Alabama A&M took it on the chin as it opened the 2022 season, losing its first four games. Two of those games were against teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision – UAB and Troy.

Coach Connell Maynor said that tough schedule allowed for upgrades to Bulldog facilities – including new turf and a new locker room – so the ends justify the means.

“My job is to do what’s best for this football team, this football program and this university,” Maynor said. “That’s what me and ADs (athletic directors) do when we schedule games. When we schedule games, we do what we think is best for the university, how it’s going to help the university, help our football program.

“What the fans need to understand is that every decision I make is for the football program,” he continued. “One thing I know is no matter what you do, you can’t please everybody. As long as I know I’m doing what I’m doing for the best of the program and my players, that’s all that matters.”

College football season is approaching, and Alabama News Center is previewing the 2023 season. Next up is Alabama A&M.

Alabama NewsCenter: What are the prospects for this season?

Connell Maynor: Everybody loves their team right now. We think we’ve got a championship team. We were 4-4 in the conference last year, so we’ve got to win those same four and then we’ve got to beat the other four that we lost against. We think that we’re gonna be improved on defense. We think offensively if we get our quarterback to play consistently that we’ll be good on offense. Again, everybody likes their team right now. We like ours and we like our chances.

ANC: What is the strength of this year’s team?

Maynor: I think the strength of the team will probably be the offensive line. We’ve probably got four starters returning and we’ve got one who’s a first-team all-conference player.

Alabama A&M head coach Connell Maynor gives an interview during this year’s SWAC Media Day. (Solomon Crenshaw / Alabama News Center)

Alabama A&M is going to lean on tailback Donovan Eaglin in the running game this season, coach Connell Maynor says. (Alabama A&M Athletics)

Defensive end Zareon Hayes is a leader on the Alabama A&M defense, coach Connell Maynor said. (Alabama A&M Athletics)

ANC: Who are your team’s standouts?

Maynor: We know the offensive line is gonna return those guys. We know Donovan Eaglin is gonna be at tailback. We know Zareon Hayes. We need Zareon to play like Zareon played last year. We need Donovan Eaglin to rush the ball and block like he did last year, and even better. We’re probably gonna lean on Donovan in the running game. We’re gonna lean on Zareon on that D-line to lead those guys and get some pressures and tackles for losses, and we go from there. We’ve got some wide receivers. Terrell Gardner is back. We need Terrell to step it up and make some plays down the field. We’ve got a couple other receivers too. We’ve got some big receivers. Which guy had a great game last year, last game of the season? Keenan Hambrick had a great game last year against Texas Southern and helped us win that game, made some plays down the field. We need him to play like that all year long. On the other side of the ball, Marquez Beason will be back at corner. We need him to play well. He’s a ball hawk and we need him to get some interceptions and help lead over there on that side of the ball.

ANC: What is your lingering question?

Maynor: Quarterback, the quarterback position. We played a couple of quarterbacks last year. They had some good games; they had some bad games. We need that position to be consistent. The quarterback position, whoever is playing just needs to be consistent. That’s gonna be the difference, because they’ve got talent. But you don’t know which one’s gonna show up. We need them to show up every game.

Alabama News Center is posting season previews for all 16 college football programs in Alabama. Read previews for Birmingham-Southern College, the University of West Alabama, Jacksonville State University, the University of North Alabama, the University of South Alabama, Tuskegee University, UAB, Huntingdon College and Faulkner University, and look for a new football preview Saturday and each weekday until the 2023 season begins for the state’s teams.