relationships within new roster
Veteran leadership is significant in helping FAMU replicate last season’s success.
Kendall Bohler is regarded as one of the best defensive backs in the Football Championship Subdivision.
He garnered HBCU Boxtorow All-American honors in 2023 and was named to the 2024 All-SWAC Preseason First Team.
Bohler, who transferred to FAMU with his older brother, BJ, in 2021, has set a track for new Rattlers to follow.
And the newcomers are taking heed to that, Bohler says.
“I’m kind of one of the older guys on the team, which is crazy to say. Everybody’s coming to me for information,” Bohler said.
Even FAMU players who may not have enjoyed the Rattlers Black College title run in its entirety have the locker room’s respect.
FAMU offensive lineman Jalen Goss was a 2022 Boxtorow HBCU All-American. However, his 2023 season was cut short due to a season-ending injury after four games.
“I still appreciate the guys who still have the respect for me even though I missed that time. I know how important this is to me and my teammates,” Goss said.
Off-the-field camaraderie is just as crucial as on-field chemistry.
So, the Rattlers are strengthening connections with their 2024 team, which could boost them to another Celebration Bowl appearance this December.
“To mesh, we’re doing things like team bonding ― movies, bowling,” Bohler said. “Even at lunch, we all sit at different tables to talk to each other and see where guys are from and their background.”
Florida A&M Rattlers 2024 Football Schedule
Aug. 24 vs. Norfolk State in MEAC/SWAC Challenge, Atlanta* at 7:30 p.m., ABC
Aug. 31 vs. South Carolina State, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Sept. 7 at Miami, 6 p.m., ACC Network
Sept. 21 at Troy, 7 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Sept. 28 vs. Alabama A&M, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Oct. 5 at Alabama State, 3 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Oct. 19 at Jackson State, 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN Network
Oct. 26 vs. Southern, 7 p.m., ESPN Network
Nov. 2 vs. Texas Southern (HOMECOMING), 4 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 9 at Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Nov. 16 vs. Mississippi Valley State, 1 p.m., HBCU GO
Nov. 23 vs. Bethune-Cookman in Florida Classic, Orlando*, 3:30 p.m., ESPN Network
Nov. 30: FCS Playoffs Begin
Dec. 7: SWAC Championship, LOCATION/TEAMS TBA, ESPN2
Dec. 14: Celebration Bowl, Atlanta*, TEAMS TBA, 12 p.m., ABC
BOLD = SWAC
* = Neutral Site
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football veterans helping new-look Rattlers find new identity
