These are the 50 HBCU football players who could win the Deacon Jones Trophy

The Black Faculty Soccer Corridor of Fame has formally unveiled the 2025 Watch Checklist for the Black Faculty Soccer Participant of the 12 months Award.

The 50 most gifted soccer gamers throughout Traditionally Black Schools and Universities (HBCUs) have been picked to be within the working for the distinction.

These gamers symbolize the top of HBCU soccer, every vying for the celebrated Deacon Jones Trophy—awarded yearly to the nation’s most excellent HBCU soccer participant.

The listing attracts from six conferences: the Southwestern Athletic Convention (SWAC), which has 18 gamers, the Mid-Jap Athletic Convention (MEAC), which has 11, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Convention (SIAC), which has 10, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Affiliation (CIAA), which has 8, the Ohio Valley Convention (OVC), which has 2, and the Coastal Athletic Affiliation (CAA), which has 1.

Why Deacon Jones Award issues

The award honors the legacy of David “Deacon” Jones, a legendary defensive finish who starred at South Carolina State and Mississippi Valley State earlier than a Corridor of Fame NFL profession. The trophy celebrates management, talent, integrity, and on-field dominance.

“The Black Faculty Soccer Participant of the 12 months Award honors the expertise, dedication, and spirit of as we speak’s HBCU soccer gamers,” stated Doug Williams, Corridor of Fame co-founder. “These younger males uphold a proud legacy and encourage future generations to dream larger and to all the time aspire for greatness.”

The recipient might be introduced throughout halftime on the 2026 Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl in New Orleans on February 21, 2026. This high-profile occasion, broadcast reside on NFL Community, is a premier platform showcasing prime HBCU expertise to a nationwide viewers.

Prime Deacon Jones Contenders to Watch

The 2025 Watch Checklist encompasses a broad spectrum of talent positions and standout contributors, together with quarterbacks, working backs, receivers, and defensive stars. Among the frontrunners named by analysts embody:

Kelvin Durham (QB, Johnson C. Smith): Poised for a breakout season with a number of 1,000-yard receivers aiding his offense.

Curtis Allen (RB, Virginia Union): Entering into the highlight after years backing a former Participant of the 12 months.

Ckelby Givens (DL, Southern): SWAC Defensive Participant of the 12 months, aiming to interrupt an offensive participant’s successful streak.

Jacobian Morgan (QB, Jackson State): Led Jackson State to the 2024 HBCU nationwide title, preseason SWAC Participant of the 12 months.

Breakdown of Gamers by Convention

Deacon Jones Award Frontrunners