No HBCU athletes were picked in this year’s NFL Draft. Yet, after attending a rookie minicamp, one has earned a contract with the New York Jets.
The Jets announced that, along with other players, they have signed former North Carolina Central defensive back/kick returner Brandon Codrington to a contract. The future rookie posted the good news to his X account after a successful minicamp with the NFL team.
The current Jets player played his 4-year collegiate career at North Carolina Central, where he started 41 games. He had 93 tackles, ten pass defenses, and two tackles for loss while snagging All-MEAC Third Team honors as a return specialist in 2022, averaging 6.8 yards per punt return and 19.3 yards per kicking return. He earned that honor a year after being named to the Phil Steeler FCS All-MEAC teams as a returner and defensive back.
Last year, he returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown against Winston-Salem State.
HBCU Gameday reported that Codrington returned three punts for touchdowns in his final three seasons before signing his NFL contract with the Jets. As a freshman in 2019, he ranked third in the MEAC with a punt return average of 7.8 yards and 18.8 yards per kickoff return.
In 2021, as the third-leading punt returner in NCAA Division I-FCS, he gained All-MEAC First Team honors with a MEAC-best 15.0-yard punt return average.
HBCU Buzz reported that at least 21 undrafted HBCU players were invited
by multiple teams with minicamp invites or as undrafted free agents this summer. The athletes invited as undrafted free agents can negotiate and sign with any team interested in them. Players invited to minicamps are allowed to participate with the teams, and it also provides team personnel a chance to assess the players attending.