TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M has found its signal-caller for the 2026 season. Redshirt senior Isaiah Knowles has been named the Rattlers' starting quarterback under first-year head coach Quinn Fordham Gray Sr., giving FAMU a proven winner and an experienced leader to open the Gray era under center.

The announcement caps a whirlwind journey for Knowles, who has already faced pressure far greater than anything a football season can offer. The Tampa, Fla., native began his college career at the United States Naval Academy, where he endured Plebe Summer in 2022, the grueling two-month program that transforms incoming freshmen into disciplined midshipmen through intense physical training, military drills, seamanship instruction and mental conditioning.

"Plebe Summer is the two-month boot camp every incoming freshman goes through before starting your first semester at the Naval Academy," Knowles said. "You have no phones, you can't look around you, eyes straight ahead at all times. You have no sense of time or what day it is. It's an indoctrination to allow the 'civilian' in you get you ready to become part of the US Naval Academy. It's waking up at 5:00 a.m. every day with detailers encouraging you to do pushups, constantly developing your mind, and learning anything and everything about the Navy."

Attending the Naval Academy remains one of the proudest decisions of Knowles' life. "It was the best opportunity for me as well as my family," he said. "Getting the best education in the nation, being able to play FBS football, and having a job immediately after graduation is something you can't pass up."

Building a Bond with Gray at Albany State

After a redshirt season at Navy in 2022, Knowles entered the transfer portal. Gray, then head coach at Albany State (Ga.) University, was among the first to reach out, and the relationship clicked immediately both on and off the field.

The partnership produced immediate results. In 2025, Knowles quarterbacked Albany State to the 36th-best scoring offense in Division II as the Golden Rams won the SIAC title and were crowned Black College Football National Champions. He helped lead Albany State to the NCAA Division II semifinals and a school-best 12-2 record.

Knowles started two of Albany State's three NCAA Division II Championship playoff games in 2025, a 35-20 win over Valdosta State on Nov. 22 and a 14-12 win over Benedict College on Nov. 29, completing 43 of 66 passes (65.1 percent) for 508 yards and adding 97 rushing yards as the Golden Rams advanced to the D-II championship regional finals for the first time in program history.

Knowles' rise made him one of the premier HBCU quarterbacks in the country. He was named SIAC Offensive Player of the Year in both 2024 and 2025, a finalist for the BIP Memorial Trophy, a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, one of 36 nominees for the Harlon Hill Trophy, and a name on the 2025 Black College Football Player of the Year Award Watch List.

"Being named the SIAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 and 2025 was truly a blessing and I give all the glory to God," Knowles said. "Me getting those awards was a testament of how good we were offensively. The 2025 award was honestly surprising to me because I had missed three games due to an injury. Earning the OPOY award in 2025 and then the next day winning the SIAC championship was truly a blessing."

Across 26 career games at Albany State under Gray, Knowles threw for 5,585 yards while completing 63 percent of his passes, going 18-5 as a starter over three seasons. He enters his fourth collegiate season with 60 career passing touchdowns, 577 rushing yards and 11 rushing scores.

Reuniting in Tallahassee

Knowles' commitment to Florida A&M came quickly after Gray was hired away from Albany State in December, a signal of just how strong the pair's connection had become.

Gray, a member of the FAMU Athletics Hall of Fame and record-setting quarterback for the Rattlers, clearly understands the expectations that will be facing.

"I think we are going to be an aggressive team," Gray said. "Isaiah is ahead (of the other Rattler quarterbacks) because he knows the system. We've done some good things together, and hopefully we can continue to do that."

For Knowles, the decision to follow Gray to Tallahassee was rooted in trust built well before either of them arrived at FAMU.

"Coach Gray is a great guy off the field," Knowles said. "Building that relationship with him off the field and knowing the kind of father, husband, and man he is allowed us to click on the field. Any chance I get, I ask him questions about it to understand schemes and learn more. As someone who wants to go to play professional football, him teaching me progression reads, understanding why defenses do what they do, and teaching me how to be the ultimate leader of men is something that I've been blessed to be a part of. Any kid wanting to play college ball will have success as a player and growing into a man playing for Coach Gray."

A two-time SIAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll honoree, Knowles graduated from Albany State with a bachelor's degree in exercise science before transferring to FAMU for his final season of eligibility. He is currently pursuing a second bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies.

Off the field, Knowles grew up playing the drums in middle school, drawn, fittingly for a future quarterback, to the control of setting the rhythm.

With the starting job now his, Knowles will make his Rattler debut on Aug. 29 at home against his former team, Albany State, to open the 2026 season.