 Boykin in 2026 | |
| No. 40 – Pittsburgh Steelers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback |
| Roster status | Active |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 25, 2002 |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Listed weight | 192 lb (87 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Ragsdale (Jamestown, North Carolina) |
| College | |
| NFL draft | 2026: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Devan Boykin (born January 25, 2002) is an American professional football cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack and Indiana Hoosiers, winning the 2025 national championship with the latter. Boykin was signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2026.
Early life
editBoykin was born January 25, 2002.[1] He attended Ragsdale High School in Jamestown, North Carolina, where he played cornerback, wide receiver, and quarterback on the school's football team. His father, Johnny, was the head coach of the team. Boykin was an all-state selection as a senior and was rated a three-star college football prospect by ESPN, 247Sports, and Rivals.com.[2] He also played basketball at Ragsdale.[3]
College career
editBoykin began his college football career with the NC State Wolfpack. In 2020, he played in 12 games with two starts,[2] recording 19 tackles and two pass breakups.[4] He appeared in 11 games in 2021 with five starts,[2] recording 24 tackles, four pass breakups,[4] and, in a game against the Boston College Eagles, one fumble recovery for a touchdown.[5] NC State was selected to play in the 2021 Holiday Bowl, but the game was canceled five hours before the scheduled start time; the team's opponent, the UCLA Bruins, had announced that they could not play due to an outbreak of COVID-19 on the team.[6]
In 2022, Boykin played in 11 games with three starts,[2] recording 20 tackles, one pass breakup, and one interception.[4] The interception, in a game against the Florida State Seminoles, occurred in the end zone with 38 seconds left in the game to clinch a victory.[7][8] NC State was selected to play in the 2022 Duke's Mayo Bowl, but Boykin could not play due to injury.[2]
Boykin played in 11 games, with 10 starts, in 2023,[2] recording 54 tackles, four pass breakups, three interceptions, and one forced fumble,[4] including an eight-tackle, one-interception performance in a win in a rivalry game against the Clemson Tigers.[9] Boykin suffered an ACL tear during a practice while preparing for the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl; he was originally projected to be healthy enough for the start of the 2024 season[10] and though he announced he would return to NC State in 2024,[11] his recovery timeline was set back multiple times.[12][13] Cleared to begin practicing in November,[14] he ultimately missed the entire season while recovering from the injury,[15] taking a redshirt for the season.[16]
In January 2025, Boykin entered the NCAA transfer portal.[17] He transferred to play the 2025 season, his final year of NCAA eligibility,[18] with the Indiana Hoosiers.[19][20] He led all Indiana players with seven tackles, and additionally recorded a sack, in a 38–3 win against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2026 Rose Bowl.[21] In Indiana's 27–21 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship, he made four tackles.[22] Lauded for his versatility, Boykin played free safety, strong safety, and nickelback at both NC State[23] and Indiana.[3]
Boykin earned a degree in sports management from North Carolina State University.[2]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
192 lb (87 kg) |
29+1⁄4 in (0.74 m) |
8+3⁄8 in (0.21 m) |
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
4.64 s | 1.62 s | 2.67 s | 4.18 s | 7.18 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) |
9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) |
13 reps |
| All values from Pro Day[24] | ||||||||||||
After going unselected in the 2026 NFL draft, Boykin was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent.[25][26]
References
edit- ^ @thedevanboykin (January 25, 2023). "Another year around the sun! Blessed to see 21 🙏🏾" (Tweet). Retrieved December 1, 2025 – via Twitter.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b c d e f g "Devan Boykin". Indiana University Athletics. Archived from the original on February 6, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ a b Lasley, Alec (October 31, 2025). "'Breeds more confidence': Devan Boykin settling into critical role for Indiana defense -- big performance after another". On3.com. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b c d "Devan Boykin". North Carolina State University Athletics. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Peery, Wade (September 22, 2023). "Devan Boykin questionable to return vs. Virginia with lower body injury". On3.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Powell, Avery (December 29, 2021). "Dad of NC State player says Wolfpack let down by Bowl Game cancellation". WFMY-TV. Archived from the original on December 30, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Alexander, Chip (October 9, 2022). "NC State comes from behind to beat FSU 19-17 after Devin Leary goes down with injury". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on December 12, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ "Boykin, defense help No. 14 NC State rally past FSU 19-17". Fox Sports. Associated Press. October 8, 2022. Archived from the original on December 12, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Pyrtle, Bryan (October 28, 2023). "Devan Boykin on finishing off Clemson: 'Those are the type of moments we thrive in'". 247Sports. Archived from the original on December 12, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Smith, R. Cory (January 21, 2024). "UPDATE: NC State safety Devan Boykin suffered torn ACL before Pop-Tarts Bowl". 247Sports. Archived from the original on December 12, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Smith, R. Cory (January 2, 2024). "Devan Boykin signs with Savage Wolves, will return to NC State in 2024". 247Sports. Archived from the original on December 12, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Watson-Fisher, Jadyn (September 2, 2024). "One of NC State's key defensive players remains sidelined. Here's when he might return". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Smith, R. Cory (September 25, 2025). "UPDATE: NC State safety Devan Boykin timeline moved back to November". 247Sports. Archived from the original on November 24, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Watson-Fisher, Jadyn (November 18, 2024). "NC State injury update: Key Wolfpack defensive starter cleared for activities". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on November 21, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Smith, R. Cory (December 10, 2024). "NC State safety Devan Boykin set to return for 2025 season". 247Sports. Archived from the original on December 10, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ McDowell, Ethan (January 23, 2025). "Where did NC State football's departing transfers end up?". On3.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ McDowell, Ethan (January 5, 2025). "NC State safety Devan Boykin enters transfer portal". On3.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Ankony, Jack (January 14, 2025). "Indiana Adds NC State Defensive Back Transfer Devan Boykin". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Giles, Matt (January 19, 2025). "Longtime NC State Football Player Now Transferring to Big Ten School". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 19, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Weaver, Matt (January 14, 2025). "Hoosiers land NC State transfer defensive back Devan Boykin". 247Sports. Archived from the original on January 18, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Browning, Zach (January 2, 2026). "Devan Boykin delivers defining defensive performance in Indiana's Rose Bowl rout of Alabama". TheHoosier. On3.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2026. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
- ^ "Indiana 27-21 Miami (Jan 19, 2026) Box Score". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 20, 2026. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
- ^ Clark, Michael (October 11, 2023). "NC State's 20 Most Important Players 2023: DB Devan Boykin, No. 17". 247Sports. Archived from the original on December 12, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ "Devan Boykin College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ^ Farabaugh, Nick (April 25, 2026). "Pittsburgh Steelers sign physical Indiana slot cornerback as first UDFA". The Patriot-News. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
- ^ Varley, Teresa (April 27, 2026). "Steelers agree to terms with undrafted free agents". Steelers.com. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
