During the 2022 NFL Draft, we saw four HBCU prospects drafted. Then we only saw one selected in the 2023 draft and none last year. Each cycle is different, and it really depends on a lot of factors. Having covered HBCU football since 2007, there is never a shortage of pro level talent, and that’s evident by the amount of players who sign UDFA contracts almost immediately following the draft.
One of the major shifts will be due to the transfer portal and guys looking for playing-time opportunities, which will see some players from the FBS and FCS trickle down to FCS and Division II programs, respectively. This has always been the case, but it seems as if we are seeing even more talent than before, as prospects want to maximize their current value and potential value by getting “fresh tape” at a new program.
With regards to the 2025 draft class, I am already seeing a ton of talented draft-eligible prospects pop up on the radar and off the tape. This year alone, we’ve seen some standout performances from prospects against upper-level competition, which is what you want to see from any small college player.
So for this week’s Hunt Report, I want to focus on the prospects I’ve seen pop on tape during the first six weeks of the season and help put them on your radar as names to file away for the postseason all-star game circuit and also for Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 215 pounds
- College: Grambling
- Next game: Alcorn State (Oct. 12)
Crawley has the traits of your classic pocket passer. He’s able to stand tall in the pocket and deliver a strike. I believe he’s able to keep the playbook entirely open, as he’s strong throwing on the move so the boot and waggle game is definitely in play. Generally, he makes very good decisions with the ball and shows above-average competency in situational football. Arm talent wise, he’s got the high-end velocity you look for that’s necessary to drive the ball on in-breaking routes.
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 205 pounds
- College: South Carolina State
- Next game: Fort Valley State (Oct. 19)
Firstly, new Bulldogs coach Chennis Berry has done an excellent job so far in his first season at South Carolina State. He’s been a high-end developer of talent at Southern as the OL coach and most recently as the head coach at Benedict. Phoenix was his QB for four years at Benedict and helped them win a lot of games. Seeing him make the jump from Division II ball to Division I-FCS has been good for the evaluation of his game. He plays with very good efficiency at the position and is an equal-opportunity distributor — the open guy will get the football. He’s got a super quick release, very Tua Tagovailoa-like in that regard. Combined with his mobility and footwork inside and outside the pocket, it’s very difficult to defend him in the passing game.
- Height: 5-foot-7
- Weight: 185 pounds
- College: Virginia Union
- Next game: Elizabeth City State (Oct. 12)
Byers is one of the more consistently dominant backs in college football. Byers has been on the radar for three years now, rushing for 4,016 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry and scoring 47 touchdowns coming into this season. So far this year, Byers has rushed for 569 yards and nine touchdowns, including a 211-yard, three-touchdown effort in the season opener against Kentucky State and a 105-yard, two-touchdown effort versus Division I-FCS Hampton. He’s a smaller back, but has tremendous acceleration and burst combined with good natural vision. Those traits help him navigate the line of scrimmage very well. I can see him serving in a Wandale Robinson role for an offense as a pro.
- Height: 6-foot-0
- Weight: 218 pounds
- College: Delaware State
- Next game: Robert Morris (Oct. 12)
Sutton has good body lean and contact balance for the position. He’s done a solid job at both Lafayette and Delaware State. This season, he’s blossomed more into a featured back role with the Hornets. What’s good about his game is that in addition to his skills as a runner, he’s got experience returning kicks and shows capability in catching the football out of the backfield. I like how he’s a plug-and-play RB2/RB3 for a team as a rookie.
- Height: 5-foot-8
- Weight: 154 pounds
- College: Clark Atlanta
- Next game: Central State (OH) (Oct. 12)
Harris is a junior receiver for the Panthers who has been box office so far this season. He has 10 receiving touchdowns on the year, and they’ve come at all levels of the field. For someone so slender, he plays confidently bigger than his size and shows he’s able to operate with relative ease out there on the field. I wanted to make sure to get him on your radar now, as he could be a Kavontae Turpin-type prospect for the 2026 class.
- Height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 295 pounds
- College: Grambling
- Next game: Alcorn State (Oct. 12)
Watching the first game of the season against Louisiana, Williams popped on film from the first snap where he finished his block with a pancake. He plays with great energy and eagerness to complete the task at hand. I like how quick he is off the ball and how well he moves with regards to climbing to the next level and connecting on the block. He’s playing left tackle for the Tigers, but could find himself working inside more as a pro. Postseason all-star games will be huge for his position projection moving forward.
- Height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 340 pounds
- College: Norfolk State
- Next game: Towson (Oct. 12)
Impressive center for the Spartans who is a big reason why they can run the football. Wheatley has a natural anchor for the position, which helps him do extremely well versus bull rushers. He does a really good job of latching on to defenders and washing them out of the gap or away from the play. His tape against East Carolina this season was a good one to watch.
- Height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 250 pounds
- College: Tennessee State
- Next game: Eastern Illinois (Oct. 12)
Being all of 6-foot-4, Walker showcases the length and athleticism to be a nuisance up front for opposing offensive linemen. He’s able to use his length to set a physical edge vs. plays coming to his side, and the athleticism to quickly chase the plays that are going away from him. Currently this season, he has 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. The Tigers are playing really good football so far this season under coach Eddie George, and the more meaningful the games and situations, the more it seems as if Walker is able to make a play. Very intriguing prospect to keep an eye on.
- Height: 6-foot-0
- Weight: 190 pounds
- College: Morgan State
- Next game: Merrimack (Oct. 12)
Decius has been a mainstay in the secondary for the Bears over his career. I’ve been the color analyst for a ton of Morgan State games, and will be this Saturday for that matter, and I am consistently bringing up Decius making a play. He’s got the awareness and toughness to compete at the highest point or at the catch point with the receiver, and to be able to be trusted in run support as well. He’s checking a lot of boxes for scouts this season.
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 205 pounds
- College: Southern
- Next game: Texas Southern (Oct. 12)
Spencer looks like an NFL cornerback out there on the perimeter. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he’s got the size that the pro scouts look for. Within his game, I am a fan of his patience in coverage. He’s able to play off-man coverage rather well, showing that he can effectively shrink space between he and the receiver while also using the sideline as a help defender. Because of his stature, he makes it tougher for the QB to fit the football into the area. I would expect him to continue to garner much more attention as the season rolls along.
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Author: Emory Hunt
October 8, 2024 | 10:00 am
