NEW ORLEANS – Forty-nine Sun Belt alumni—representing all 10 football programs—earned National Football League (NFL) roster spots entering the 2021 season. Twenty-nine will don NFL uniforms during the league’s opening weekend as part of their team’s 53-man active rosters.
Georgia Southern paces all Sun Belt programs with six alumni on NFL active rosters—Tyler Bass (Buffalo Bills), Matt Breida (Buffalo Bills), Raymond Johnson III (New York Giants), Younghoe Koo (Atlanta Falcons), Jerick McKinnon (Kansas City Chiefs) and Kindle Vildor (Chicago Bears).
App State—Akeem Davis-Gaither (Cincinnati Bengals), Colby Gossett (Atlanta Falcons), Shemar Jean-Charles (Green Bay Packers), Kendall Lamm (Tennessee Titans) and Sam Martin (Denver Broncos)—and Louisiana—Kevin Dotson (Pittsburgh Steelers), Robert Hunt (Miami Dolphins), Elijah Mitchell (San Francisco 49ers), Christian Ringo (New Orleans Saints) and Tracy Walker III (Detroit Lions)—closely follow the Eagles, each boasting five former standouts on NFL opening weekend rosters.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (11) and Mountaineers (9) lead all Sun Belt programs in representation across NFL active rosters, practice squads and injured reserve lists.
Wil Lutz (New Orleans Saints), Chandon Sullivan (Green Bay Packers) and Albert Wilson (Miami Dolphins) represent Georgia State on active rosters, while Aaron Brewer (Tenneseee Titans), David Mayo (Washington Football Team) and Ty Nsekhe (Dallas Cowboys) represent Texas State.
Arkansas State, in Demario Davis (New Orleans Saints) and J.D. McKissic (Washington Football Team); Coastal Carolina, in Tarron Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles) and Josh Norman (San Francisco 49ers); and Troy, in Mario Addison (Buffalo Bills) and Steve McLendon (Tampa Bay Buccaneers); each claim a pair of former student-athletes on active rosters.
McLendon—who will open his 12th NFL season Thursday night—is the elder statesman among the Sun Belt representatives in the NFL.
Gerald Everett (Seattle Seahawks) out of South Alabama rounds out the 29 Sun Belt alumni on NFL active rosters entering the 2021 season.
Eighteen Sun Belt alumni will open the 2021 season on their respective team’s 16-man practice squads. Two will begin the campaign on injured reserve lists.
Sun Belt football alumni dot 25-of-32 NFL rosters. Thirteen teams claim multiple Sun Belt products heading into the opening weekend of the 2021 season, paced by four each on the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks.
The 2021 NFL regular season commences on Thursday, September 9, when the Dallas Cowboys visit the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
App State
* Ronald Blair – DL, New York Jets
Akeem Davis-Gaither – LB, Cincinnati Bengals
^ Darrynton Evans – RB, Tennessee Titans
Colby Gossett – OL, Atlanta Falcons
Shemar Jean-Charles – DB, Green Bay Packers
Kendall Lamm – OL, Tennessee Titans
Sam Martin – P, Denver Broncos
* Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons
* Josh Thomas – S, Buffalo Bills
Arkansas State
* Omar Bayless – WR, Carolina Panthers
Demario Davis – LB, New Orleans Saints
* Aaron Donkor – LB, Seattle Seahawks
J.D. McKissic – RB, Washington Football Team
* Forrest Merrill – DL, Los Angeles Chargers
* Kirk Merritt – WR, Miami Dolphins
Coastal Carolina
* Anthony Chesley – DB, Indianapolis Colts
Tarron Jackson – DL, Philadelphia Eagles
Josh Norman – DB, San Francisco 49ers
Georgia Southern
Tyler Bass – K, Buffalo Bills
Matt Breida – RB, Buffalo Bills
Raymond Johnson III – DL, New York Giants
Younghoe Koo – K, Atlanta Falcons
Jerick McKinnon – RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Kindle Vildor – DB, Chicago Bears
Georgia State
* Penny Hart – WR, Seattle Seahawks
Wil Lutz – K, New Orleans Saints
Chandon Sullivan – DB, Green Bay Packers
Albert Wilson – WR, Miami Dolphins
Louisiana
* Ja’Marcus Bradley – WR, Cleveland Browns
Kevin Dotson – OL, Pittsburgh Steelers
* Justin Hamilton – DL, Dallas Cowboys
Robert Hunt – OL, Miami Dolphins
* Michael Jacquet – DB, Philadelphia Eagles
^ Elijah McGuire – RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Elijah Mitchell – RB, San Francisco 49ers
* Trey Ragas – RB, Las Vegas Raiders
* Nick Ralston – FB, Dallas Cowboys
Christian Ringo – DL, New Orleans Saints
Tracy Walker III – S, Detroit Lions
ULM
* Josh Johnson – RB, Seattle Seahawks
South Alabama
* Kawaan Baker – WR, New Orleans Saints
Gerald Everett – TE, Seattle Seahawks
* Jeremy Reaves – DB, Washington Football Team
Texas State
Aaron Brewer – OL, Tennessee Titans
David Mayo – LB, Washington Football Team
Ty Nsekhe – OL, Dallas Cowboys
Troy
Mario Addison – DL, Buffalo Bills
Steve McLendon – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Damion Willis – WR, New York Giants
* Practice Squad
^ Injured Reserve