NEW ORLEANS – Troy product and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson scored a touchdown while App State alum and Chicago Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson pulled down a key interception to lead Sun Belt Conference football alumni performers during Week 7 of the 2026 National Football League (NFL) season.
A total of 80 Sun Belt football alumni held roster spots on 28-of-32 NFL rosters with 48 on active rosters, 23 on practice squads and nine on injured or other reserve lists. In Week 7 contests, 36 saw game action with 18 earning the start for their respective teams. Seven Sun Belt alums on active rosters were on a bye week as members of the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders.
In his second NFL season, Johnson earned the start and reeled in his first touchdown of the season – a 14-yard strike from quarterback Baker Mayfield – with just four seconds remaining before halftime in an eventual 43-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon. Johnson finished with two catches for 33 yards, rushed one time for 12 yards and returned one punt for 22 yards.
On Monday Night Football, Louisiana alum and Philadelphia Eagles running back Elijah Mitchell made his debut with the team and flashed on nine total touches in his team’s 38-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Mitchell rushed three times for 11 yards, caught three passes for 23 yards and returned three kickoffs for 27 yards.
Marshall alum and Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali earned four carries and 19 yards while returning one kickoff for 23 yards in a 35-13 setback to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Additionally, Coastal Carolina alum and New York Giants starting tight end Isaiah Likely caught two passes for 12 yards in a 27-21 overtime victory over the Houston Texans.
Georgia State alum and Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz scored 12 points in a 30-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, making all three of his field goal attempts and going 3-for-3 on extra points. Lutz’s field goals were successful from distances of 48, 43 and 31 yards, respectively.
Former Arkansas State kicker and Giants rookie Dominic Zvada went 3-for-3 on extra points but missed a pair of field goal attempts in the win over the Texans.
Defensively, Jackson earned his sixth start in seven games and recorded six tackles along with his second-career interception in a 30-24 victory over the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football. The former Mountaineer’s interception proved significant in the one-score win, as he came down with an errant pass on first down by quarterback Drake Maye in the end zone with 3:32 left in the first half.
Marshall product and Ravens edge rusher Mike Green earned his third start and made two tackles, including his third sack of the season, against the Bengals. In his second NFL season, Green now has 6.5 career sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
App State alum and Indianapolis Colts starting linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither led all Sun Belt alumni with seven tackles, including one tackle for loss, in a 16-10 setback to the Minnesota Vikings. Another former Mountaineer, Panthers linebacker Nick Hampton, made his season debut and recorded five tackles against the Buccaneers.
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
Nick Hampton – LB, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 5 Tackles)
D’Marco Jackson - LB, Chicago Bears (1 G, 1 GS, 6 Tackles, 1 Interception, 1 Pass Defended)
* Ahmani Marshall - RB, Carolina Panthers
Sam Martin - P, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Punts, 87 Yards)
Jalen McLeod – LB, Jacksonville Jaguars (Bye Week)
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, 3 Tackles, 2 Passes Defended)
^Blake Grupe – K, Los Angeles Rams
Kenneth Harris - CB, Indianapolis Colts (1 G, 2 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
Seydou Traore - TE, Miami Dolphins (1 G)
Dominic Zvada - K, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 0-for-2 FG, 3-for-3 XP)
Coastal Carolina
Willie Lampkin - OL, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G)
Isaiah Likely – TE, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards)
Georgia Southern
^Darrell Baker Jr. - CB, Miami Dolphins
Tyler Bass - K, Buffalo Bills (Bye Week)
Camden Brown - WR, Dallas Cowboys (1 G)
* Derrick Canteen – CB, Tennessee Titans
Kindle Vildor - CB, New England Patriots (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Georgia State
Benjamin Chukwuma - OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 GS)
Travis Glover - OL, Green Bay Packers (1 G, 1 GS)
Ted Hurst - WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 GS)
Wil Lutz - K, Denver Broncos (1 G, 1 GS, 3-for-3 FG, 3-for-3 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, 2 Tackles, 1 Tackle For Loss)
Aaron Stinnie - OL, New York Giants (1 G)
Jacob Thomas - S, Minnesota Vikings (1 G)
Louisiana
Percy Butler - S, Washington Commanders (Bye Week)
* Dalen Cambre - WR, New York Giants
Kevin Dotson - OL, Los Angeles Rams (1 G, 1 GS)
Jaden Dugger - LB, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 2 Tackles, 1 Tackle For Loss)
Robert Hunt - OL, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 1 GS)
Keyon Martin - CB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Elijah Mitchell – RB, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G, 3 Rushes, 11 Yards, 3 Receptions, 23 Yards, 3 Kickoff Returns, 27 Yards)
Max Mitchell - OL, New York Jets (DNP)
^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 (Bye Week)
L’Jarius Sneed – CB, Kansas City Chiefs (1 G, 2 Tackles)
Milton Williams – DL, New England Patriots (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Tackles, 1 Tackle For Loss)
Marshall
Rasheen Ali - RB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 4 Rushes, 19 Yards, 1 Kickoff Return, 23 Yards)
* Ethan Driskell - OL, Kansas City Chiefs
Mike Green - EDGE, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 Tackle For Loss)
* 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)
South Alabama
* Kentrel Bullock - RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Darrell Luter Jr. - DB, Las Vegas Raiders (1 G)
* Jamaal Pritchett - WR, New York Jets
Jeremy Reaves - S, Washington Commanders (Bye Week)
Jalen Tolbert - WR, Miami Dolphins (DNP)
Corliss Waitman - P, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 1 GS, 1 Punt, 37 Yards)
Southern Miss
* Jason Brownlee – WR, New York Giants
^Swayze Bozeman - LB, Cincinnati Bengals (DNP)
* 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 GS, 2 Receptions, 33 Yards, 1 Touchdown, 1 Rush, 14 Yards, 1 Punt Return, 22 Yards)
^Dell Pettus - S, New England Patriots
^Caleb Ransaw - S, Jacksonville Jaguars
Javon Solomon - LB, Buffalo Bills (Bye Week)
* Reddy Steward - CB, Dallas Cowboys
Kimani Vidal - RB, Los Angeles Chargers (Bye Week)
*Practice Squad
^Injured & Other Reserve