NEW ORLEANS – Coastal Carolina alumnus and New York Giants starting tight end Isaiah Likely found the end zone for the third time in the last two weeks, while special teams personnel accounted for significant scoring performances to lead Sun Belt Conference football alumni efforts during Week 6 of the 2026 National Football League (NFL) season.
A total of 83 Sun Belt football alumni held roster spots on 29-of-32 NFL rosters with 48 on active rosters, 24 on practice squads and 11 on injured or other reserve lists. In Week 6 contests, 38 saw game action with 21 earning the start for their respective teams. Six Sun Belt alums on active rosters were on a bye week as members of the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings.
After scoring two touchdowns in Week 5, Likely caught a 24-yard pass from quarterback JJ McCarthy in the fourth quarter of a 34-27 setback against the New York Giants on Sunday. The former Chanticleer finished the game with six receptions for 99 yards and caught a pass on a successful 2-point conversion attempt. In his fifth NFL campaign, Likely now has five touchdowns in six games this season which is one short of his career high set in 2024.
Georgia State alum and Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Ted Hurst caught three passes for 40 yards in a 26-19 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. His teammate and former Troy standout receiver Tez Johnson caught two passes for seven yards, returns two punts for 13 yards and one kickoff for 25 yards in the contest.
Troy alum and Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal rushed seven times for 21 yards and caught three passes for 19 yards in a 22-6 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs.
On special teams, Georgia Southern alum and Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass had one of the most productive games of his seven-year career, scoring a season-high 15 points while going 4-for-4 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points in a 33-30 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Bass connected on field goals from distances of 47, 44, 38 and 28 yards in the three-point triumph.
Georgia State alumnus and Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz scored five clutch points in a 17-14 overtime win over the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football, making two extra points and a 53-yard, game-winning field goal with under five minutes remaining in the overtime period.
A pair of former Arkansas State kickers - Dominic Zvada of the Giants and Blake Grupe of the Rams – also found the scoreboard in their respective outings on Sunday. Zvada registered seven points going 2-for-2 on field goals from distances of 41 and 34 yards, respectively with one extra point against the Saints. Grupe made a 44-yard field goal on his lone attempt in an 18-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Also on special teams, App State alum and Carolina Panthers punter Sam Martin recorded five punts for 225 yards in his team’s 25-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Additionally, South Alabama alum and San Francisco 49ers punter Corliss Waitman registered four punts for 191 yards in a 23-17 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football.
Defensively, Louisiana alum and 49ers rookie starting linebacker Jaden Dugger led all Sun Belt alumni with 11 tackles in his team’s victory, as App State alum and Indianapolis Colts starting linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither racked up nine tackles in a 26-20 setback to the Tennessee Titans.
Arkansas State alumnus and five-time All-Pro linebacker of the New York Jets, Demario Davis, tallied seven tackles and one pass defended in a 26-19 loss to the New England Patriots. Louisiana Tech alum and Commanders starting cornerback Amik Robertson also totaled seven tackles against the 49ers.
Louisiana alum and Baltimore Ravens second-year cornerback Keyon Martin recorded three tackles, one sack and one pass defended in a 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Louisiana Tech alum and Patriots starting defensive lineman Milton Williams had three tackles and one sack in the win over the Jets.
Former Old Dominion standout and 49ers edge rusher Keion White also made his presence felt behind the line of scrimmage with four tackles and a half sack in the win over the Commanders.
