By Pittman’s Pocket | 2026 HBCU Football

The 2026 HBCU football season is still in its early stages, but the first four weeks have already provided NFL scouts with plenty of film to study.

At South Carolina State, head coach Chennis Berry has the defending HBCU national champions playing at a high level again. Two defensive linemen in particular are beginning to separate themselves as prospects worth monitoring: Jordan Dollard and Ka’Von Chisolm.

But the evaluation does not stop in Orangeburg.

Eric Zachery of Prairie View A&M, Trey Holly of Southern, and KJ Chisholm of Jackson State are also producing or displaying traits that warrant continued NFL-level evaluation.

This is the Pittman’s Pocket Midseason Draft Watch — not a final draft projection, but an evaluation of players whose film deserves increased attention as the season develops.

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Jordan Dollard — DL — South Carolina State

Jordan Dollard is putting together the type of early-season production that forces a scout to keep the film rolling.

Through four games, Dollard has recorded:

15 tackles | 7.0 TFL | 3.5 sacks | 2 pass breakups | 1 forced fumble

His performance against Florida A&M was particularly disruptive.

Dollard finished that game with:

• 6 tackles
• 4.5 tackles for loss
• 1.5 sacks
• 1 forced fumble

South Carolina State defeated Florida A&M 31-13 in the Orange Blossom Classic.

That type of performance warrants more than simply looking at the box score.

Pittman’s Pocket Evaluation

The remaining film should answer several important questions:

• How quickly does Dollard win off the snap?
• Can he consistently defeat blocks with his hands?
• Does his power translate against larger offensive linemen?
• Can he maintain gap integrity against the run?
• Can he generate pressure when offenses specifically account for him?
• Does his pass-rush repertoire project to the next level?

The early production says one thing:

Keep watching.

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KA’VON CHISOLM — SOUTH CAROLINA STATE

And then there’s Ka’Von Chisolm.

Through four games, Chisolm has accumulated:

11 tackles | 6.5 TFL | 4.0 sacks | 1 QB hurry | 1 forced fumble | 1 fumble recovery

The most significant part of that statistical line may be the 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in only four games.

Then came South Carolina State’s September 20 matchup with Furman.

Against the nationally ranked FCS opponent, the Bulldogs’ defense produced nine tackles for loss and three sacks, with both Dollard and Chisolm recording sacks in South Carolina State’s 20-17 road victory.

That matters because the evaluation is beginning to extend beyond HBCU competition.

Dollard + Chisolm

Through four games:

Jordan Dollard: 7.0 TFL | 3.5 sacks
Ka’Von Chisolm: 6.5 TFL | 4.0 sacks

Combined

13.5 TFL | 7.5 sacks

That is a defensive-front combination NFL scouts should have on their working boards.

And the bigger story is Chennis Berry.

Berry is in his third season at South Carolina State and has already guided the Bulldogs to consecutive MEAC championships and the 2025 Celebration Bowl/HBCU national championship.

Now his program is developing another defensive unit with professional prospects.

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ERIC ZACHERY — PRAIRIE VIEW A&M

CB | 6’1″ | 170 | Junior

Eric Zachery is another prospect whose evaluation should extend beyond the statistics.

Prairie View A&M lists Zachery as a junior defensive back, and the 2026 team statistics show him with 20 tackles and three pass breakups through four games.

He also entered the season as a First-Team All-SWAC preseason defensive back, demonstrating that the conference already viewed him as one of its premier secondary players.

Against Stephen F. Austin on September 19, Zachery recorded eight tackles.

But the Zachery evaluation goes beyond the stat sheet.

The Film Matters

A cornerback’s NFL evaluation requires looking at:

• Press technique
• Recovery speed
• Hip transition
• Route recognition
• Eye discipline
• Ball skills
• Tackling
• Man coverage
• Zone awareness

There has also been public disagreement surrounding a tackle in the SFA game.

That incident should be evaluated separately from Zachery’s overall football body of work. The play was not penalized, while the two coaching staffs offered different public characterizations of the incident.

For NFL purposes, the proper question remains:

What does the complete film show?

