AH #28

Alijah Huzzie

Cornerback · North Carolina

An FCS All-American cornerback who battled back from a pre-draft ACL tear to make his NFL debut and grab an interception in his first season.

Alijah Huzzie is a Houston Texans cornerback who arrived as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina after starring for four seasons at East Tennessee State. A torn ACL suffered at the East-West Shrine Bowl clouded his draft outlook, but he fought his way back onto the field as a rookie.

★ First-team FCS All-American (2022, East Tennessee State)

★ ACC Special Teams Player of the Week (North Carolina)

★ First career NFL interception, January 2026

Path to the league

Huzzie played four seasons at East Tennessee State, earning first-team FCS All-American honors in 2022, before transferring to North Carolina for his final two college seasons. He tore his ACL during East-West Shrine Bowl practice ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft and went unselected, signing with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent on May 9, 2025.

Career highlights

Over his four years at East Tennessee State, Huzzie racked up 179 tackles, 30 passes defensed and 12 interceptions across 34 games, capped by a 2022 season of six interceptions and 22 pass breakups. At North Carolina, he delivered a signature performance against Pittsburgh with two interceptions and two punt returns for 82 yards and a touchdown, earning ACC Special Teams Player of the Week.

2025 season recap

Huzzie opened his rookie year on the reserve/non-football injury list while recovering from his ACL tear, but was activated in November and made his NFL debut on December 21, 2025. He picked off his first career interception on January 4, 2026, against Indianapolis, finishing the season with 3 tackles, one interception and a pass deflection.