HBCU Legacy Bowl Features Premier Defensive Players in Showcase for NFL Scouts

The fifth annual Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. ET in New Orleans.

The game was founded by the Black College Football Hall of Fame in March 2021, with the intent of spotlighting NFL draft-eligible players from historically Black colleges and universities. The game takes place annually at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium.

The two teams are named after accomplished HBCU head coaches Jake Gaither (Florida A&M, 1945 to ’73) and Eddie Robinson (Grambling State, 1941 to ’97). Gaither went 204-36-4 in his head coaching career, capturing eight Black college national championships and one AP small-college national championship in his tenure with the Rattlers. Robinson, meanwhile, went 408-165-15, winning nine Black college national championships of his own in his 56 seasons as head coach at Grambling State.

This year’s game represents two premier defensive players in HBCU football. Morgan State linebacker Erick Hunter (Team Gaither) and Southern University defensive end Ckelby Givens (Team Robinson) were the first two players to earn the nod to the postseason showcase in September.

Team Robinson benefits from a strong defensive unit. Givens was named first-team All–Southwestern Athletic Conference for the third consecutive season. It was another remarkable year for the senior, who finished with 18.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. Givens’s 18.5 tackles for loss ranked fifth in the FCS, and his 9.5 sacks resided in the top 25 nationally.

Jackson State senior defensive lineman Quincy Ivory, who recorded 71 total tackles this season, including 14 for loss, to go along with six sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. His play landed him a first-team All-SWAC selection. Ivory will pair with Grambling State’s Bryce Cage, another first-team All-SWAC pick after he recorded 63 total tackles, including 15.5 for loss, 5.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hurries. He notched a season-high seven total tackles, including four for loss in a Nov. 29 loss to Southern.

Linebacker will also be a strong position for Team Robinson with Alcorn State’s Stemarion Edwards and Jackson State’s Reid Pulliam. Edwards tallied 86 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception en route to earning first-team All-SWAC honors. Pulliam, a former Virginia Tech product, notched 74 total tackles, including 10 for loss in his final season at Jackson State. Pulliam was named a first-team All-SWAC selection for his stellar play for the Tigers.

Grambling State defensive back Markel Linzer was named first-team All-SWAC after registering 34 total tackles, one tackle for loss, a forced fumble and four interceptions, two of which came in a 20–16 win over Arkansas Pine Bluff in October.

Team Robinson’s offense will be led by Alabama A&M tight end Travaunta Abner who earned a first-team All-SWAC nod after catching 35 passes for 380 yards and three scores this season. He had two games with 100-plus receiving yards, with his best game coming in a seven-point loss to Bethune-Cookman in September, where Abner caught a season-high nine passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Alcorn State running back Reggie Davis was a second-team All-SWAC pick who carried the ball 144 times for 839 yards and 10 scores this season, while adding 118 yards receiving on 19 catches.

For Team Gaither, Hunter was named first-team All–Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and earned third-team All-American honors, per FCS Football Central. He recorded 102 combined tackles (including 53 solo), with 14 tackles for loss and four sacks. Hunter also tallied five quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles, an interception and a 90-yard blocked kick return touchdown against Norfolk State. He concluded his career at Morgan State ranked second in school history with 298 tackles.

North Carolina Central defensive back Jelani Vassell earned a first-team All-MEAC nod after tallying 57 total tackles, including 2.5 for loss and five interceptions in his final season of eligibility. He recorded 12 tackles and an interception against Delaware State in his best game of the season.

Team Gaither’s offense features a pair of standout quarterbacks. North Carolina Central’s Walker Harris was a first-team All-MEAC selection after completing 62.4% of his passes for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns to nine interceptions. He also notched five rushing touchdowns on the year. South Carolina State’s William Atkins IV was a second-team All-MEAC selection after completing 62.8% of his passes for 2,319 yards and 16 touchdowns to four interceptions.

They will throw to North Carolina Central wide receiver Chauncey Spikes, a first-team All-MEAC selection thanks to his 48 catches for 664 yards and nine touchdowns. He caught nine passes for 208 yards and three scores in a 35–14 win over Howard for his most impressive game of the season.

South Carolina State offensive lineman Roger Smith, a first-team All-MEAC pick, was named the conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Year. He anchored an offensive line unit that averaged over 420 yards per game this season and ranked ninth in the FCS in total offense.

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