Pittman’s Pocket HBCU True Freshman All-American Watch: Rashon Brown Explodes for 260 Yards as Young HBCU Stars Continue to Make Their Mark

Presented by Hyperice

The next generation of HBCU football talent continues to make its presence felt, and this week’s performances provided another reminder that young players across the SWAC are ready to seize their opportunities.

Leading the way is Bethune-Cookman redshirt freshman running back Rashon Brown, who delivered one of the most explosive rushing performances of the season against Alabama State.

Brown erupted for a career-high 260 rushing yards and one touchdown on 31 carries, averaging an impressive 8.4 yards per carry in Bethune-Cookman’s SWAC opener.

The performance was not simply a big statistical afternoon—it was a historic one.

Brown’s 260 rushing yards rank third in Bethune-Cookman history for single-game rushing yards, putting his name alongside some of the program’s most productive backs.

For a young running back, the combination of workload, physicality and explosive production immediately demands attention.

Brown repeatedly demonstrated the ability to create positive yardage, break through defensive fronts and turn opportunities into chunk plays. His performance against Alabama State was the type of outing that can change the trajectory of a young player’s season.

Pittman’s Pocket HBCU True Freshman All-American Nominee

While Brown is technically a redshirt freshman, his breakout performance deserves recognition in the broader Pittman’s Pocket evaluation of the next generation of HBCU talent.

The Pittman’s Pocket HBCU True Freshman All-American Watchlist, presented by Hyperice, is designed to identify young players who are separating themselves through production, traits, competitiveness and impact on the field.

Brown’s performance certainly fits that evaluation.

His 260-yard performance showed the type of explosive ability that scouts look for in a running back: vision, acceleration, physical running ability and the capacity to carry an offense when given the opportunity.

Jackson State’s LaDarius Prior Continues His Freshman Campaign

Jackson State freshman LaDarius Prior is another young running back beginning to establish himself during his freshman campaign.

Prior has already surpassed 70 rushing yards, continuing to gain valuable experience within one of the SWAC’s most competitive programs.

For young running backs, development is often about earning opportunities, learning the college game and maximizing every carry.

Prior’s continued production gives Jackson State another young offensive weapon to monitor as the season progresses.

With more opportunities potentially coming his way, Prior has an opportunity to turn early-season contributions into a much larger role.

Alabama State’s Zion Crawford Is the Real Deal

On the other side of the Bethune-Cookman-Alabama State matchup, Zion Crawford continues to show why Alabama State head coach Donald Hill-Eley Robinson and the Hornets believed strongly in his talent.

Crawford recorded five tackles, four of them solo, along with a pass deflection against Bethune-Cookman.

But the statistics only tell part of the story.

Crawford’s physical talent and ability to find himself around the football continue to stand out. He has shown the instincts and athletic ability necessary to develop into a significant defensive contributor for Alabama State.

This kid is for real.

Crawford was an outstanding recruiting addition for Alabama State, and his continued development should make him a player HBCU football fans and NFL scouts keep on their radar.

His combination of athletic ability, physicality and defensive awareness gives him the foundation to become an important piece of the Hornets’ defense.

The Young Talent Is Coming

The significance of performances like these goes beyond one weekend.

HBCU football continues to develop young talent capable of making immediate contributions. Whether it is Brown breaking a school-history rushing mark, Prior beginning to carve out his role at Jackson State, or Crawford showing his defensive potential at Alabama State, these players represent the future of HBCU football.

At Pittman’s Pocket, the goal is to identify those players before the national spotlight finds them.

The evaluation isn’t simply about statistics.

It’s about traits, production, opportunity, development and what a player can potentially become at the next level.

Rashon Brown has now put together a performance that HBCU football cannot ignore.

LaDarius Prior is building his freshman résumé.

And Zion Crawford continues to show that Alabama State may have another talented young defensive player developing inside its program.

The season is still unfolding.

And the next generation is already making noise.

Pittman’s Pocket HBCU True Freshman All-American Watchlist — presented by Hyperice.

The future of HBCU football is playing now.