Carson Vinson is one of the top collegiate football players to watch. The junior offensive lineman took part in the drills at the NFL Scouting Combine on Sunday. He was the only player from an HBCU to attend the event out of 329 prospects.

“Being at an HBCU is a unique experience that people will only understand if they went to an HBCU,” he said during the event, according to AL.com. “I love it to death. It’s made me the player I am today, and it taught me that I have to work for everything I get.”

Vinson is part of the roster at Alabama A&M University. Although the team did not get the results it was hoping for, the football player said it’s only further motivation to keep training.

“No matter what you are going through you have to get it done,” he said. “When you go to an HBCU excuses are out the door. If you really want to go far you can’t make excuses because nobody is expecting you to go anywhere in the football world. I’m doing it and its other guys from HBCU’s who’s done it too.”

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Vinson ran a 5.12 in the 40-yard dash. He was the 10th fastest during that round. He also recently participated in the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he won 1-on-1 reps against SEC defenders such as LSU’s Sai’von Jones and Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart.

“It was a blessing that I got to be there. It was an opportunity, and I always rise in those moments,” Vinson said. “Football is not a guaranteed thing and that could have been my last time putting on shoulder pads. I said if this was going to be my last time, I’m going to have the most fun that I can, and that’s what I did.”

 

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The football player has raked up several awards, including First Team All-SWAC honors and FCS All-American. He was also named a finalist for the HBCU+ National Player of the Year.

“I’m a competitor that’s what I do. I compete day in and day out from when the lights are on or when they are off,” he said. “I’m a dog and I believe being a violent individual on the field is what sets you apart.”

Next, Vinson will be eyeing the NFL Draft, which is scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He registered a 9.34 in the Relative Athletic Score out of a possible 10.00, according to Alabama A&M. This ranks his 92nd overall out of 1,379 offensive tackles between 1987 and 2005.

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