App State
* Joey Aguilar - QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Akeem Davis-Gaither - LB, Indianapolis Colts (1 G, 1 GS, 9 Tackles)
* Tyrek Funderburk - CB, Dallas Cowboys
D’Marco Jackson - LB, Chicago Bears (1 G, 1 GS, 1 Tackle)
* Ahmani Marshall - RB, Carolina Panthers
Sam Martin - P, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 1 GS, 5 Punts, 225 Yards)
^DeShawn McKnight - DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jalen McLeod – LB, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons (1 G, 1 GS, 1 Fumble Recovered)
Arkansas State
Jacob Bayer – OL, Cincinnati Bengals (Bye Week)
^Keyron Crawford - DE, Las Vegas Raiders
Demario Davis – LB, New York Jets (1 G, 1 GS, 7 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
Blake Grupe – K, Los Angeles Rams (1 G, 1 GS, 1-for-1 FG, 1 Tackle)
* Kenneth Harris - CB, Indianapolis Colts
^Corey Rucker - WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Seydou Traore - TE, Miami Dolphins (Bye Week)
Dominic Zvada - K, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 2-for-2 FG, 1-for-1 XP)
Coastal Carolina
Willie Lampkin - OL, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G, 1 GS)
Isaiah Likely – TE, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 6 Receptions, 99 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 2-Point Conversion)
* Malick Meiga - WR, Seattle Seahawks
Georgia Southern
^Darrell Baker Jr. - CB, Miami Dolphins
Tyler Bass - K, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 4-for-4 FG, 3-for-3 XP)
Camden Brown - WR, Dallas Cowboys (DNP)
* Derrick Canteen – CB, Tennessee Titans
Kindle Vildor - CB, New England Patriots (1 G)
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, 3 Receptions, 40 Yards)
Wil Lutz - K, Denver Broncos (1 G, 1 GS, 1-for-1 FG, 2-for-2 XP)
* Jamari Thrash - WR, Las Vegas Raiders
James Madison
* Elijah Culp - CB, Green Bay Packers
* Nick DeGennaro - WR, Washington Commanders
* Xavier Holmes - LB, New England Patriots
Jamree Kromah - DL, Chicago Bears (1 G)
Aaron Stinnie - OL, New York Giants (1 G)
Jacob Thomas - S, Minnesota Vikings (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)
Jaden Dugger - LB, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 1 GS, 11 Tackles)
Robert Hunt - OL, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 1 GS)
Andre Jones Jr. - LB, Miami Dolphins (Bye Week)
Keyon Martin - CB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 3 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 Pass Defended)
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)
L’Jarius Sneed – CB, Kansas City Chiefs (1 G, 5 Tackles, 1 Forced Fumble, 1 Pass Defended)
Milton Williams – DL, New England Patriots (1 G, 1 GS, 3 Tackles, 1 Sack)
Xavier Woods – S, Chicago Bears (DNP)
Marshall
Rasheen Ali - RB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 2 Kickoff Returns, 43 Yards)
* Ethan Driskell - OL, Kansas City Chiefs
Mike Green - EDGE, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 2 Tackles)
* Elias Neal - LB, Los Angeles Rams
* JJ Roberts - S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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, 4 Tackles, 0.5 Sacks)
South Alabama
* Kentrel Bullock - RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Darrell Luter Jr. - DB, Las Vegas Raiders (1 G, 2 Tackles)
* Jamaal Pritchett - WR, New York Jets
Jeremy Reaves - S, Washington Commanders (1 G, 1 GS, 6 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
Jalen Tolbert - WR, Miami Dolphins (Bye Week)
Corliss Waitman - P, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 1 GS, 4 Punts, 191 Yards)
^Jeremiah Webb - WR, New England Patriots
Southern Miss
^Swayze Bozeman - LB, Cincinnati Bengals
* 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, 2 Receptions, 7 Yards, 2 Punt Returns, 13 yards, 1 Kickoff Return, 25 Yards)
^Dell Pettus - S, New England Patriots
^Caleb Ransaw - S, Jacksonville Jaguars
Javon Solomon - LB, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 2 Tackles, 1 Tackle For Loss)
Reddy Steward - CB, Dallas Cowboys (DNP)
Kimani Vidal - RB, Los Angeles Chargers (1 G, 7 Rushes, 21 Yards, 3 Receptions, 19 Yards)
*Practice Squad
^Injured & Other Reserve