**HBCU Prospects Look to Make History at 2025 NFL Draft Amid Shedeur Sanders’ Slide**
**Jackson State defenders and under-the-radar talents aim to break through during Day 3 selections**
GREEN BAY, WIS. – As the 2025 NFL Draft enters its final rounds, HBCU football’s next generation of pioneers waits for their moment. The spotlight Friday night centered on Shedeur Sanders, the former Colorado quarterback and Jackson State transfer who unexpectedly tumbled out of the first round despite projections as a top-15 pick. But for HBCU purists, the real drama begins Saturday when defensive standouts like Robert McDaniel (Jackson State), Elijah Williams (Morgan State), and Carson Vinson (Alabama A&M) could hear their names called.
The draft’s opening night marked another chapter in HBCU football’s complex relationship with the NFL draft. While Sanders dominated headlines, no HBCU players were selected Thursday—a pattern that’s persisted since 2021 and 2023’s draft shutouts. The last HBCU draft pick, Jackson State’s Isaiah Bolden (2023, Patriots), proved these programs still produce NFL-caliber talent, but the path grows steeper in the transfer portal era.
**Defensive Playmakers Lead Charge**
Jackson State’s Robert McDaniel embodies the modern HBCU NFL hopeful. The 6’1” safety’s 4.4-speed and ball-hawking instincts made him a standout at February’s HBCU Legacy Bowl, where scouts noted his range in coverage. “Robert’s got that Deion-like anticipation,” said an AFC North scout anonymously. “He’s not just an athlete—he’s a student of angles.”
Morgan State’s Elijah Williams brings a different skillset. The 285-pound defensive lineman dominated MEAC competition with 11.5 tackles for loss, using a relentless motor that drew comparisons to veteran NFL pass rushers. “Elijah plays every snap like it’s fourth-and-goal,” Morgan State head coach Damon Wilson told HBCU Gameday last month. “That’s the DNA you want in your locker room.”
**O-Line Sleeper Emerges**
Alabama A&M’s Carson Vinson represents HBCU football’s best chance for an offensive lineman draft pick since Tennessee State’s Lachavious Simmons in 2020. The 6’5”, 310-pound tackle allowed just two sacks in 2024, showcasing the footwork that makes him a potential late-round steal. “Carson moves like a tight end,” said SI draft analyst Kevin Jones. “In a zone-blocking scheme, he could thrive immediately.”
**Shedeur’s Slide Casts Shadow**
While not strictly an HBCU story, Shedeur Sanders’ first-round snub resonated through Black college football circles. The quarterback who threw for 4,134 yards at Colorado after starring at Jackson State watched as six teams passed on quarterback needs—including the Giants at No. 25, who chose Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart instead. “Arm strength questions are overblown,” countered ESPN analyst Louis Riddick during the broadcast. “This kid processes defenses like a 5-year veteran.”
**Draft Drought Context**
Since 2020, only eight HBCU players have been drafted—a stark decline from the 1970s when schools like Grambling and Tennessee State routinely produced multiple early-round picks. The rise of the transfer portal has siphoned top HBCU recruits to Power 5 programs, while NIL deals further complicate retention efforts.
Yet Saturday offers hope. Virginia Union running back Jada Byers—a human joystick with 4,300 career rushing yards—and Florida A&M’s do-it-all weapon Jeremiah Pruitte could follow the UDFA path of recent HBCU success stories like Baltimore Ravens guard Tykeem Doss (Southern). “The film don’t lie,” Byers tweeted Friday night. “Wherever I land, they’re getting a dog.”
**Upcoming Opportunities**
Undrafted free agency begins immediately after the draft’s conclusion, with HBCU standouts typically landing priority tryouts. Jackson State’s Irv Mulligan—a 1,000-yard rusher in 2023—and Bethune-Cookman cornerback Omari Hill-Robinson could emerge as training camp heroes.
For HBCU football traditionalists, this draft represents more than individual dreams. It’s a referendum on whether Black college football can still serve as a viable NFL pipeline in the portal era. As Grambling legend Doug Williams often notes: “Talent comes in all colors and from all schools. The right scout just needs to look.”
Saturday afternoon, we’ll learn how many chose to see it.