|
The 2024 college football season is finally upon us, and HBCU play begins with the annual Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff. Saturday's game pits Florida A&M against Norfolk State in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN App). Over the past decade, the NFL has made a lot of effort to provide more exposure for teams at historically Black colleges and universities and showcase their players across the nation. The HBCU Legacy Bowl and Reese's Senior Bowl HBCU combine have become significant events on the pre-draft calendar for all NFL teams. Zero HBCU players were selected in the 2024 NFL draft, though, with the last HBCU draftee being Isaiah Bolden, whom the New England Patriots selected from Jackson State in 2023. Over the past few months, I've spoken to numerous coaches, scouts and evaluators around the country and matched their observations to my summer notes to compile this list. Here are my top 10 draft-eligible HBCU prospects, including players from both the FCS and Division II ranks. (This list doesn't include recent transfers who didn't play at an HBCU school last season).   1. Carson Vinson, OT, Alabama A&MHT: 6-foot-6 | WT: 305 pounds In recent years, SWAC schools have produced successful NFL offensive tackles such as Terron Armstead (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and Tytus Howard (Alabama State). Vinson is aiming to be next in that pipeline of blockers. Vinson is a tall, agile tackle prospect with easy movement skills. Evaluators have been complimentary of him, as he received a mixture of sixth- and seventh-round grades from scouts I have spoken to. Vinson's strong performance last season against Vanderbilt was frequently mentioned, and all eyes will be on him when Alabama A&M opens the season against Auburn. "He was 350 pounds when he first came here, but we slimmed him down and he didn't lose his athleticism," an Alabama A&M source said. Vinson's spring measurements included an 84¾-inch wingspan and 35-inch arms, impressive for a small-school tackle prospect. Alabama A&M hasn't had an offensive player drafted since 1994 (Joe Patton and Fred Lester), but Vinson has a good chance of ending that drought.
 2. Aaron Smith, LB, South Carolina StateHT: 6-2 | WT: 218 South Carolina State has been one of the better FCS pipelines to the NFL, with 49ers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and former Colts/Eagles linebacker Shaquille Leonard being a recent alum. Smith could be next. An urgent and quick-moving second-level defender, he operates in the middle of the Bulldogs' defense -- and his film is impressive. "He had some inconsistent moments early on, but I thought he played really well after the first quarter of the year," an NFC area scout said. Smith projects better as a weakside linebacker at the next level but needs to improve his take-on strength and ability to shed blocks. If that happens, he could build on his late-Day 3 grade.
 3. Karon Prunty, CB, North Carolina A&THT: 6-2 | WT: 180 Prunty started at Kansas -- where he didn't allow a touchdown pass in coverage in 2020 -- and had a cameo at South Carolina before landing with North Carolina A&T, where he has found a home over the past two seasons while returning to his early college form. He excels in zone coverage and is comfortable keeping his eyes on the QB and attacking passes thrown into his area. Prunty can also play man coverage in spurts. Like most taller cornerback prospects, he will need to show the speed and agility necessary to play the position and improve his current undrafted free agent grade. The pre-draft process will be critical for Prunty as he aims to become the first Aggie defender selected since 2019.
 4. Erick Hunter, LB, Morgan StateHT: 6-4 | WT: 210 A former high school quarterback, Hunter has developed into one of the better defensive players in the MEAC. He not only led the conference with 75 tackles but also showed an ability to wreak havoc behind the line of scrimmage with 9.5 tackles for loss. Hunter is a disruptive blitzer who can be moved all over the defense on a down-to-down basis. "He's light, but he can definitely run and cover," an AFC area scout said. "Hunter's that subpackage player that you can use in nickel or dime because he's so dang athletic." Hunter's range shows up on film, as he can make plays from sideline to sideline due to his pursuit speed and consistency. Scouts will be looking to see him improve his play strength in the run game this upcoming season. His strength level and frame raise questions about his position at the next level, as they could force Hunter into more of a hybrid role.
