2024 NFL draft: Ranking top 10 HBCU senior prospects - ESPN

The 2023 college football season is finally upon us, and with it, HBCU play begins with the annual Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff. Saturday's game features a rematch of the 2021 Cricket Celebration Bowl, as Jackson State faces South Carolina State in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN App).

Over the past decade, the NFL has made a lot of effort to provide more exposure for HBCU teams and showcase their players across the nation. The HBCU Legacy Bowl and Reese's Senior Bowl HBCU combine have become significant events on the pre-draft calendar for all NFL teams. Only one HBCU player — Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden — was drafted this April, but we could see more in the 2024 NFL draft.

After talking with numerous coaches, scouts and evaluators around the country, I ranked the top 10 HBCU senior prospects who could get picked next year after another good season. I included players in both the FCS and Division II ranks but excluded underclassmen and recent transfers who didn't play at an HBCU school last season. Here are 10 to watch as the games kick off, including a standout quarterback.

HT: 6-foot-4 | WT: 250 pounds

Anderson had a breakout 2022 season with 50 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and two forced fumbles in 10 games, and he was voted preseason SWAC Defensive Player of the Year coming into 2023. Four of those seven sacks came in the final four games, so expectations are high this year.

He's a versatile edge rusher who generates a ton of pressure on the quarterback and can win in multiple ways, with the body flexibility to dip and turn the corner past blockers. Anderson also has the skill set to drop in coverage. And while his playing weight hovered around 240 pounds last season, he's reportedly up