So, it's HBCU award season, and I'm fortunate enough—in my three years covering HBCU sports for ClutchPoints and HBCU Pulse—to have a single vote for a postseason award in the HBCU space. The honor is the Quarter Phi Back Award, which honors the best high school and HBCU quarterback in the nation.
Now, there are many awards that honor the best HBCU player in the nation, and more often than not, the best quarterback wins that award. Although several HBCU signal callers had phenomenal seasons, I think for a lot of people, the consensus pick for this honor is Alabama State's Andrew Body. Andrew Body returned from an injury this season and had a fantastic game against UAB to start the year, almost pulling off a tremendous upset and demanding national attention.
Andrew Body led Alabama State to its best season in years, and they had a justifiable shot to unseat Jackson State in the SWAC East. That homecoming matchup between Jackson State and Alabama State was one of the most well-anticipated matchups of the year. It literally came down to a goal-line stand in the red zone for Jackson State that could have catapulted and elevated Alabama State to win the SWAC Championship and possibly make a run towards the Celebration Bowl, as they beat Prairie View A&M in their November 1st matchup, even without Body in the second half.
I know a lot of people are going to be voting for Andrew Body as the consensus best quarterback of the year, and I don't think that's a wrong assumption. However, I want to do something different with my vote. I want to use my vote and this platform to highlight a player who embodies the spirit of Division II HBCU football: Albany State quarterback Isaiah Knowles.
Knowles's argument to get my vote is simple: he led his team to a historic feat, was undefeated in Division II going into the playoffs, and had a resounding playoff run all the way to the regional finals. This is not intended as any disrespect to Andrew Body, because I believe he's phenomenal and I'll be rooting for him at any institution, HBCU or otherwise, that he goes to now that he’s entered the transfer portal. But, it's hard for me not to use this time to spotlight Knowles and his journey to Division II history with the lone vote that I have this postseason.
Division II HBCU Football is Constantly Disrespected
As I say this often, I believe there is a rampant disrespect of Division II HBCU football. It really rattles me when I surf through Twitter and Facebook and see Division I alumni and HBCU football fans bickering back and forth early in the season. They’ll talk about the scheduling for the institution they’re debating against and say, “Well, you played a Division II HBCU. You played Morehouse; you played Albany State; you played Fort Valley; you played Virginia State. You didn't play anybody that was competitive.” That has always irked me because I don't believe there is a huge gulf between Division II HBCU football and FCS HBCU football when it comes to competitiveness and talent.
And, more often than not, we see Division II football talent “move up” to the FCS and become the best players in the sport. Take South Carolina State's Eric Phoenix last year and Nate Rembert for a red-hot Jackson State this year. I don't know where Knowles will ultimately end up, as he entered the transfer portal after the season, but I believe he could follow the same trajectory if he chooses to transfer to an FCS HBCU.
I think Isaiah Knowles’ rise to where he is was phenomenal and deserves the spotlight. His style of play, as well as his staying the long haul at Albany State and what they achieved this year, is the reason why I’m going to vote for Isaiah Knowles.
Three Years of Improvement
Isaiah Knowles transferred to Albany State from the Naval Academy in 2023, and it signaled a lot about Quinn Gray's recruiting philosophy. Quinn Gray is a former quarterback, and we saw with this move that he was moving toward an Air Raid style that was different from the Albany State teams we had seen in previous years. Albany State usually is rough and rugged; they run the ball, play physical defense, and knock their opponents out of the game. But it seemed Quinn Gray was going for a balanced attack that leaned more toward an Air Raid style that was quick, got the ball down the field, and ultimately led to high-scoring contests from the Rams.
Isaiah Knowles seemed like the person who could lead that quick, pass-heavy scheme. But, he had to work his way up to the status that he accrued this season. He had a modest first season with Albany State, finishing with 879 passing yards and 10 passing touchdowns, while also rushing for 216 yards. He ultimately played in seven games that season, with his last game of the year coming against Benedict College in the SIAC championship. It wasn't the best showing, but Albany State made the SIAC championship, announced Gray's presence, and continued the success Albany State has accumulated in HBCU football.
Then we saw Isaiah Knowles come back as the quarterback for Albany State, and his potential was finally realized. He only threw for under 200 yards in one game in the 2024 season, which was against Fort Valley State, where he threw for 150 yards and two touchdowns with one interception—his “worst game” of the season. He only threw one interception. In his best game that season, he threw for 372 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions on 75% completion against Allen University, where he only missed five throws. We even saw him against a Valdosta State team led by Tremaine Jackson, who would eventually become a finalist in the Division II Football Championship. He threw for 217 yards against that stout Valdosta State defense.
Ultimately, Albany State didn't make the Division II playoffs or the SIAC championship that year, but Isaiah Knowles proved how great he was, finishing the season with 2,555 yards and 32 touchdowns as a pure pocket passer. He only had three touchdowns on the ground, but he would put his foot in the ground, find his receivers, and lead a high-powered offense.
In 2025, he finally realized his greatness. We saw it on display throughout the whole season. We saw it against Florida A&M, which is now Quinn Gray's employer; he threw for 201 yards and one touchdown on 54% completion in a game where Albany State led at halftime. We saw him contend against competitive Division II HBCU teams such as Kentucky State, who made the Division II playoffs alongside Albany State and Benedict. On September 6th, he threw for 304 yards and six touchdowns, with only one interception, on 73% completion percentage against Kentucky State. He then continued his run of dominance against conference contenders, culminating in an SIAC Championship.
Postseason Success Matters, Right?
Then, in the first round against Valdosta State—who turned around their season after struggling early, including a loss to Johnson C. Smith—it seemed as if Valdosta State was going to go into Albany State and once again conquer an HBCU. But Isaiah Knowles stepped up to the challenge and led a comeback, finishing with 264 yards and two touchdowns with only one interception on 64.9% completion.
He then went up against Benedict in his final game of the year, playing them for the third time, and threw for 244 yards and one touchdown in a game defined by defense. He was still a fantastic game manager, pushing Albany State down the field and putting them in advantageous scoring positions while keeping the ball away from Benedict.
At some point, we have to actually reward postseason success. I've noticed that in HBCU football, we talk a lot about postseason success for coaches, but why don't we talk about it for players? Albany State made a historic run to the regional finals, and I believe the only reason they didn't win against Newberry was that Isaiah Knowles did not play. They were still in that game going into the fourth quarter, but I believe that if Isaiah Knowles is there, they find a way to win.
Knowles Has Earned My Vote
This year, Isaiah Knowles finished with 2,151 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, while also upping his rushing total to 285 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. I have to cast my vote for Isaiah Knowles. He is a player who has a legitimate claim to being the best HBCU quarterback this year because of his consistency and his penchant for winning. I also want to do this to shine a light on Division II HBCU football. Isaiah Knowles has entered the transfer portal and likely isn't transferring to a Division II competitor, but his talent was showcased at Albany State. These are the types of players Division II programs produce.
I believe HBCU fans around the nation need to respect players like Isaiah Knowles, especially as you clamor for these players to go to your institution. While Andrew Body has just as much of a claim to the title of best quarterback, I'm casting my vote for Isaiah Knowles, and I'm excited to see what he does in his fourth season wherever he ends up.
