The HBCU-to-NFL pipeline is coated in golden fabric; more than 20 HBCU products have made it into Canton through the years.They represent some of the greatest talents to ever strut onto the field, immortalized with nicknames like Sweetne s (Walter Payton), The Bullet (Bob Hayes) and Deacon (Jones). Yet in recent years, that stream has appeared to run dry.Football talent has continued to prosper in the Black Belt. Yet so few of those talents have opted to don the stripes of HBCU schools. It's hard to ward off the shine of Power 5 conferences; all those eyes, all that television revenue.That's what made Deion Sanders' Jackson State program so enticing. It was a breath of fresh air, a callback to a time when tactical gurus like Eddie Robinson Darrius Heyward-Bey Jersey and Marino Casem were sending guys to the league.TSN'S NFL DRAFT HQ | | Tigers linebacker Aubrey Miller wants to follow in that lineage. The easy road has never been the way for the former Jackson State star and prospective NFL draft pick. But over the past two seasons, he's proved himself to be a force in the midway. Now, he hopes to turn that into a pro deal, following in the footsteps of not just Payton, Hayes, Jones and so many others, but also his former teammate, Lions linebacker James Houston.Here's what you need to know:Miller's football story began with clamor; he was a highly touted prospect at Whitehaven High School in Memphis, catching the attention of many an FBS program.In the end, the allure Bud Dupree Jersey of the SEC was enough. Miller committed to Mi souri, joining the ranks of Barry Odom's 2017 recruiting cla s.Miller saw very little action in Columbia, making a handful of tackles in 21 appearances from 2017-19. By the end of 2020, he felt like he needed a change.Deion Sanders took charge at Jackson State in September 2020. And when he and the Tigers came knocking, Miller was intrigued. The prospect of putting on in the presence of a footballing luminary was a clear selling point. Doing so at a historically Black college? Well, that constituted something of a dream for Miller. After all, the hulking defender sought Black expre sion during his time at Mi souri, taking cla ses revolving around Black culture and joining Omega Psi Phi, one of the most prestigious Black fraternities in the country.It was a match made in heaven. Miller found his way on Jackson State's chalky sidewalks, the same ones that Payton used to strut on decades earlier. He showed out in his new colors, racking up 51 tackles (30 solo), 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble during the spring season.Fall 2021 was more of the same. Miller shined in the warm autumn glow, racking up a SWAC-leading 109 tackles (53 solo) and 6.5 sacks en route to first team all Carnell Lake Jersey -conference honors.MORE:The accolades continued piling up in his final year on campus; Miller added another 100+ tackle season in 2022, this time forcing five fumbles for the 12-1 Tigers. For his efforts, he was awarded SWAC Defensive Player of the Year.I did think about going pro last year, Miller told the Mi si sippi Clarion-Ledger's J.T. Keith. I realized those seasons before last year were COVID-19 seasons and the draft cla s was going to be huge. I decided to come back one more year, learn and develop the game more and make sure I dominate the season. Now, I am ready to go and take the next step.All the while, Miller was one of the most vocal proponents for Black players returning to HBCUs, the historical stomping grounds for many of the game's greatest talents."To all you recruits and all you players, come home," Miller said. "If we can do it, y'all can do it. Come home. Let's represent well. HBCUs need to keep going up. Whether you like it or not. Whether they like it or not. ... Your talent needs to come back home. You need to play for your people. You need to represent our people."Jackson State Linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr. calls for recruits to keep coming to HBCUs"Your talent needs to come back home. You need to play for your people. If we do it you can do it." Unfiltered Media TV (@UnfilteredInd) Miller's stock has only risen since the season ended. Much of that has to do with a standout showing at the Senior Bowl, a game where he showed off not just his versatility Miller can play in the mike and outside linebacker roles but his physicality, too.Aubrey Miller Jr. just doing Aubrey Mike Webster Jersey Miller Jr. things at the Senior Bowl The Bluebloods (@The__Bluebloods) He feels he is uniquely positioned to succeed at the next level, shaped by Sanders' pro-style tutelage.I understood my role and what I had to do, Miller told NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano. I just put in the work and just bring everything that I have. Just understand that I am not done. This is keeping me in a position where I have to keep working and make sure my name is known and being seen.It's great to see SWAC players on TV talking about getting drafted to the NFL. Aubrey Miller Jr. was on the NFL Network today. The draft is right around the corner. SWAC BUZZ (@SwacBuzz) Houston's early-career succe s is another source of optimism for Miller. In his first year away from Jackson, Houston recorded eight sacks, the second-highest total among rookies in 2022." Houston just opened the door for a lot of us, not just me, Miller said. The thing is we already know the type of position we are in. We just have to keep working and let our play do our talking.His play spoke volumes with the Tigers. Now, Miller is doing the listening, hoping, yearning and dreaming to hear his name Jerome Bettis Jersey called at the NFL Draft.