Could Hula Bowl Replacement Pipeline Give Bethune-Cookman a Recruiting Boost?

The NFL Draft came and went without a selection from an HBCU for the third time in six years, and the second time in the last three editions. While the HBCU Legacy Bowl provides visibility, multiple pundits have questioned its effectiveness. Although NFL teams have selected six HBCU players since the Legacy Bowl began in 2022, none of these draft picks played in the game, often receiving invites from the more prestigious East-West Shrine and Senior Bowls.

This year, four HBCU players played in the American, Hula, and East-West Shrine Bowls. Harlon Hill Award-winning running back Curtis Allen from Virginia Union played, and Morgan State linebacker Erick Hunter played in the American Bowl. 2025 Aeneas Williams Award winner Jarod Washington from South Carolina State played in the East-West Shrine Bowl.

The most fascinating selection of the four came in the Hula Bowl. Bethune-Cookman safety Antwone Watts played in this year’s edition and broke up a pass. However, the Hula Bowl’s social media accounts did not make any posts about Watts accepting an invitation. This seems to imply he was a late replacement.

This adds up with current college all-star game trends. Anthony Russo reported that over 20 players sat out for the Senior Bowl on that game’s National team. USA Today writer Josh Carney reported a lengthy list of opt-outs in the East-West Shrine Bowl this year.

The same problem likely troubled the Hula Bowl. With Bethune-Cookman’s campus a mere 24 miles from Spec Martin Stadium, Watts was an easy fix for the Hula Bowl. Bethune-Cookman’s convenient location could make it a common replacement source for the Hula Bowl. This could be a surprising recruiting edge for the struggling SWAC program.

NFL teams and their scouts seem to have held the Hula Bowl in higher regard than the HBCU Legacy Bowl, drafting seven participants from the 2026 game. Bethune-Cookman can all but guarantee its participation in this game with the current trends. Consequently, it would increase its players’ pro prospects relative to other HBCUs without a convenient pipeline like this.

This may seem minor, but Bethune-Cookman can use any boost it can get. The Wildcats have not had a winning season since joining the SWAC in 2021, plateauing at a 6-6 record last season. Bethune-Cookman has also never appeared in the Celebration Bowl and last won an outright conference title in 2013. Perhaps most importantly, the Wildcats are 1-4 in the last five Florida Classics against Florida A&M.

The all-star game landscape is changing. The HBCU Legacy Bowl is at an inflection point after another year of NFL Draft snubs. Still, the second and third-order effects of player opt-outs in all-star games surprisingly stand to benefit one HBCU. Time will tell whether the Hula Bowl and Bethune-Cookman form an unofficial pipeline and if such a partnership would give meaningful opportunities for the Wildcats.