BOWIE, MD -- Bowie State wide receiver Keshane Hinckley was officially announced as one of the names on the official watch list of the 2023 Black College Football Player of the Year Watchlist, the Black College Football Hall of Fame announced.

The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding football player from a Historically Black College & University.

Hinckley is one of 11 student-athletes listed from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Conference. The Laurel, Md., native led Bowie State and the CIAA in total receptions (56) in 2022. He registered a team-high (686) receiving yards (2^nd in the CIAA) and a team-high (5) TDs last season. 

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."

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 Deacon Jones Trophy is the most prestigious football award for HBCUs," said BCFHOF co-founder and 2012 inductee James Harris. "Deacon Jones was a pioneer and an icon, and still to this day represents the very best of Black College Football."

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