Times may change focus for leading black recruits

Kylin Hill did more to stand up against 126 years of history in Mississippi than many before him.

He’s the Mississippi State running back who declared he won’t play this upcoming season unless the Mississippi state flag — which incorporates the Confederate battle flag — is changed.

Calls for change related to the flag have been denied in past years but Hill’s words have been met with support, and state lawmakers were to begin voting Saturday on changes.

Hill’s efforts are met with criticism, too, which wouldn’t feel personal if it weren’t in the social media era. One comment urged for Hill’s scholarship to be taken away. Another called him egotistical.

“I think one of those comments said, ‘You’re just another player,’ ” said Steven Gaither, founder of HBCU Gameday, which is dedicated to covering athletics at historically black colleges and universities.

Spurred by the May death of Houstonian George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, black pride and issues sensitive to African Americans are currently center stage. The same is said for the black athlete’s experience at predominantly white institutions. The groundswell is large once again for the black athletes usually at the top of recruiting boards to return to playing at historically black universities and colleges. The current times could be considered a catalyst for those athletes to at least consider the notion more than they normally would.

“There’s not really a single event I feel like that’s been the catalyst for it,” Gaither said. “I think it’s probably been building probably since Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice. All of these things have built on a generation of young people, Generation Z, who know the power of numbers. They know the power of social media and the web. They live in a very interconnected world where they are understanding that when they’re at a certain level, they do have a level of power and people do come to them.”

Brennan Eagles, a receiver at the University of Texas from Alief Taylor, is one of the more notable voices behind athletes at the school demanding numerous changes involving the campus and program, including establishing a black athletic history exhibit and discontinuation of the school song, “The Eyes of Texas,” whose history is tied to minstrel shows.

“I think they are finally starting to realize that they have power,” Texas Southern football coach Clarence McKinney said. “Sports are very important to this country and the players are the people who perform. If you get all of those guys going in the same direction, they can control a lot of the narratives.”

Mikey Williams, the country’s top Class of 2023 point guard whose local connection is forming a backcourt with former Hightower star Bryce Griggs at San Ysidro in San Diego, has been vocal about considering a black university.

HBCU football’s flirt with the top player in the country seems to be Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was thought to be the first national No. 1 recruit to visit an HBCU in Florida A&M in 2018. HBCU football programs are still battling stigmas against exposure, talent level and recent history.

Prairie View A&M football coach Eric Dooley aggressively defends his school’s quality on the field and in the classroom, saying “a lot of people have insight on what’s taking place at HBCUs and have never been there.”

“What’s mostly said is ‘I want to go big time,’ ” Dooley said. “Well, this is big time. This is a four-year university. You want to get a bachelor’s degree when you graduate from here? This is big time. We want to make that known. I understand where you say you want to go but we have to give you the history of the university. We have to give you the history of what we’re selling here and telling our plan and our vision.”

McKinney can identify. He’s had to correct those who believe the Southwestern Athletic Conference doesn’t compete in Division I. He’s had to note the SWAC’s history in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The resources are different. He is recruiting with 63 scholarships in the Football Championship Subdivision compared to 85 in the Football Bowl Subdivision. But it simply takes education on what his program offers, he said.

“The current climate of today I think has come more to the forefront of recruiting,” McKinney said. “But I don’t see a mass exodus of top recruits around the country deciding to leave and go to HBCUs.

“I think what you’re going to see in football is that players we wouldn’t normally have an opportunity to recruit, I think you’re going to see those guys start taking a look at some HBCUs.”