Luther Richesson’s Long Road Leads to Red Tails Classic MVP Award in West Alabama Victory

The well-traveled quarterback accounted for 308 total yards and set three event records as the Tigers defeated Tuskegee 27-17 in their 2026 season opener.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. | After a college football journey that carried him through multiple programs and several seasons of uncertainty, Luther Richesson may have finally found a place to call home.

The West Alabama quarterback delivered a record-setting performance Sunday night, leading the Tigers to a 27-17 victory over Tuskegee in the 2026 Red Tails Classic at Cramton Bowl.

Richesson completed 16 of 25 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns, earning the game’s Most Valuable Player award. His 64% completion rate and three touchdown passes established Red Tails Classic records.

He also rushed for 93 yards on seven carries, the most by a quarterback in the history of the event. Richesson finished with 308 yards of total offense while helping West Alabama accumulate 411 yards.

For a quarterback who has spent much of his college career searching for the right opportunity, the performance represented more than an impressive season opener. It offered another chance to establish himself as a leader and consistent playmaker.

“Maybe Luther Richesson has finally found a home” is no longer merely a hopeful thought. After Sunday’s performance, it may be the defining storyline of West Alabama’s young season.

West Alabama Makes Red Tails Classic History as Records, Rare Plays Highlight Montgomery Showdown

UWA strikes on its opening possession, Elijah Guyton enters the record book, and Tuskegee answers with a rare defensive conversion in a history-filled Red Tails Classic at Cramton Bowl

MONTGOMERY, Ala. | The 2026 Red Tails Classic delivered more than another chapter in the football rivalry spotlight at Cramton Bowl.

It delivered history.

From West Alabama's rare opening-possession touchdown and a school scoring record to Tuskegee's unusual blocked extra-point return and a record-setting performance by former Montgomery standout Bryson McGrew, Sunday's matchup produced a collection of milestones in a game honoring the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

The afternoon also featured deep Alabama football connections on the West Alabama sideline and a U.S. Army enlistment ceremony that reinforced the larger purpose behind one of Montgomery's signature college football events.

West Alabama strikes immediately with rare opening-possession touchdown

West Alabama wasted little time establishing itself offensively.

The Tigers marched 80 yards on 13 plays on their first possession, with Bray Jenkins finishing the drive on a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:50 remaining in the first quarter.

The score marked just the third time in Red Tails Classic history that a team scored on its opening possession — and all three have been touchdowns.

Fort Valley State produced the previous two. Kelvin Durham scored on a 10-yard run in 2022, and Fort Valley State struck again in 2023 with an 18-yard touchdown run that completed a 62-yard drive.

West Alabama's methodical 80-yard march added another entry to that short list.

Alabama State Storms Past Southern 30-17 With Dominant Second Half in Birmingham Football Classic

Andrew Body delivers in his return as the Hornets erase a halftime deficit, score 17 unanswered second-half points, and shut out Marshall Faulk’s Southern Jaguars after intermission to open the 2026 season with a statement victory.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | Alabama State entered the inaugural Birmingham Football Classic looking for an early indication of what the 2026 season might hold.

By the end of Saturday afternoon at Legion Field, the Hornets had provided one.

Alabama State overcame a four-point halftime deficit and completely shut down Southern in the second half, scoring 17 unanswered points after intermission to secure a 30-17 season-opening victory before 31,287 fans.

For head coach Eddie Robinson Jr., the neutral-site win gave Alabama State a 1-0 start and an early boost for a program with championship aspirations.

For quarterback Andrew Body, it marked an impressive return to competition.

And for Alabama State's defense, the final 30 minutes offered an emphatic answer after Southern controlled portions of the first half.

The Jaguars entered halftime leading 17-13.

They never scored again.