These 9 HBCU players should have made the Black College Football Hall of Fame POTY watch list

 By Jarrett Hoffman 

(Source HBCU Sports):

With the 2023 HBCU football season approaching, the Black College Football Hall of Fame has announced its annual Black College Football Player of the Year watch list.

The list includes 49 different players from 26 different teams across six conferences.

With lists such as these, there will naturally be deserving players unceremoniously snubbed from recognition.

Here are some of the biggest snubs from the Black College Football Player of the Year watch list.

Tim Alderman DL, Fort Valley State

Fort Valley State defensive lineman Tim Alderman is kicking off the list, which showed significant improvement in his sophomore season with the Wildcats.

Alderman finished with 44 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hurries, a pass breakup, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

He was named to the All-SIAC First Team.

Malachi Bailey DL, Alcorn State

Alcorn State defensive lineman Malachi Bailey had a breakout performance in his first season with the Braves last year.

He totaled 36 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery, going on to be named to the All-SWAC First Team.

Latrell Collier RB, North Carolina Central

Despite an epic performance in North Carolina Central’s championship season, Latrell “Mookie” Collier was not recognized as a top candidate for the Black College Player of the Year award.

Collier recorded 979 rushing yards and scored nine touchdowns in addition to 32 receptions for 262 yards and a touchdown. He was named to the All-MEAC First Team.

Collier was a big-time in the Eagles’ Celebration Bowl victory, chipping in 98 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Trazon Connley QB, Prairie View A&M

Despite producing an excellent season as a dual-threat quarterback, Prairie View A&M’s Trazon Connley remains overlooked.

Not only was Connley snubbed for the All-SWAC team last season and the SWAC Preseason team for this upcoming year, but he was also snubbed for this watch list.

He produced 1,462 passing yards and scored 11 touchdowns, adding 661 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

Deondra Duehart RB, Benedict

Deondra Duehart showed signs of being a star on the rise in his first full season with the Benedict Tigers.

Duehart’s breakout performance came against Clark Atlanta, where he compiled 217 rushing yards and scored four touchdowns.

He finished the year averaging 7.0 yards per carry on 78 attempts and scoring nine rushing touchdowns.

Jarett Hunter RB, Howard

The Howard Bisons’ running back room was a huge x-factor in the team winning a share of the MEAC title for the first time in 30 years.

Leading rusher Jarett Hunter led the charge in the backfield and showcased his skillset as a receiver.

Hunter tallied 627 rushing yards with five touchdowns while adding 24 receptions for 240 yards and scoring two touchdowns.

He was named to the All-MEAC Second team.

Isaiah Major LB, Florida A&M

Isaiah Major. Photo: Florida A&M Athletics

The Florida A&M Rattlers went through significant changes during the offseason. Notable names such as Isaiah Land, BJ Bohler, and Kamari Stephens (transfer portal) all moved on from the team.

One of the top players returning for the Rattlers snubbed from the watch list is linebacker Isaiah Major.

Major put forth 83 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, two pass breakups, and a fumble recovery in his first season with the Rattlers.

He was named to the All-SWAC Second Team.

Antonio Meeks WR, Tuskegee

Tuskegee fielded three selections to the Black College Player of the Year watch list leading all SIAC teams. Leading receiver Antonio Meeks was one of the most notable omitted from the list.

In his freshman season, Meeks played a pivotal role in the Golden Tigers winning their first SIAC West division title since 2017.

He posted 692 receiving yards on 31 receptions and scored six touchdowns. His best performance came against Kentucky State when he recorded six receptions for 212 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Although the freshman receiver was snubbed from the All-SIAC team last season, he is expected to perform well this year as he was named to the SIAC Preseason team.

Karon Prunty DB, North Carolina A&T

The North Carolina A&T Aggies, preparing to enter their first season in the CAA, did not field a single entry in the Black College Football Player of the Year watch list.

If any player from the Aggies deserved the distinction of being named among the top candidates for the award, it would be defensive back, Karon Prunty.

Prunty put up 30 tackles, four interceptions, and three pass breakups in his first year with the Aggies last season.