HBCU Legacy Bowl 2024: Rosters, Top Prospects for College Football Game
NFL scouts and football fanatics alike have reasons to play close attention to the upcoming HBCU Legacy Bowl.
Now in its third year, this showcase of players hailing from historically Black colleges and universities gives pro teams the chance to evaluate these prospects against elite competition.
While a full list of players participating in this year's event can be found at the game's official site, we'll spotlight three of the top prospects to watch when Team Gaither (named after Jake Gaither, who coached Florida A&M from 1945 to 1969) and Team Robinson (named for Eddie Robinson, the Grambling State coach from 1941 to 1997) square off Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on NFL Network and NFL+.
Jarveon Howard, RB, Alcorn State
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A Syracuse transfer who spent the past two seasons at Alcorn State, Jarveon Howard just put on a show at the HBCU combine.
Andscape's Mia Berry described Howard as "arguably the top player for most scouts at the combine," noting his "athleticism and ability to fluidly change directions." Berry also relayed that Howard led all running backs in the 40-yard dash (an official time of 4.52 seconds), vertical jump (36.5 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches).
An All-Southwestern Athletic Conference first-teamer each of the past two seasons, Howard tallied 20 combined touchdowns over the campaigns. The 5'10", 215-pounder did most of his damage on the ground (407 carries for 2,042 yards and 19 touchdowns), but he flashed his pass-catching potential this past season (26 receptions for 172 yards).
He is a hard-runner with the power to punctuate short-yardage opportunities, but he can make things happen in the open field, too.
Davius Richard, QB, North Carolina Central
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Folks searching for reasons to be skeptical of Davius Richard won't find them on the stat sheet. Electricity is all you'll see there.
Richard, honored as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year each of the past two seasons, routinely carved up opposing defenses with both his arm and his legs. Over his two award-winning campaigns, he piled up 4,825 passing yards, 46 passing touchdowns, 1,418 rushing yards and 33 rushing scores.
He flashed his playmaking ability at the HBCU combine, too, with Berry calling him the event's "best passer" and relaying that "scouts loved his accuracy and velocity on the ball during position drills." Richard also scooted to an unofficial 4.6-second time in the 40-yard dash, per Berry.
Richard, who stands 6'3" and tips the scales at 220 pounds, looks the part of a star quarterback. This is his chance to convince scouts he can play the part at the next level, too.
LaDarius Owens, RB, Texas Southern
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Texas Southern running back LaDarius Owens was one of six FCS players to clear 1,300 rushing yards this past season.
He was the only player to hit that mark on fewer than 220 carries, as he needed just 202 attempts to record his 1,370 yards (and 11 touchdowns).
That speaks to the 5'9", 186 pounder's big-play ability. His average carry spanned a whopping 6.9 yards and that wasn't even the best number of his career (7.5 in 2021).
"He's extremely talented," then-Texas Southern coach Clarence McKinney told reporters in October. "A lot of people see what he does with the ball in his hands running the ball, but he's done a tremendous job for us in protection. He's also done a great job for us catching the ball out of the backfield."
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