Alabama A&M’s Carson Vinson Proves He Belongs at the Reese’s Senior Bowl
Mobile, AL – Every year, the Reese’s Senior Bowl serves as the ultimate proving ground for college football’s top talent. This year, Alabama A&M’s offensive tackle Carson Vinson didn’t just show up—he dominated.
The 6’6” (closer to 6’7”), 314-pound lineman with a massive 83.6” wingspan and 35” arms has been steadily rising up draft boards ever since arriving in Mobile. The HBCU standout has checked every box NFL scouts look for, and more importantly, he has thrived against FBS competition.
One of the most impressive moments of the week came when Vinson faced off against projected first-round pick Shemar Stewart in a one-on-one drill. With pushups on the line, Vinson stood tall and won the rep, forcing the entire defense to drop and pay up. That moment turned heads and added more fuel to his growing draft stock.
Another marquee matchup during the week pitted Vinson against SEC Defensive Player of the Year and Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner Kyle Kennard. Once again, Vinson held his own, proving that the jump in competition wasn’t too big for him.
Emory Hunt of Football Gameplan summed up Vinson’s impact perfectly:
“Carson Vinson from Alabama A&M, he’s held up this week even coming from the FCS level… If you’re swinging for the fences in rd 2, he stands out.”
Beyond his physical tools and on-field performance, Vinson understands the significance of representing HBCU football at one of the biggest pre-draft stages. Speaking with ESPN NFL Nation reporter Turron Davenport, Vinson made it clear that he carried more than just his own aspirations into Senior Bowl week:
“It was very important because I’ve said in multiple interviews like HBCU, we have real deal players, we got dogs. And there’s a lot of great players that I feel like was also deserving to be here. So I had to put on for them. So that when we get in these spaces, we gonna make our institutions look good, make the whole space look good.
So that’s why I feel like I competed my butt off to do the best I could.
When you go to HBCU, you do it for your institution, you do it for the love of the game. There’s no external factors, there’s no external anything else. You playing strictly football, and that’s what you do 24-7, so you learn today. And, you know, there’s adversities, but adversity is nothing but an excuse. At HBCU, we don’t make excuses, so that’s what we do.”
When asked how long it took him to realize he belonged, Vinson didn’t hesitate:
“Before I even walked out here, I felt like I was the guy. I am the guy. So, you know, it’s always confidence. And us FCS guys, we always have that confidence because we have to have that. If you don’t have that confidence, you’re not supposed to be out here.”
With his performance in Mobile, Carson Vinson didn’t just prove he belonged—he proved he’s a name to watch heading into the 2024 NFL Draft. The small-school product has silenced the doubters and put NFL teams on notice. Now, the only question left is just how high he’ll climb before draft day.
