NEW ORLEANS – Coastal Carolina alumnus and New York Giants starting tight end Isaiah Likely recorded his second two-touchdown game of the season as Troy alum and Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal also found the end zone to lead Sun Belt football alumni performers during Week 5 of the 2026 National Football League (NFL) season.
A total of 82 Sun Belt football alumni held roster spots on 30-of-32 NFL rosters with 51 on active rosters, 20 on practice squads and 11 on injured or other reserve lists. In Week 5 contests, 41 saw game action with 19 earning the start for their respective teams. Four Sun Belt alums on active rosters were on a bye week as members of the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs.
Likely caught a career-high 11 passes for 94 yards and two scores in the Giants’ 27-27 tie against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. His two touchdowns matched his personal best for the fourth time in his career and first since accomplishing the feat during Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. The former Chanticleer scored on a three-yard pass from quarterback Jameis Winston late in the third quarter before catching a 17-yard pass from Winston midway through the fourth quarter.
Vidal rushed eight times for 57 yards and one touchdown, caught one pass and returned three kickoffs for 75 yards in the Chargers’ 23-17 home loss to the Denver Broncos. Vidal broke a 42-yard touchdown run with under a minute remaining in the third quarter for his second trip to the end zone in as many weeks after catching a touchdown pass against the Seahawks the previous Sunday.
Former Troy standout and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson caught a career-long 64-yard pass on his lone target of the day and returned one punt for 12 yards in his team’s 24-16 road win over the Cowboys.
Multiple former Sun Belt kickers enjoyed productive outings led by Georgia Southern alum Tyler Bass of the Buffalo Bills who scored 11 points going 3-for-3 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points in a 37-34 overtime road win over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. Bass made field goals from distances of 49 and 23 yards in the first quarter before netting a game-winning, 45-yarder with 1:55 to go in overtime.
Broncos kicker and Georgia State alumnus Wil Lutz also scored 11 points going 3-for-4 on field goals while making two extra points in the win over the Chargers. Lutz converted field goals from 36, 34 and 19 yards out
Former Arkansas State kicker and Giants rookie Dominic Zvada chipped in nine points going 2-for-5 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points against the Commanders. His makes came from distances of 56 and 51 yards, while his misses were at distances of 57, 50 and 46 yards, respectively.
Defensively, former Louisiana linebacker and San Francisco 49ers rookie Jaden Dugger started and made a season-high nine tackles and recorded his first NFL sack in the team’s 32-29 road win over the Seahawks. Teammate and former Old Dominion edge rusher Keion White started made three tackles, including two tackles for loss, and one sack in the contest. The sack was his third of the season and gives him 10.5 for his career.
The 2024 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, Marshall product and Baltimore Ravens edge rusher earned the start and made two tackles for loss including one sack in a 30-23 overtime road win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football. The sack was his second of the year and increased his career total to 5.5.
A pair of Commanders defensive backs were among the Sun Belt’s leaders in tackles during Week 5, as Louisiana Tech alum and starting cornerback Amik Robertson racked up seven stops and defended one pass against the Giants. Additionally, South Alabama alum and starting safety Jeremy Reaves produced an identical stat line in the contest.
