Overview
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
Boykin was born January 25, 2002. 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. He also played basketball at Ragsdale.
College career
Boykin began his college football career with the NC State Wolfpack. In 2020, he played in 12 games with two starts, He appeared in 11 games in 2021 with five starts, 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. In 2022, Boykin played in 11 games with three starts, NC State was selected to play in the 2022 Duke's Mayo Bowl, but Boykin could not play due to injury. 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 and though he announced he would return to NC State in 2024, his recovery timeline was set back multiple times.
Cleared to begin practicing in November, he ultimately missed the entire season while recovering from the injury, taking a redshirt for the season. In January 2025, Boykin entered the NCAA transfer portal. He transferred to play the 2025 season, his final year of NCAA eligibility, with the Indiana Hoosiers. 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. In Indiana's 27–21 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship, he made four tackles. Lauded for his versatility, Boykin played free safety, strong safety, and nickelback at both NC State and Indiana. Boykin earned a degree in sports management from North Carolina State University.
Professional career
After going unselected in the 2026 NFL draft, Boykin was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent.
External links
* College statistics at Sports Reference * Pittsburgh Steelers bio * NC State Wolfpack bio * Indiana Hoosiers bio