NEW ORLEANS — Georgia Southern alum Jerick McKinnon, a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Southern Miss product Quez Watkins, a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, found the end zone for their respective clubs in Week 2 of the 2022 National Football League (NFL) season.
Seventeen Sun Belt alumni earned starts for their NFL teams, a 13 percent jump from Week 1, while a season-high 40 saw game action.
McKinnon caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes in the Chiefs’ 27-24 Thursday Night Football victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. He accumulated 16 yards on the day.
Watkins hauled in a 53-yard touchdown strike from Jalen Hurts in the Eagles’ 24-7 Monday Night Football win over the Minnesota Vikings. He registered 82 yards in the contest, contributing in the air attack and the return game.
Three other Sun Belt alumni also tallied at least 40 yards of total offense—Washington Commanders running back J.D. McKissic out of Arkansas State (54 Receiving, 9 Rushing), Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely out of Coastal Carolina (43 Receiving) and Los Angeles Chargers tight end Gerald Everett out of South Alabama (71 Receiving).
Likely’s four receptions were his first in the NFL, while Everett sits fifth among tight ends with 125 receiving yards on the young season.
New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis out of Arkansas State and New York Jets offensive lineman Max Mitchell out of Louisiana each carded a fumble recovery in Week 2. Davis also had six tackles and a pass defended, while Mitchell played every offensive snap for the second-straight week.
Old Dominion product Oshane Ximines, a linebacker for the New York Giants, filled up the stat sheet with two tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit and a pass defended. Chandon Sullivan (4)—a Minnesota Vikings defensive back out of Georgia State; Tracy Walker III (5)—a Detroit Lions safety out of Louisiana; and Jeremy Reaves (3)—a Washington Commanders safety out of South Alabama—tallied three-or-more tackles on the week.
On special teams, Sun Belt trio of Tyler Bass (Georgia Southern, Buffalo Bills), Younghoe Koo (Georgia Southern, Atlanta Falcons) and Wil Lutz (Georgia State, New Orleans Saints) combined to go 4-for-5 on field goal attempts and a perfect 8-for-8 on extra points. Bass kicked the longest field goal of the week at 49 yards. App State alumnus punter Sam Martin accumulated 145 yards on three attempts for the Buffalo Bills, while South Alabama alum punter Corliss Waitman tallied 214 yards on five punts for the Denver Broncos.
In addition to Likely making his first NFL receptions, former Coastal Carolina teammate CJ Brewer saw his first NFL action in Week 2—making a pair of tackles for the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
Seventy-six Sun Belt alumni earned NFL roster spots entering the 2022 season, with 46 on active rosters, 18 on 16-man practice squads and 11 on reserve lists during Week 2.
Sun Belt football alumni dot 30-of-32 NFL rosters.
App State
Akeem Davis-Gaither – LB, Cincinnati Bengals (1 G)
* Darrynton Evans – RB, Chicago Bears
Colby Gossett – OL, Atlanta Falcons (1 G)
* Tae Hayes – DB, Carolina Panthers
^ Thomas Hennigan – WR, Minnesota Vikings
^ D’Marco Jackson – LB, New Orleans Saints
Shemar Jean-Charles – DB, Green Bay Packers (1 G)
* Shaun Jolly – DB, Cleveland Browns
Sam Martin – P, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 3 Punts, 145 Yards)
* Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons
Demetrius Taylor – DL, Detroit Lions (DNP)
* Josh Thomas – S, Arizona Cardinals
Jalen Virgil – WR, Denver Broncos (DNP)
Arkansas State
Demario Davis – LB, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 1 GS, 6 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended, 1 Fumble Recovery)