 5. Kenny Gallop Jr., S, HowardHT: 6-0 | WT: 214 Gallop had a stellar junior season for the Bison, finishing with 58 tackles and three interceptions en route to MEAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He will play strong safety again, hoping to repeat a performance that helped lead Howard to its first outright conference title since 1993. Gallop is versatile and physical, and he wears multiple hats in the secondary. He's a consistent tackler who arrives violently in run support but must show more consistency in one-on-one coverage. He is currently graded as an undrafted free agent and hopes to improve that status as a senior.
6. Elijah Williams, DL, Morgan StateHT: 6-3 | WT: 270 Williams has been a disruptive force for the Bears, finishing last season with 50 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 7 sacks. While Morgan State played him both inside and off the edge, Williams is at his best when he can showcase his strength by maintaining gaps. He's expected to play more 3-technique this season, requiring him to get up the field and penetrate the first level with more consistency. Scouts I talked to agreed that 3-technique was where Williams fits best at the next level, as he will need to defeat blocks more consistently with quickness and hand physicality. Viewed as a late-round hopeful, he has to become more consistent at creating quick wins behind the line of scrimmage.
 7. Kendall Bohler, CB, Florida A&MHT: 6-0 | WT: 195 Many scouts I talked to came away impressed when observing Bohler at fall practice. He plays the boundary corner spot in the Rattlers' defensive scheme, which allows his ball skills to thrive, as evidenced by his 14 pass breakups last season. "He gets his hands on it all of the time, but I want to see him create more turnovers this year," said an NFC area scout who covers the southeast. The senior corner doesn't only crowd throwing windows -- he's also a consistent wrap-up-and-finish tackler in run defense. There are scouts who prefer Bohler at a nickel because of his comfort with playing the ball and his physicality as tackler. Receiving a mixture of late-round and undrafted free agent grades, Bohler will be worth watching in Saturday's MEAC/SWAC Challenge.
 8. Bruno Onwuazor, OT, Virginia StateHT: 6-8 | WT: 310 A hidden Division II gem, Onwuazor is still relatively new to football. Primarily a basketball player after moving from Nigeria to the United States in 2016, he received multiple hoops offers out of high school. Despite never playing high school football, he caught on at Maryland, where he redshirted as a developmental prospect before transferring to Virginia State in 2022. Onwuazor finally got on the gridiron that season, with his length and size translating well in pass protection despite his limited experience. His strength in run blocking hasn't developed as quickly, which is why he currently grades as a late-round or undrafted free agent by scouts. But his frame and upside potential make him an intriguing prospect who can play himself into the draft with a strong 2024 season. "With that type of size and athleticism, he sticks out on that level, that's for sure," an AFC area scout said. "He's the type of project that many teams will be interested in late in the draft because of the traits and tools."
9. Carson Hinton, CB, HowardHT: 6-0 | WT: 196 Hinton is the second Bison defensive back on this list and arguably the top nickel defender in the FCS. He emerged on the scene last season against Northwestern, finishing that game with eight tackles and a sack. Hinton is a sure tackler who also shows good hip fluidity and awareness in coverage, putting him firmly on the radar of NFL evaluators. Hinton will get another showcase game against a Big Ten team this season, as Howard plays Rutgers in Week 1. Viewed strictly as a nickel defender, he has the quicks and physical makeup that scouts gravitate toward during the pre-draft process, which gives him a chance to improve his undrafted free agent grade. 
 10. James Burgess, CB, Alabama StateHT: 6-3 | WT: 186 Burgess broke out as a junior last season, finishing with 32 tackles, 11 pass breakups and 2 interceptions that he returned for touchdowns. An old-school Cover 2 corner, he thrives when he can utilize his lengthy frame to get his hands on wideouts at the snap and disrupt their timing. Burgess is a scheme-versatile corner who is comfortable playing with his back to the sideline and made most of his plays in zone. He has the size that pro teams covet, but he'll need to address questions about his straight-line speed this season and in the pre-draft process.
|
