NEW ORLEANS – Georgia State alumnus and Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz converted all seven of his kick attempts - including a game-winning field goal in overtime - to headline Sun Belt Conference football alumni performers during the Divisional Round of the 2025-26 National Football League (NFL) playoffs.
Lutz scored 15 points for the top-seeded Broncos, as he converted all four field goal attempts and each of his three extra point tries in the 33-30 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday afternoon.
Lutz made field goals from distances of 50, 33, 28 and 23 yards, as the 50-yarder came as time expired in the first half to send Denver into halftime with a 20-10 lead. His 23-yarder was his final attempt of the game with 4:44 remaining in overtime and sent the Broncos to their first conference championship game since 2015.
Defensively, App State alum and Chicago Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson earned the start and made seven tackles with one pass defended in the team’s 20-17 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday evening. In the same contest, Marshall alum and Rams linebacker Elias Neal made three tackles.
Troy alum and New England Patriots safety Dell Pettus recorded three tackles as part of a defense that forced five turnovers in a 28-16 home win over the Houston Texans.
Two Sun Belt alumni started along their respective teams’ offensive lines, including Louisiana alum Kevin Dotson at right guard for the Rams and Jake Andrews at center for the Texans.
During the Divisional Round, 24 Sun Belt alumni held roster spots with at least one player on each of the eight remaining playoff teams. In that total, 11 played snaps for their respective teams and four earned a start. The Sun Belt will have 11 representatives rostered heading into next weekend’s conference championship games.
App State
Nick Hampton – LB, Los Angeles Rams (1 G, 1 Tackle)
D’Marco Jackson – LB, Chicago Bears (1 G, 1 GS, 7 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
* Shemar Jean-Charles, DB, Seattle Seahawks
Arkansas State
* William Bradley-King – LB, San Francisco 49ers
* Mehki Butler – OL, New England Patriots
* Courtney Jackson – WR, Seattle Seahawks
Coastal Carolina
^ Tarron Jackson – DL, San Francisco 49ers
Georgia Southern
^ Tyler Bass – K, Buffalo Bills
Georgia State
Wil Lutz – K, Denver Broncos (1 G, 1 GS, 4-for-4 FG, 3-for-3 XP)
James Madison
* Jamree Kromah, DE, Chicago Bears
Louisiana
Kevin Dotson – OL, Los Angeles Rams (1 G, 1 GS)
* Andre Jones Jr. – DE, Buffalo Bills
Marshall
Elias Neal – LB, Los Angeles Rams (1 G, 3 Tackles)
Old Dominion
Keion White – DL, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 1 Tackle)
South Alabama
Darrell Luter Jr. – CB, San Francisco 49ers (1 G)
* Jamie Sheriff – LB, Seattle Seahawks
* Wy’Kevious “Bubba” Thomas – DL, Seattle Seahawks
* Jeremiah Webb – WR, New England Patriots
Southern Miss
Frank Gore Jr. – RB, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Texas State
^ 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 (1 G, 3 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
Javon Solomon – EDGE, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 Tackle)
*Practice Squad
^Injured & Other Reserve