Days after being accepted into the NFL Supplemental Draft, former Jackson State football star and Tennessee player Malachi Wideman is getting interest from nearly half the NFL.
Sources say as many as 17 NFL teams, including the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints, have reached out to Wideman. The Saints, ironically, already have one HBCU prospect at wide receiver in former South Carolina State star Shaq Davis.
The 6’5 redshirt senior started his career at the University of Tennessee in 2020. He was rated as a four-star prospect by 247, ESPN and Rivals in the 2020 class. He played in six games as a reserve at UT before hitting the transfer portal following the summer, latching on with Jackson State football.
The 2021 season was a breakout campaign for Wideman. He tied for the SWAC lead in touchdown receptions with 12 while catching 34 passes for 540 yards as one of Shedeur Sanders’ big-play targets during that 11-2 season as the team won the SWAC title and made it all the way to the Celebration Bowl.
He also played on the basketball squad that season, contributing several highlight-reel dunks.
The 2022 season was not nearly as productive, as Malachi Wideman played just six games and caught only three passes. A 29 yard touchdown catch against Grambling State was his lone score of the season.
The Supplemental Draft is for players in unique situations. One of the most common is when a collegiate player is ruled ineligible for the upcoming season after the regular (April) draft, which would leave him in limbo for an entire year — if not for the supplemental draft. Players who want to be included in the supplemental draft, must file a formal petition to the NFL. It’s not guaranteed that every applying player is admitted. Players must be at least three years removed from high school to be eligible for the supplemental draft.
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