One play should not substitute for a complete evaluation.

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TREY HOLLY — SOUTHERN

RB | 5’7″ | 192 | Redshirt Junior

If we’re talking about explosive production, Trey Holly belongs in the conversation.

Southern’s September 19 victory over Louisiana Christian produced a breakout performance from Holly:

22 Carries | 200 Yards | 2 TD

Holly averaged 9.1 yards per carry, including a 69-yard touchdown run.

Southern finished the game with 367 rushing yards, with Holly and Mike Franklin combining for 330 yards.

Holly’s background is also significant.

Before transferring to Southern, he was a highly regarded Louisiana high-school running back and, according to Southern’s official biography, set the state’s all-time high-school rushing record with 10,523 yards.

He also appeared in three games for LSU in 2023.

NFL Evaluation

Holly’s size will be part of the scouting conversation.

But so will:

• Burst
• Vision
• Contact balance
• Lateral quickness
• Acceleration
• Explosiveness
• Receiving ability
• Pass protection

The 200-yard performance does not automatically establish an NFL projection.

It establishes something equally important at this stage:

There is enough explosive ability to demand more film study.

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KJ CHISHOLM — JACKSON STATE

DB | Jackson State

Don’t overlook KJ Chisholm.

The SWAC’s 2026 preseason selections placed Chisholm on the Second-Team All-SWAC defensive back unit.

That is significant because Jackson State continues to operate as one of the prominent programs in the HBCU football landscape.

Chisholm’s evaluation will involve watching how he handles the responsibilities of a major SWAC secondary.

Pittman’s Pocket Will Be Watching:

• Man-coverage snaps
• Targets
• Completion percentage allowed
• Pass breakups
• Interceptions
• Tackling
• Communication
• Special-teams contributions
• Performance against the best receivers on the schedule

The statistics don’t have to tell the entire story in September.

The film can.

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PITTMAN’S POCKET MIDSEASON WATCH LIST

Prospect	School	Position	Early-Season Watch
Jordan Dollard	South Carolina State	DL	15 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 3.5 sacks
Ka’Von Chisolm	South Carolina State	DL	11 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4.0 sacks
Eric Zachery	Prairie View A&M	DB	20 tackles, 3 PBU
Trey Holly	Southern	RB	200 yards, 2 TD breakout game
KJ Chisholm	Jackson State	DB	Second-Team preseason All-SWAC

South Carolina State’s numbers come from the Bulldogs’ official 2026 cumulative statistics. The other evaluations incorporate official school and conference information along with game reports.

This is where the conversation needs to change.

Don’t Scout the Helmet. Scout the Player.

An HBCU prospect shouldn’t automatically receive an NFL projection simply because of production against HBCU competition.

But the opposite is also true.

A prospect’s HBCU affiliation should not be a reason to overlook legitimate NFL traits.

The job of the scout is to determine:

What does the player do?

How does he do it?

Who is he doing it against?

Can those traits translate?

That’s the evaluation.

And right now, South Carolina State’s defensive line deserves particular attention.

Jordan Dollard

7.0 TFL | 3.5 sacks

Ka’Von Chisolm

6.5 TFL | 4.0 sacks

Under Chennis Berry, South Carolina State is once again producing a defense capable of competing outside the HBCU landscape.

The Bulldogs’ 20-17 victory over Furman, including nine tackles for loss and three sacks, provides an early opportunity to evaluate that production against a ranked FCS opponent.

Meanwhile, Zachery, Holly and KJ Chisholm give NFL scouts three more very different evaluation profiles to track as the season progresses.

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THE MIDSEASON MESSAGE

This is not the final draft board.

It’s the watch list.

The prospects who make the NFL conversation from here will be determined by what happens over the remainder of the season — competition, consistency, injuries, technique, athletic testing and ultimately how their film translates.

But the message from Pittman’s Pocket remains straightforward:

“Traits and film over statistics. Scout the player, not the helmet.”

The HBCU evaluation process should begin with the same question asked of every prospect:

Can he play at the next level?

The rest of the season is where these prospects get the opportunity to answer it.