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After helping James Madison earn its first bowl win in program history last season, second-string quarterback William “Billy” Atkins IV entered the transfer portal in April seeking a new school where he could have a bigger impact. That decision ultimately brought him to South Carolina State – and this week it will bring him to Atlanta.
Now in his senior season, Atkins has led South Carolina State to the program’s second consecutive Celebration Bowl appearance. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion (9-3 overall, 5-0 MEAC) will face Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Prairie View A&M (10-3 overall, 7-1 SWAC) on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the Black college football national championship on the line.
“It would mean a lot, not just to me, but to just this whole staff, this whole team, this whole school – the alumni included,” Atkins said.
He ranks second in the MEAC in passing yards (2,323) and passing touchdowns (17) this season. In November, he was named to the All-MEAC second team. Last week, he earned an invite to the 2026 HBCU Legacy Bowl.
“I’m not super big on personal accolades and stuff like that. I’m really just proud to be in a position to help out everybody I can,” Atkins said. “Football is fun, but it’s going to be over soon enough. So it’s really more about the experience to me than anything else, just trying to go 1-0, you know, whether that’s in football or in life.”
Atkins, who is 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, grew up immersed in sports. Two of his three sisters play collegiate soccer. His father, William “Bill” Atkins III, who was a linebacker at Hampton, prioritized football year-round.
“It was a journey. At age 4, I put a football in his hand. A lot of these quarterbacks are playing at these high-level schools. They’re coming from the IMGs, Elite 11, Manning camps and Quarterback Factories, and a lot of times they’re getting stars, but Billy, Billy never had that,” the elder Atkins said. “He just had me, him, and the yard. Every day, except Christmas, we threw the football for 20 to 30 minutes a day and worked on footwork, mechanics and all these things.”
At the end of his junior year at Mount St. Joseph’s High School in Baltimore, Atkins began receiving scholarship offers from colleges. He was on pace to be Maryland’s all-time passing leader until COVID-19 halted his senior season. As an undersized quarterback navigating the recruiting process during the pandemic, Atkins used Twitter to generate interest by posting film of himself playing, and ultimately committed to James Madison.
Over four seasons at James Madison (2021-24), Atkins played in 16 games and earned two starts, recording 474 passing yards and five touchdowns overall.
When Atkins entered the transfer portal, his father encouraged him to attend South Carolina State, despite having other offers. As an alumnus of a historically Black university, the elder Atkins was excited for his son to get the HBCU experience, and South Carolina State head coach Chennis Berry’s more than 20 years of experience coaching HBCU football inspired the Atkinses’ trust.
“Having Billy really is like having another coach out there on the field,” Berry said. “He completely bought in. You know, Billy had other options, but he chose us, and we chose him.”
Atkins’ experience at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level impressed South Carolina State quarterbacks coach Johnathan Williams, who quickly recognized the asset Atkins could be to the Bulldogs’ program.
“The thing that stood out to me, first and foremost, was probably his arm talent,” Williams said. “He was able to make a plethora of throws on his tape. … I think when he first sent me his highlight, it was like 40 minutes long, and I sat down and watched all 40 minutes of it.”
Atkins’ football IQ also caught Williams’ attention, he said.
“The style of play that I prefer at the quarterback position is someone who’s cerebral, who can think, who can read [defenses] … [someone] who’s a self-starter … and [has] the ability to be mobile when needed,” Williams said. “That’s kind of what I look for in a quarterback, and that’s what he brings to the table.”
After arriving on South Carolina State’s campus in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Atkins embraced Black college life.
“What makes HBCUs great are the people. There is, like, real love that you kind of get to feel at this level that you may not feel so much at the G5 [Group of 5] level and Power 5 level,” Atkins said of the higher conference tiers of college football. “Having our bands playing songs that I grew up on, all those kinds of things, just makes it kind of feel at home.”
Once the Bulldogs began conference play in November, Atkins ramped up his production. He recorded back-to-back strong performances against Norfolk State (24-of-36 for 428 yards and four touchdowns) and Morgan State (21-of-32 for 363 yards and one touchdown, plus one rushing touchdown). He also went 24-of-36 for 314 yards and three touchdowns against North Carolina Central.
Atkins’ impact on the Bulldogs’ program extends off the field as well. He shares what he has learned at both stops of his collegiate career with the younger teammates at his position, sophomores Bryce Bowens and Tyron “TJ” Moore.
“Trying to help those guys kind of understand it from the player’s perspective was the coolest thing,” Atkins said.
The Bulldogs closed the regular season with an undefeated record in conference play, defeating Delaware State 28–17 to clinch the MEAC title.
“I think [that game is] probably going to be the biggest measure going into the Celebration Bowl,” Atkins said.
With Atkins as their signal caller, the Bulldogs are hoping to redeem themselves after last year’s 28-7 Celebration Bowl loss to Jackson State.
“I think if we go out there and just play hard and again trust the process, we will end up being where we want to be at the end of the day,” Williams said.
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