2024 Black College Football Player of the Year Award Watch List

Courtesy of the Black College Football Hall of Fame

At a glance:

 

  • Award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player from a Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs).
  • Winner receives the Deacon Jones Trophy.
  • Watch List is composed of 50 players from 27 different HBCUs.
  • Players per conference: CAA (2), CIAA (5), MEAC (14), OVC (2), SIAC (8), SWAC (19).

 

Atlanta, GA – The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) announced today the 2024 Watch List for the Black College Football Player of the Year Award. The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding football player from a Historically Black College & University.

Former North Carolina A&T University running back Tarik Cohen was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Award in 2016; Bowie State University quarterback Amir Hall was the 2017 and 2018 recipient; former Tennessee State University wide receiver Chris Rowland was the 2019 recipient; former Alabama A&M University quarterback Aqeel Glass was the recipient in the Spring 2021 and Fall 2021 seasons, former Jackson State University quarterback Shedeur Sanders was the 2022 winner of the Award; North Carolina Central University quarterback Davius Richard and Florida A&M University quarterback Jeremy Moussa were the co-winners in 2023.

The MEAC was represented by 14 student-athletes including Darius Fox, Kenny Gallop Jr., Kasey Hawthorne, Jarett Hunter and Eden James from Howard, Marquis Gillis from Delaware State, Otto Kuhns from Norfolk State, Trayvon Branch, Erick Hunter and Elijah Williams from Morgan State, and Aaron Smith, Justin Smith-Brown, Nick Taiste and KeShawn Toney from South Carolina State.

Four finalists will be unveiled after the season. The winner of the 2024 Black College Football Player of the Year Award, which will be announced during halftime of the 2025 Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, will be presented with the Deacon Jones Trophy. The bowl takes place on Saturday, February 22, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The game will be broadcast live on NFL Network.

“The Black College Football Player of the Year Award highlights the incredible talent and dedication of today’s HBCU football players,” said Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII MVP, BCFHOF Co-Founder and 2011 Inductee. “These student-athletes represent the very best of HBCU football.”

The Watch List candidates have been selected based on past performance and future potential. Additions to the list will be made as the 2024 season progresses. The finalists and the winner will be chosen by a Selection Committee.

“The Deacon Jones Trophy is regarded as the most prestigious and recognized award in HBCU football,” said BCFHOF co-founder and 2012 inductee James Harris. “Deacon is still considered one of the greatest to play the game and is a legend in every way, shape, and form, and to this day, still represents the very best of Black College Football.”

2024 Black College Football Player of the Year Award Watch List
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ABOUT DEACON JONES

David “Deacon” Jones played defensive end for South Carolina State University and Mississippi Valley State University from 1958 to 1960. Blessed with speed, agility, and quickness, the “Deacon” became one of the finest pass rushers in the business. He won unanimous All-NFL honors six straight years from 1965 through 1970 and was selected to eight Pro Bowls. Jones is an inaugural Black College Football Hall of Fame inductee (2010) and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

ABOUT THE ALLSTATE HBCU LEGACY BOWL

The Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, presented by the Black College Football Hall of Fame, is a postseason all-star game that showcases the top 100 NFL draft-eligible football players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The game will be played on the Saturday, February 22, 2025 (Yulman Stadium at Tulane University), and broadcast live on NFL Network. More than a football game, the week-long celebration of Black culture and history provides invaluable exposure for HBCU students, and includes the largest HBCU Career Fair in the country.

Follow at www.HBCULegacyBowl.com and on social media via @HBCULegacyBowl.

ABOUT THE BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

The Black College Football Hall of Fame, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, located at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio was founded in 2009 by African American pioneers, quarterbacks James Harris and Doug Williams to preserve the history and honor the greatest football players, coaches and contributors from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. There are 118 Inductees including Mel Blount, James Harris, Willie Lanier, Art Shell and Doug Williams, who serve as Trustees. The Black College Football Hall of Fame has awarded over $450,000 in direct support to HBCUs and HBCU scholarships since inception. Other major initiatives include the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, the HBCU Combine and the Ozzie Newsome GM & Quarterback Summit (in partnership with the NFL), as well as the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic (in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame).

Follow at www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org and on social media.