UDFA to Watch: Boston College LB/Special Teams Ace Vaughn Pemberton

As NFL teams look to flush out their summer rosters with undrafted free agents, Boston College's Vaughn Pemberton ticks a lot of boxes.

Vaughn Pemberton was a running back for the Ball State Cardinals before turning to linebacker and special teams at Boston College. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone. The first round of undrafted free agents has signed. But that doesn't mean the work is done for NFL scouting departments, or opportunities are over for players who have yet to ink their first professional contract.

Most NFL teams will still need to sign at least a dozen players to flesh out their 90-man rosters for training camp in the summer. They'll trim the list to 53 players in September, but there are a lot of opportunities between now and then for players who were overlooked last weekend.

Boston College linebacker and special teams ace Vaughn Pemberton is one of those players. When trying to find a player who can make a team, or at the very least a practice squad, teams are looking for versatility, hard work, and selflessness.

In his collegiate career, Pemberton has already proven to be all of those things.

Pemberton began his career as a running back at Ball State. As a freshman who was listed at 5'11 and 210 pounds, Pemberton ran with a punishing style that helped him see the field early. In 2022, he played in 12 games for the Cardinals, rushing for 133 yards and adding 29 yards on seven catches.

He added 139 yards on 6.0 yards per carry as a sophomore before getting 275 yards as a junior. Following a regime change in 2024 at Ball State, Pemberton hit the portal and was scooped up by Boston College.

Pemberton went through the winter at BC with the running backs before a shortage at linebackers prompted a move during spring practice.

“The whole winter I’m in individuals, I was with the running backs the whole time,” Pemberton said. “That first padded practice, there were two linebackers not participating, another coming back from Cancer, one other scholarship guy, and some freshmen, and the one scholarship guy got hurt.

“Coach O'Brien came to me and said the RB room is deep, just try it out, we need a body here. I hadn’t played defense since middle school. I like to think I don’t have a big ego, ‘whatever you need me to do, coach.’”

Where Boston College needed him was where a lot of NFL hopefuls need to be to make the back end of a 53-man roster or practice squad - special teams.

“This past year, I learned a lot about how the whole game of football works, from Coach O’Brien, who teaches a lot in team meetings,” Pemberton said. “Coach O'Brien really would break stuff down in team meetings. He was really active. A lot of coaches kind of supervise, but he was hands-on.“Playing defense and going through the individual drills, it really taught me a lot about special teams.”

Pemberton is considerably bigger than he was in his running back days. He measured 5’11 ⅛” and 231 pounds with a 4.66 forty at BC's Pro Day. His agility numbers were outstanding, including a 7.12 3-Cone and 4.48 shuttle, and he posted 24 reps on the bench press.

Teams looking for versatility during the summer can bring Pemberton in, knowing he can work all three phases of the game. That's a valuable piece considering roster limits on NFL squads.