NEW ORLEANS – Coastal Carolina alumnus and Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely scored his first touchdown of the season while Georgia State product and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Benjamin Chukwuma made his first professional start to headline Sun Belt Conference alumni performances during Week 14 of the 2025 National Football League (NFL) season.
In his fourth NFL season and making his sixth start of the year, Likely caught four passes for 25 yards and a touchdown in a 27-22 home defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. His scoring play came on a four-yard reception midway through the third quarter, as Likely now has 22 receptions for 248 yards on the season while the touchdown was the 15th of his career.
Also in the scoring column was Texas State alum and Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates who scored a season-high 14 points going 3-for-4 on field goals and convered all five extra point attempts in the team’s 44-30 home win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. Bates made field goals from distances of 38, 46 and 47 yards.
Two weeks after his two-plus seasons with the New Orleans Saints came to an end, Arkansas State product Blake Grupe took over as kicker for the Indianapolis Colts and scored seven points in a 36-19 road loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Grupe made field goals from 28 and 36 yards, respectively, and converted his lone extra point attempt.
Georgia State alumnus and Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz was responsible for six points in a 24-17 road win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He made a 23-yard field goal and three extra points in the contest.
Additional offensive performers included Troy alum and Los Angeles Chargers starting running back Kimani Vidal filling the box score with 14 carries for 44 yards, one reception for 60 yards and five kickoff returns for 111 yards in a 22-19 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. The reception was the longest of his career while the five returns also marked a career high.
For the Ravens, Marshall alum and running back Rasheen Ali had one rushing attempt for two yards, two catches for 11 yards and a pair of kickoff returns totaling 45 yards.
Along the offensive line, Chukwuma was one of eight Sun Belt alumni to earn snaps in Week 14 and one of six to earn the start for their respective teams. Chukwuma, who earned just six offensive snaps through the Buccaneers’ first 12 games this season, played all 74 offensive snaps in the team’s 24-20 home loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Defensively, Sun Belt alumni were led by Arkansas State alum and five-time All-Pro linebacker for the Saints, Demario Davis, who tallied seven tackles in the road victory over the Bucs. Marshall product and Ravens rookie edge rusher Mike Green recorded four tackles, including one tackle for loss, against the Steelers. Green now has six tackles behind the line of scrimmage on the year.
Sun Belt football alumni held 81 roster spots on 31-of-32 NFL rosters with 42 on active rosters, 26 on practice squads and 13 on injured or other reserve lists. In Week 14 contests, 31 saw game action with 16 earning the start for their respective teams. Eight Sun Belt alums on active rosters were on a bye week as members of the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers.
All 14 Sun Belt programs have been represented on an NFL roster each week during the 2025 campaign. App State leads all Sun Belt teams with 11 former standouts on NFL rosters followed by Louisiana, South Alabama and Southern Miss with nine apiece.
App State
Akeem Davis-Gaither – LB, Arizona Cardinals (1 G)
* Tyrek Funderburk – CB, Minnesota Vikings
Nick Hampton – LB, Los Angeles Rams (1 G)
^ Cooper Hodges – OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
D’Marco Jackson – LB, Chicago Bears (1 G, 1 GS, 3 Tackles)
* Shemar Jean-Charles, DB, Seattle Seahawks
Kendall Lamm – OL, Miami Dolphins (DNP)
* Ahmani Marshall – RB, Cleveland Browns
Sam Martin – P, Carolina Panthers (Bye Week)
