It’s been nearly four years since Deion Sanders coached his last game at Jackson State, but the NFL is still feeling the impact.
Kevin Coleman Jr. became the latest reminder this weekend. The Miami Dolphins selected the wide receiver in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, taking him No. 177 overall. Coleman finished his college career at Missouri, but his college football story started at Jackson State. He was part of that loaded 2022 team that went 12-1, won the SWAC and reached the Celebration Bowl. It fell in overtime to North Carolina Central.
That team was not just a good HBCU team. It was a roster with high-end NFL talent, future draft picks and players who kept fighting their way into professional opportunities.
Four players from that 2022 Jackson State roster have now been drafted. Isaiah Bolden was selected by the New England Patriots in 2023. Shedeur Sanders was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2025. Travis Hunter was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025. Coleman made it four when the Miami Dolphins called his name in 2026.
That is a real number.
It also says something about what Deion Sanders built at Jackson State. The attention was loud and the television cameras were everywhere. The debates were endless. But underneath all of that was a roster that had legitimate NFL-level talent.
Jackson State had more than star power
Shedeur Sanders was the face of the program. Travis Hunter was the five-star unicorn. Bolden gave Jackson State an NFL Draft pick in back-to-back years. Coleman was one of the explosive young skill players on that 2022 roster. The four-star prospect was voted SWAC Freshman of the Year.
But the NFL story from that team did not stop with the draft.
De’Jahn Warren got a shot with the Chicago Bears in 2023. Dallas Daniels landed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent that same year. Aubrey Miller Jr. signed with the Miami Dolphins after becoming one of the most productive defensive players in the country.
Willis Patrick got his opportunity with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024. DeVontae Davis landed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2025. Cam’ron Silmon-Craig joined the Jacksonville Jaguars. Shilo Sanders signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jeremiah Williams became part of the 2026 post-draft wave with the Minnesota Vikings. He was one
Not every NFL shot turns into a long career. Some players get drafted. Some sign as undrafted free agents. Others get minicamp looks and have to fight from the bottom of the roster. But the fact that this many players from one Jackson State team got a door opened matters.
It matters for the players and the program.
And it matters for the way HBCU football is evaluated.
The Deion Sanders NFL pipeline was real
The 2022 Jackson State team will always be remembered as the last one under Deion Sanders. It will also be remembered for what happened right after it.
Sanders left for Colorado. Several stars followed him. Others transferred elsewhere. Some stayed in the HBCU ranks. Some had to take the long road. Coleman’s path is a perfect example. He went from Jackson State to Louisville, then to Mississippi State, then to Missouri before hearing his name called by the Miami Dolphins.
That route was not clean nor simple. But it still began in Jackson.
The same can be said for the larger group. The 2022 roster was a blend of high school signees, transfers, Power Five bounce-backs and HBCU-developed standouts. It was also a roster that forced NFL scouts to keep showing up in Jackson, Mississippi.
That was not normal for an HBCU program in the modern era.
Deion Sanders’ time at Jackson State will always come with debate. Some will point to the Celebration Bowl losses. Others will focus on the recruiting wins, the attention, the facilities push and the national conversation he created.
But the NFL results are harder to argue with.
Four drafted players from one Jackson State team is a statement. Add in the undrafted free agents and rookie opportunities, and the 2022 Tigers look even stronger with time.
That team did not just win games, it also produced NFL chances. Jackson State has continued to get players NFL shots under T.C. Taylor.