South Carolina State isn't just an HBCU with a rich football tradition — it's quietly sending players to NFL training camps in 2026 who are making real noise. None louder, right now, than Cobie Durant in Dallas.
Durant Commands the Cowboys' Secondary
Through the first week of Cowboys camp, Durant has emerged as the standout cornerback on a Dallas roster with no shortage of competition at the position. According to Yahoo Sports, Durant is playing like the best cornerback on the Cowboys — a striking development that puts the SC State product firmly in the conversation as a starter heading into the regular season.
For an Orangeburg product competing at the highest level, it's a statement week. Durant, listed as a linebacker on Dallas's roster but playing a hybrid role that increasingly has him shadowing receivers on the outside, has apparently made enough of an impression to earn that kind of top-of-the-depth-chart buzz before a single preseason snap is played.
The Cowboys have long had a knack for finding value outside the traditional pipeline schools, and Durant looks like exactly that kind of find. If he holds this trajectory through the preseason, SC State fans will have a legitimate reason to tune into Dallas games every Sunday.
The Broader SC State NFL Footprint
Durant isn't the only Bulldog in an NFL camp this summer. SC State has a notable collection of alumni scattered across the league:
Shaquan Davis is in New Orleans with the Saints as a wide receiver, continuing a pro career that reflects the Bulldogs' ability to develop pass-catchers at the FCS level. Antonio Hamilton and Alex Taylor are both in Washington with the Commanders — Hamilton at cornerback and Taylor at offensive tackle — giving SC State a two-man contingent on the same roster. Boog Smith is with the Jets at linebacker, while Javon Hargrave — one of the most physically dominant defensive linemen SC State has ever produced — is in Green Bay lining up at nose tackle for the Packers.
Darius Leonard, once one of the most feared linebackers in the league during his Indianapolis run, is listed with the Eagles, though his role remains to be defined heading into the season.
Decobie Durant — a separate player from Cobie despite the near-identical name — is in Los Angeles with the Rams at cornerback, meaning SC State actually has two Durants playing DB in the NFL simultaneously. That's a sentence that probably requires a double-take at Bulldog alumni watch parties.
The Takeaway
SC State doesn't generate the recruiting headlines of an Alabama or Georgia, but the Bulldogs have built something worth watching at the pro level. Eight alumni currently in NFL camps, spread across both conferences and multiple positions, is a testament to a program that consistently develops NFL-caliber talent.
Durant's breakout in Cowboys camp is the headliner this week — but this is a school with enough NFL presence to make every Sunday feel like a SC State reunion somewhere on the dial.
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