App State alumnus and Indianapolis Colts starting linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither made seven tackles, including one tackle for loss, in a 34-22 road defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
App State
* Joey Aguilar - QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Akeem Davis-Gaither - LB, Indianapolis Colts (1 G, 1 GS, 7 Tackles, 1 Tackle For Loss)
* Tyrek Funderburk - CB, Dallas Cowboys
D’Marco Jackson - LB, Chicago Bears (1 G, 1 GS, 4 Tackles)
* Ahmani Marshall - RB, Carolina Panthers
Sam Martin - P, Carolina Panthers (Bye Week)
^DeShawn McKnight - DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jalen McLeod – LB, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 G, 2 Tackles)
Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons (1 G, 1 GS)
Arkansas State
Jacob Bayer – OL, Cincinnati Bengals (1 G)
^Keyron Crawford - DE, Las Vegas Raiders
Demario Davis – LB, New York Jets (1 G, 1 GS, 4 Tackles, 1 Quarterback Hit)
* Blake Grupe – K, New York Jets
* Kenneth Harris - CB, Indianapolis Colts
^Corey Rucker - WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Seydou Traore - TE, Miami Dolphins (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Dominic Zvada - K, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 2-for-5 FG, 3-for-3 XP)
Coastal Carolina
Willie Lampkin - OL, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G, 1 GS)
Isaiah Likely – TE, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 11 Receptions, 94 Yards, 2 Touchdowns)
* Malick Meiga - WR, Seattle Seahawks
Georgia Southern
^Darrell Baker Jr. - CB, Miami Dolphins
Tyler Bass - K, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 3-for-3 FG, 2-for-2 XP)
Camden Brown - WR, Dallas Cowboys (DNP)
* Derrick Canteen – CB, Tennessee Titans
Kindle Vildor - CB, New England Patriots (1 G, 4 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
Georgia State
Benjamin Chukwuma - OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G)
Travis Glover - OL, Green Bay Packers (1 G, 1 GS)
Ted Hurst - WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G)
Wil Lutz - K, Denver Broncos (1 G, 1 GS, 3-for-4 FG, 2-for-2 XP)
^Jamari Thrash - WR, Cleveland Browns
James Madison
* Nick DeGennaro - WR, Washington Commanders
* Xavier Holmes - LB, New England Patriots
Jamree Kromah - DL, Chicago Bears (DNP)
Aaron Stinnie - OL, New York Giants (1 G)
Jacob Thomas - S, Minnesota Vikings (1 G)
Louisiana
Percy Butler - S, Washington Commanders (DNP)
Dalen Cambre - WR, New York Giants (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Kevin Dotson - OL, Los Angeles Rams (1 G, 1 GS)
Jaden Dugger - LB, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 9 Tackles, 1 Sack)
Robert Hunt - OL, Carolina Panthers (Bye Week)
Andre Jones Jr. - LB, Miami Dolphins (1 G)
Keyon Martin - CB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G)
Max Mitchell - OL, New York Jets (1 G)
^K.C. Ossai - LB, Houston Texans
Nathan Thomas - OL, Houston Texans (DNP)
ULM
* D’Arco Perkins-McAllister, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
* Car’lin Vigers - CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Louisiana Tech
* David Blay Jr. - DL, Green Bay Packers
^Jimmy Holiday - WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Amik Robertson – CB, Washington Commanders (1 G, 1 GS, 7 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
L’Jarius Sneed – CB, Kansas City Chiefs (Bye Week)
Milton Williams – DL, New England Patriots (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Tackles)
Xavier Woods – S, Chicago Bears (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Tackles)
Marshall
Rasheen Ali - RB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 2 Kickoff Returns, 50 Yards, 3 Tackles)
* Ethan Driskell - OL, Kansas City Chiefs
Mike Green - EDGE, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Tackles, 1 Sack, 2 Tackles For Loss)
* Elias Neal - LB, Los Angeles Rams
JJ Roberts - S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G)
Dalton Tucker - OL, Indianapolis Colts (DNP)
Old Dominion
^ Nick Saldiveri – OL, New Orleans Saints
* Stone Smartt - TE, New Orleans Saints
Keion White – DL, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 1 GS, 3 Tackles, 1 Sack, 2 Tackles For Loss)
South Alabama
* Kentrel Bullock - RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Darrell Luter Jr. - DB, Las Vegas Raiders (1 G)
Jeremy Reaves - S, Washington Commanders (1 G, 1 GS, 7 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
* Jamie Sheriff - LB, Los Angeles Rams
Jalen Tolbert - WR, Miami Dolphins (1 G, 1 Reception, 22 Yards)
Corliss Waitman - P, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 1 GS, 5 Punts, 216 Yards)
^Jeremiah Webb - WR, New England Patriots
Southern Miss
Swayze Bozeman - LB, Cincinnati Bengals (1 G, 1 Tackle)
* Frank Gore Jr. - RB, Buffalo Bills
* Tim Jones - WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
* Nick Mullens - QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Rakeem Nuñez-Roches - DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G)
*Quez Watkins - WR, Indianapolis Colts
Troy
Jake Andrews - C, Houston Texans (1 G)
Tez Johnson - WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 Reception, 64 Yards, 1 Punt Return, 12 Yards)
^Dell Pettus - S, New England Patriots
^Caleb Ransaw - S, Jacksonville Jaguars
Javon Solomon - LB, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Reddy Steward - CB, Dallas Cowboys (1 G, 1 GS, 5 Tackles)
Kimani Vidal - RB, Los Angeles Chargers (1 G, 8 Rushes, 57 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 1 Reception, -1 Yard, 3 Kickoff Returns, 75 Yards, 2 Tackles)
*Practice Squad
^Injured & Other Reserve