No HBCU Football Players Were Taken In NFL Draft, But Here Are Some Being Given a Chance To Make It On A Team
There were 257 football players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, yet, none of those were from an HBCU (Historically black colleges and universities). Luckily, some athletes who did attend one will still have a chance to play in the league this upcoming season.
Despite the recent success that NFL Hall of Famer, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders has done to bring awareness to Black athletes at these schools, this is the second time in four years, according to USA Today, that no NFL teams picked a player who went to an HBCU. This also happened in 2021. This spurred the creation of the HBCU Legacy Bowl in 2021, which is sponsored by the Black College Hall of Fame and the NFL-backed HBCU Combine started in 2022.
HBCU Buzz reported that there are at least 21 players who went undrafted who were invited by multiple teams on mini-camp invites or as undrafted free agents this summer. The athletes invited as undrafted free agents are free to negotiate and sign with any team interested in them. Players invited to mini-camps are given the opportunity to participate with the teams and it also gives team personnel an opportunity to assess the players attending.
These are the former HBCU players who were invited as undrafted free agents and the teams who extended the invitation.
- Jordan Toles, Morgan State – Baltimore Ravens
- Willie Drew, Virginia State – Carolina Panthers
- Ian Wheeler, Howard – Chicago Bears
- Jarveon Howard, Alcorn State – Green Bay Packers
- Jeblonski Green, South Carolina State – Indianapolis Colts
- Mikey Victor, Alabama State – New England Patriots
- Marcus Riley, Florida A&M – New York Jets
- Anim Dankwah, Howard – Philadelphia Eagles
- Sundiata Anderson, Grambling State – Seattle Seahawks
Players given an invitation to participate in mini-camp.
- Aidan Hemphill, Texas Southern – Indianapolis Colts
- Noah Washington, Morgan State – Minnesota Vikings
- Tairiq Stewart, North Carolina A&T – New England Patriots
- Terrell Jennings, Florida A&M– New England Patriots
- Isaiah Major, Florida A&M – New Orleans Saints
- Michael Chris-Ike, Delaware State – New York Jets
- Patrick Godbolt, South Carolina State – New York Jets
- Brandon Codrington, North Carolina Central – New York Jets
- Taymon Cooke, North Carolina A&T – New York Jets
- Aeneas Dennis, Benedict College – Pittsburg Steelers
- Jeremy Moussa, Florida A&M – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No HBCU Football Players Were Taken In NFL Draft, But Here Are Some Being Given a Chance To Make It On A Team