* Aaron Donkor – LB, Seattle Seahawks
J.D. McKissic – RB, Washington Commanders (1 G, 7 Receptions, 54 Yards, 3 Rushes, 9 Yards)
^ Forrest Merrill – DL, Los Angeles Chargers
* Kirk Merritt – WR, New Orleans Saints
^ Chris Odom – DE, Cleveland Browns
Coastal Carolina
CJ Brewer – DT, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 2 Tackles)
* Anthony Chesley – DB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jeff Gunter – DE, Cincinnati Bengals (1 G)
Tarron Jackson – DE, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G)
Isaiah Likely – TE, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 4 Receptions, 43 Yards)
Georgia Southern
* Darrell Baker Jr. – DB, Indianapolis Colts
Tyler Bass – K, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 2-for-2 FG, 5-for-5 XP)
Matt Breida – RB, New York Giants (1 G, 1 Rush, -4 Yards)
* Raymond Johnson III – DE, Cincinnati Bengals
Younghoe Koo – K, Atlanta Falcons (1 G, 1 GS, 1-for-2 FG, 2-for-2 XP)
Jerick McKinnon – RB, Kansas City Chiefs (1 G, 2 Receptions, 4 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 4 Rushes, 12 Yards)
Kindle Vildor, DB, Chicago Bears (1 G, 1 GS, 1 Tackle)
Georgia State
* Roger Carter Jr. – TE, Los Angeles Rams
Penny Hart – WR, Seattle Seahawks (1 G)
Wil Lutz – K, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 1 GS, 1-for-1 FG, 1-for-1 XP)
Chandon Sullivan – DB, Minnesota Vikings (1 G, 1 GS, 4 Tackles)
James Madison
* Mike Greene – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dean Marlowe – S, Atlanta Falcons (1 G)
^ Aaron Stinnie – OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Josh Wells – OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 GS)
Louisiana
Percy Butler – S, Washington Commanders (1 G)
Kevin Dotson – OL, Pittsburgh Steelers (1 G, 1 GS)
Robert Hunt – OL, Miami Dolphins (1 G, 1 GS)
* Michael Jacquet – DB, Los Angeles Chargers
^ Elijah Mitchell – RB, San Francisco 49ers
Max Mitchell – OL, New York Jets (1 G, 1 GS, 1 Fumble Recovery)
* Trey Ragas – RB, Los Angeles Rams
Christian Ringo – DT, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Tracy Walker III – S, Detroit Lions (1 G, 1 GS, 5 Tackles)
Marshall
Josh Ball – OL, Dallas Cowboys (DNP)
^ Vinny Curry – DL, New York Jets
Neville Hewitt – LB, Houston Texans (1 G)
Chris Jackson – DB, Tennessee Titans (1 G, 1 Tackle)
* Nazeeh Johnson – S, Kansas City Chiefs
Old Dominion
* Rashaad Coward – OL, Arizona Cardinals
* Travis Fulgham – WR, Green Bay Packers
Taylor Heinicke – QB, Washington Commanders (DNP)
Rick Lovato – LS, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G, 1 GS)
Zach Pascal – WR, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards, 1 Tackle)
^ Stone Smartt – TE, Los Angeles Chargers
^ Isaac Weaver – OL, Los Angeles Chargers
Oshane Ximines – LB, New York Giants (1 G, 2 Tackles, 1.0 Sacks, 1 TFL, 1 QB Hit, 1 Pass Defended)
South Alabama
^ Kawaan Baker – WR, New Orleans Saints
Gerald Everett – TE, Los Angeles Chargers (1 G, 1 GS, 6 Receptions, 71 Yards)
Jeremy Reaves – S, Washington Commanders (1 G, 3 Tackles)
Jalen Tolbert – WR, Dallas Cowboys (DNP)
Corliss Waitman – P, Denver Broncos (1 G, 1 GS, 5 Punts, 214 Yards)
Southern Miss
Tim Jones – WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 G)
Tarvarius Moore – DB, San Francisco 49ers (1 G)
Nick Mullens – QB, Minnesota Vikings (DNP)
Rakeem Nunez-Roches – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 Tackle)
* Cameron Tom – OL, Philadelphia Eagles
Quez Watkins – WR, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Receptions, 69 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 2 KR, 13 Yards)
Texas State
Aaron Brewer – OL, Tennessee Titans (1 G, 1 GS)
David Mayo – LB, Washington Commanders (1 G)
Troy
^ Mario Addison – DL, Houston Texans
* Practice Squad
^ Injured & Other Reserve