by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
April 29, 2024
Though no HBCU players were drafted to the NFL, some have been invited as undrafted free agents and mini-camp participants.
There were 257 football players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, but none 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 enjoyed in bringing awareness to Black athletes at these schools, according to USA Today, this is the second time in four years that no NFL team picked a player who went to an HBCU. This also happened in 2021. This spurred the creation of the HBCU Legacy Bowl in 2021, sponsored by the Black College Hall of Fame, and the NFL-backed HBCU Combine started in 2022.
HBCU Buzz reported that at least 21 undrafted players were invited by multiple teams with mini-camp invites or as undrafted free agents this summer. The athletes invited as undrafted free agents can 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 provides team personnel a chance to assess the players attending.
The former HBCU players 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 that were 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
