Along with the rest of the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers were represented at the 2025 HBCU Combine in New Orleans on Monday. According to NFL Network’s Steve Wyche, all 32 teams sent scouts or personnel for the workout. Practices begin tomorrow for the weekend’s annual HBCU Legacy Bowl.
It had become expected that Steelers GM Omar Khan would attend, as he has since becoming the team’s general manager. But there’s been no reporting to suggest he made the trip, and generally, such news would’ve been noted by the media. General managers rarely show up, but Khan had made it a point to fly in, searching far and wide for a hidden gem. Viewing footage from today, we couldn’t confirm what Steelers scouts/personnel were on hand.
In 2024, Khan and New Orleans Saints GM Mickey Loomis, who is right near-by the event, were the only two NFL general managers to attend. In 2023, Khan was the only one to go. While the event does mesh with his roots, growing up in New Orleans and attending and briefly working at Tulane, he’s cited legendary Steelers’ scout Bill Nunn as the catalyst for going.
“Bill Nunn was a big influence on me,” Khan told NFL Network last March. “You guys know his history and his history of identifying players. He left no stone unturned, and I’m trying to take the same approach.”
Nunn played a key role in building the Steelers’ 1970s dynasty, finding talent at HBCUs overlooked by other teams. DL L.C. Greenwood (Arkansas Pine-Bluff), SS Donnie Shell (undrafted from South Carolina State), WR John Stallworth (Alabama A&M), and CB Mel Blount (Southern). The last HBCU player the Steelers drafted was South Carolina State DT Javon Hargrave in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. A pair of HBCU prospects landed on the team’s offseason roster in 2023 in running backs Alfonzo Graham and Darius Hagans.
Per the PPG’s Gerry Dulac, the Steelers are meeting this week to chart their free agent plan, including determining their 2025 quarterback. Perhaps Khan stayed in Pittsburgh to participate in those key decisions.
Like next week’s Combine in Indianapolis, players from HBCUs get measured and go through drills and testing to build the most complete profile for scouts. Khan and the Steelers will be in Indy next week for the Combine, evaluating prospects while meeting with the media.
This year’s roster features several notable names. Jackson State S Robert McDaniel picked off three passes in 2024 and was consistently in the backfield with 10 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. He could get drafted late. Per ESPN’s Jordan Reid, McDaniel tested well with a 4.55 40 and 38-inch vert at 6023, 213 pounds.
Morgan State DL Elijah Williams was also productive, racking up 15 TFL and 11 sacks his senior season. Offensively, RB Irv Mulligan had a big year for Jackson State with over 1,200 yards and 13 rushing scores. A Wofford transfer, he’s got adequate size at a listed 5’10, 205 pounds. Per Wyche’s report, Mulligan impressed scouts with his receiving ability after logging just three receptions in 2024.
The top HBCU prospect this season is Alabama A&M’s offensive lineman Carson Vinson. A college tackle, he’s expected to get drafted. But he won’t be at the HBCU Combine, instead attending the event in Indy as a top small-schooler.
This article has a complete list of HBCU Combine invites.
We’ll have a crew in Indy next week for the Combine, speaking with Steelers’ GM Omar Khan and the prospects attending.
