Atlanta, GA – The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) announced the 2023 Watch List for the Black College Football Player of the Year Award. Fayetteville State University's Preseason All-CIAA Standouts Kentrell Caldwell and Cameron Merrell were among the 12 CIAA student-athletes and 48 overall listed on the Watch List.
 
The Watch List candidates have been selected based on past performance and future potential. Additions to the list will be made as the 2023 season progresses. The finalists and the winner will be chosen by a Selection Committee. The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding football player from a Historically Black College & University.
 
Cameron Merrell, a redshirt senior from Atlanta, Georgia, led the Bronco defense last season with 94 total tackles. He accounted for 14 and a half tackles for a loss of 73 yards and nine and a half sacks for 57 yards. He also forced a fumble and recovered two. During his two seasons at FSU, Merrell has a total of 129 tackles and a loss of 99 yards from 23 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He has a dozen quarterback sacks for 66 yards. Over two seasons, Cameron has played in 22 games.
 
Kentrell Caldwell is a junior linebacker from Newberry, South Carolina who played his first season with the Broncos last year. The All-CIAA Second Team honoree played in 11 games in 2022 and ranked second amongst the Broncos with 73 tackles. He added eight stops for a loss of 23 yards, a sack for five yards, a forced fumble, and five pass breakups. Two of the breakups were interceptions returned for 40 yards.
 
Four finalists will be unveiled after the season. The winner of the Black College Football Player of the Year Award, which will be announced during halftime of the 2024 Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, will be presented with the Deacon Jones Trophy. The Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl takes place on Saturday, February 24, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The game will be broadcast live on NFL Network.
 
"The Black College Football Player of the Year Award showcases the immense talent of our HBCU players today," said Doug Williams, BCFHOF Co-Founder and 2011 Inductee. "These student-athletes represent the very best of HBCU football."
 
Fayetteville State University will open the 2023 season on Thursday, August 31 at UNC Pembroke in the Two Rivers Classic.