The HBCU Legacy Bowl certainly showed its purpose this year as several HBCU prospects are getting NFL looks. Tennessee State defensive lineman James Stewart spoke with four teams at the Legacy Bowl, per a report by Easton Butler. Stewart met with the Lions, the Titans, the Ravens, and the Jets.
Stewart is a talented defensive lineman who had a standout season for the Tigers this fall; he finished the season with 68 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, three forced fumbles, and four pass breakups. His play led to him being selected to the All-OVC/Big South first team and ranking top 10 in the conference in several defensive categories.
Before landing at Tennessee State, he was a three-star defensive lineman who committed to Memphis. He redshirted his freshman year in 2021, and then in 2022, he appeared in 10 games for the Memphis Tigers, finishing the season with seven tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack.
He then transferred to Middle Tennessee State University in 2023, where he played two seasons and racked up 46 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in his two years of play. His specific skill set could lead to him hearing his name called in the NFL Draft or being a key top undrafted free agent.
The interest that James Stewart has drawn is a perfect example of the opportunity the HBCU Legacy Bowl offers. It also served as a crucial nexus point for several HBCU stars, as only one HBCU player was invited to the NFL Combine: Andrew Brown IV.
