Power Five to HBCU: Five players to watch this season
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Posted By: S. Moore on July 12, 2023 Power Five players transferring to HBCU football is nothing new, but there is a new limelight on it. These days it’s necessary for every HBCU football coaching staff to keep up with players whom it may not have been able to get the first go-around as many Power Five and FBS programs come calling for the ones that did land at HBCUs out of high school. Of course, just because a player started out at a Power Five program doesn’t mean he will dominate HBCU football. But every year there are at least a few examples of players coming down from the Power Five level to make an impact on HBCU football. Here are five former Power Five Players to watch in HBCU football this season. QB Tyler Macon, Alcorn State  A four-star prospect who was the nation’s No. 13-ranked dual-threat quarterback by both Rivals.com and 247Sports.com class in 2021, Macon started his career in the SEC at Missouri. He played in three games as a freshman during the 2021 season when he went 9-for-17 on the year totaling 143 yards and a passing touchdown. Macon saw action in three other games in 2022 before hitting the transfer portal and landing at Alcorn State. He’s hoping to find a fresh start and Alcorn State certainly provides the chance for him to do so. Fred McNair and Co. are used to getting high-level production out of their signal callers, but last year that didn’t come close to happening. The former East St. Louis High School star has three seasons of eligibility remaining. RB Jaquez Yant, FAMU Jaquez Yant is a local product of Godby High School of Tallahassee, where he was a big-play threat every time he touched the football. He walked on at Nebraska in 2020 and earned a scholarship by the time 2021 season rolled around. Yant got a chance to showcase his big play ability that season rushing for 294 yards on 47 carries that season. His best game came against Northwestern, as he rushed 13 times for 127 yards, which included a 64 yard run. Carries were harder to come by in 2022 as he rushed for just 56 yards last season. Meanwhile, Florida A&M’s running game wasn’t too hot itself, which left the door open for Yant to come back home. If Yant can help provide FAMU with a running game that helps quarterback Jeremy Moussa, it may just find itself in the SWAC title game this time.  RB Seven McGee, Jackson State There are lots of former Power Five players at new-look Jackson State this year — including quarterbacks Jason Brown and Jacobian Morgan. But the nature of the quarterback position dictates that only one of them will play at a time and it hasn’t been revealed yet who will get the nod. Former Oregon athlete Seven McGee figures to see the field a lot this season thanks to his versatility. He was one of the first players to commit to Jackson State after Deion Sanders announced he would be headed to Colorado. McGee played in 13 of 14 games as a true freshman, starting the season at running back before transitioning to receiver as he rushed 14 times for 61 yards and a touchdown while adding seven receptions for 84 yards in 2021. He briefly entered the transfer portal following his freshman season, only to return to Eugene. McGee played in six games — catching 11 passes for 67 yards — in 2022 before deciding to hit the portal. Whoever the quarterback is in Jackson, it’s likely McGee will be a key weapon for him.  TE Miles Campbell, North Carolina Central A 6-foot-3, 235-pound athlete, Miles Campbell is a native of Douglasville, GA. He was rated a four-star prospect and ranked the No. 13 tight end in the class by 247Sports. He had offers from many of the Power Five programs, including Michigan, Auburn, Florida State and more than a dozen others. He eventually committed to Tennessee. Campbell saw action in five games over two years for Tennessee before hitting the transfer portal. He heads to a North Carolina Central team coming off a MEAC title and national championship with quarterback Davius Richard under center. Tight ends weren’t necessarily a featured part of NCCU’s high-powered offense in 2022. Players listed as tight end caught exactly one pass, and that came from sophomore Kyle Morgan in the season-opener against North Carolina A&T. Obviously, none of NCCU’s tight ends in 2022 were four-star players. It will be interesting to see how Miles Campbell is integrated into an already dynamic offense as a weapon for Davius Richards. RB Kenji Christian, North Carolina A&T Christian was a three-star back in high school, rated as the 42nd-best running back and the 26th-best player in Alabama for the 2021 cycle according to the 247Sports ratings. He was pursued by Arkansas, Duke, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Virginia before committing to Virginia Tech. Christian never carried the ball in Blacksburg, and he hit the transfer portal this spring. However, there should be plenty of opportunity in Greensboro as new head coach Vincent Brown looks to re-tool the offense as it has to replace Bhayshul Tuten, A&T’s all-American back that ended up at Virginia Tech. SOURCE HBCU Gameday If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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