^ Jalen McLeod – LB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons (1 G, 1 GS)
Arkansas State
* Jacob Bayer – OL, Cincinnati Bengals
* William Bradley-King – LB, San Francisco 49ers
Demario Davis – LB, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 1 GS, 7 Tackles)
Blake Grupe – K, Indianapolis Colts (1 G, 1 GS, 2-for-2 FG, 1-for-1 XP)
* Courtney Jackson – WR, Seattle Seahawks
* Trevian Thomas – S, Jacksonville Jaguars
Coastal Carolina
C.J. Brewer – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 Tackle)
^ Tarron Jackson – DL, San Francisco 49ers
Isaiah Likely – TE, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 1 GS, 4 Receptions, 25 Yards, 1 Touchdown)
Georgia Southern
Darrell Baker Jr. – CB, Tennessee Titans (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Tackles, 2 Passes Defended)
* Shemar Bartholomew – CB, Green Bay Packers
^ Tyler Bass – K, Buffalo Bills
Younghoe Koo – K, New York Giants (Bye Week)
Kindle Vildor – CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G)
Georgia State
Benjamin Chukwuma – OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 GS)
^ Travis Glover – OL, Green Bay Packers
Wil Lutz – K, Denver Broncos (1 G, 1 GS, 1-for-1 FG, 3-for-3 XP)
James Madison
* Liam Fornadel, OL, New York Jets
* Jamree Kromah, DE, Chicago Bears
Aaron Stinnie – OL, New York Giants (Bye Week)
Louisiana
Percy Butler – S, Washington Commanders (1 G)
* Dalen Cambre – WR, New York Giants
Kevin Dotson – OL, Los Angeles Rams (1 G, 1 GS)
^ Robert Hunt – OL, Carolina Panthers
* Andre Jones Jr. – DE, Buffalo Bills
Keyon Martin – CB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G)
Elijah Mitchell – RB, Kansas City Chiefs (DNP)
Max Mitchell – OL, New York Jets (1 G)
Nate Thomas – OL, Dallas Cowboys (1 G, 1 GS)
ULM
* Car’lin Vigers – CB, Washington Commanders
Marshall
Rasheen Ali – RB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 1 Rush, 2 Yards, 2 Receptions, 11 Yards, 2 Kickoff Returns, 45 Yards)
^ Ethan Driskell – OL, Kansas City Chiefs
Mike Green – LB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 4 Tackles, 1 Tackle For Loss)
Neville Hewitt – LB, New York Giants (Bye Week)
^ Nazeeh Johnson – S, Kansas City Chiefs
* Elias Neal – LB, Los Angeles Rams
^ J.J. Roberts – S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dalton Tucker – OL, Indianapolis Colts (1 G)
Old Dominion
* Tre Hawkins III – CB, Washington Commanders
^ Nick Saldiveri – OL, New Orleans Saints
Stone Smartt – TE, New York Jets (1 G, 1 Tackle)
^ Blake Watson – RB, Tennessee Titans
Keion White – DL, San Francisco 49ers (Bye Week)
South Alabama
* Carter Bradley – QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Darrell Luter Jr. – CB, San Francisco 49ers (Bye Week)
* Jamaal Pritchett – WR, New York Jets
Jeremy Reaves – S, Washington Commanders (1 G, 1 Tackle)
* Jamie Sheriff – LB, Seattle Seahawks
* Wy’Kevious “Bubba” Thomas – DL, Seattle Seahawks
Jalen Tolbert – WR, Dallas Cowboys (DNP)
Corliss Waitman – P, Pittsburgh Steelers (1 G, 1 GS, 4 Punts, 197 Yards)
* Jeremiah Webb – WR, New England Patriots
Southern Miss
^ Cornell Armstrong – CB, Miami Dolphins
* Swayze Bozeman – LB, New York Giants
Natrone Brooks – CB, Atlanta Falcons (1 G)
* Jason Brownlee – WR, Kansas City Chiefs
* Frank Gore Jr. – RB, Buffalo Bills
* Tim Jones – WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Nick Mullens – QB, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 G, 1-for-1, 3 Yards, 3 Rushes, -1 Yard)
Rakeem Nunez-Roches – DL, New York Giants (Bye Week)
* Quez Watkins – WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Texas State
Jake Bates – K, Detroit Lions (1 G, 1 GS, 3-for-4 FG, 5-for-5 XP)
Aaron Brewer – OL, Miami Dolphins (1 G, 1 GS)
^ Deion Hankins – RB, Chicago Bears
* Kyle Hergel – OL, Chicago Bears
Troy
Jake Andrews – OL, Houston Texans (1 G, 1 GS)
Dell Pettus – S, New England Patriots (Bye Week)
Javon Solomon – EDGE, Buffalo Bills (1 G)
Reddy Steward – CB, Dallas Cowboys (1 G, 1 GS, 3 Tackles)
Kimani Vidal – RB, Los Angeles Chargers (1 G, 1 GS, 14 Rushes, 44 Yards, 1 Reception, 60 Yards, 5 Kickoff Returns, 111 Yards)
*Practice Squad
^Injured & Other Reserve