After a month of excitement, waiting and anticipation, the inaugural HBCU NFL Draft Combine roster is finally available.
The majority of the participants come from the two FCS HBCU conferences— the MEAC and SWAC— while schools like Hampton and Tennessee State along with a few SIAC and CIAA stars will be in attendance as well.
The combine will take place March 27-28 in Miami. Teams can interview participants on the evening of March 27. On-field workouts will take place during the morning of March 28 at the Dolphins’ practice facility.
Jeremiah Abby
OL
Southern
C.J. Anderson
DL
Jackson State
Christian Angulo
CB
Hampton
Kyle Anthony
WR
Howard
Manasseh Bailey
WR
Morgan State
Frank Ball
OL
Virginia State
Solomon Bassett
DL
Lincoln (PA)
Elijah Bell
WR
North Carolina A&T
Jordan Bentley
RB
Alabama A&M
Donald Boone
OL
Chowan
De’Montrez Burroughs
WR
South Carolina State
Thomas Burton
OL
Tennessee State
Brandon Carswell
DL
Delaware State
Justin Cates
DL
North Carolina A&T
Nigel Chavis
LB
Norfolk State
Robert Cummings
S
Benedict
Jean Cyriaque
OL
Morehouse
DuShon David
TE
Bowie State
Craig Evans
DL
Langston
Deondre Francois
QB
Hampton
Keanu Gonzales
OL
Shaw
Tyrell Goodwin
DL
South Carolina State
Sterling Hammond
S
Virginia Union
Jodeci Harris
OL
Southern
Joshua Hill
S
Alabama State
Jordan Jones
TE
Prairie View A&M
Rico Kennedy
LB
Morgan State
Calvin Lunkins
LB
Southern
Ian McBorrough
LB
Morgan State
Joseph McWilliams
CB
Grambling
Jalen Morton
QB
Prairie View A&M
Kevonta Moses
TE
Shaw
Solomon Muhammad
LB
Alcorn State
Durrell Nash
LB
St. Augustine
Dajour Nesbeth
CB
Tennessee State
Steven Newbold
WR
Tennessee State
Marcus Pettiford
OL
North Carolina A&T
Taeyler Porter
RB
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Bobby Price
S
Norfolk State
Nhyre’ Quinerly
S
Norfolk State
Jimmie Robinson
WR
Bethune-Cookman
Chris Rowland
WR
Tennessee State
Darius Royster
DL
North Carolina Central
Lachavious Simmons
OL
Tennessee State
Daryus Skinner
S
Winston-Salem State
Ryan Stanley
QB
Florida A&M
Jalen Steward
DL
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Dawonya Tucker
RB
Prairie View A&M
De’Shawn Waller
RB
Alcorn State
Marcus Williams
WR
Florida A&M
John Wilson
CB
Savannah State
MEAC edges SWAC
The MEAC led the way in terms of conferences with 17 of the prospects coming from that conference. Co-champion North Carolina A&T and Norfolk State led the way with three players each.
A total of 14 prospects competed in the SWAC, led by Southern and Prairie View with three each.
Tennessee State rich in talent
It isn’t in the MEAC or SWAC, but Tennessee State has always had pro-level talent. And by the looks of things it appears that the powers that be think that hasn’t changed, despite the program’s struggles of late.
TSU has a total of five prospects, the most of any school on the list. That includes Chris Rowland, a finalist for our player of the year and the winner of the Deacon Jones Trophy.
CIAA triples the SIAC
When it came to prospects from the D2 ranks, the CIAA came out on top. A total of nine prospects from the league will be in Miami. Two of them from Shaw (Kevonta Moses and Keanu Gonzales) with the others from seven different programs, headlined by 2018 HBCU Gameday/Protect Your Skull Defensive Player of The Year, defensive back Daryus Skinner.
The SIAC had three players invited to the camp: Savannah State DB John Wilson, Morehouse OL Jean Cyriaque and Benedict DB Robert Cummings.