NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana alumnus and San Francisco 49ers rookie linebacker Jaden Dugger returned an interception for his first touchdown as a pro, as Coastal Carolina alum and New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely caught a touchdown pass of his own to headline Sun Belt Conference football alumni performers during Week 9 of the 2026 National Football League (NFL) season.
A total of 80 Sun Belt football alumni held roster spots on 29-of-32 NFL rosters with 42 on active rosters, 27 on practice squads and 11 on injured or other reserve lists. In Week 9 contests, 39 saw game action with 16 earning the start for their respective teams.
Dugger, a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, made six solo tackles, one pass defended and made perhaps the most important play of the game in coverage for the 49ers when he
intercepted a pass attempt by Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter. The former Ragin’ Cajuns star returned the turnover 35 yards for a touchdown to extend the 49ers lead to 28-10 in an eventual 38-17 victory on Sunday. Dugger has played in all eight of his team’s games during his debut campaign and earned three starts.
In his fifth NFL season and first with the Giants, Likely hauled in his fourth touchdown grab in the last four weeks in a 19-11 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Likely finished the game with five catches for 53 yards, as the touchdown was his sixth of the season in just eight games, matching his previous best set in 2024 as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.
Troy alum and Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal was also productive, rushing seven times for 30 yards, catching one pass for six yards and returning four kickoffs for 98 yards in a 44-22 setback against the Houston Texans. Louisiana alum and current Eagles running back Elijah Mitchell took three carries for six yards and caught three passes for 20 yards against the Giants.
Another former Troy standout and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson caught two passes for 76 yards in a 27-24 setback to the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. His biggest play was a 58-yard reception down to the two-yard line early on the Bucs’ first possession of the third quarter that set up a rushing touchdown two plays later.
Sun Belt alumni kickers were extremely effective and efficient on special teams producing on critical scoring plays in winning efforts for their respective franchises.
Former Arkansas State kicker and New York Giants rookie Dominic Zvada was responsible for 13 of his team’s 19 points in the win over the Eagles, executing all four field goal attempts and one extra point try. In his season-high scoring performance, Zvada made field goals from distances of 53 yards, 49 yards twice, and 38 yards, as he has now made six kicks from over 50 yards this season.
Georgia Southern alum and Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass scored 11 points going 3-for-3 on field goal attempts and converting each of his two extra point tries in a 23-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. Bass’ field goals were successful from distances of 52, 39 and 25 yards, respectively.
Georgia State alum and Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz tallied eight points going 2-for-2 on field goal attempts while connecting on two extra point tries in a 26-21 win over the Carolina Panthers. Lutz’s field goals were converted from 48 and 26 yards out.
In addition to Dugger, multiple Sun Belt alumni on defense also recorded noteworthy performances, as Arkansas State product, five-time All-Pro and New York Jets linebacker Demario Davis racked up nine tackles and recovered a fumble in a 35-12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. South Alabama alum and Washington Commanders starting safety Jeremy Reaves made six tackles in a 20-13 defeat against the Los Angeles Rams.
Troy alum and Bills edge rusher Javon Solomon recorded his first sack of the season and the fourth of his three-year career against the Vikings on Monday evening. In the same contest, former James Madison safety and Vikings undrafted rookie Jacob Thomas earned his first NFL start and made three solo tackles.
App State
* Joey Aguilar - QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Akeem Davis-Gaither - LB, Indianapolis Colts (DNP)
* Tyrek Funderburk - CB, Dallas Cowboys
Nick Hampton – LB, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 3 Tackles)
D’Marco Jackson - LB, Chicago Bears (1 G, 1 Tackle)
* Ahmani Marshall - RB, Carolina Panthers
Sam Martin - P, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 1 GS, 3 Punts, 160 Yards)
Jalen McLeod – LB, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 G, 2 Tackles, 1 Fumble Forced, 1 Fumble Recovered)
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, 9 Tackles, 1 Fumbled Recovered)
^Blake Grupe – K, Los Angeles Rams
Kenneth Harris - CB, Indianapolis Colts (1 G, 3 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended, 1 Fumble Recovered)
Seydou Traore - TE, Miami Dolphins (1 G)
Dominic Zvada - K, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 4-for-4 FG, 1-for-1 XP)
Coastal Carolina
Willie Lampkin - OL, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G)
Isaiah Likely – TE, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 5 Receptions, 53 Yards, 1 Touchdown)
Georgia Southern
^Darrell Baker Jr. - CB, Miami Dolphins
* Shemar Bartholomew – CB, Indianapolis Colts
Tyler Bass - K, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 3-for-3 FG, 2-for-2 XP)
Camden Brown - WR, Dallas Cowboys (1 G, 3 Kickoff Returns, 78 Yards)
* Derrick Canteen – CB, Tennessee Titans
* Kindle Vildor - CB, New England Patriots
Georgia State
Benjamin Chukwuma - OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G)
Travis Glover - OL, Green Bay Packers (DNP)
Ted Hurst - WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G)
Wil Lutz - K, Denver Broncos (1 G, 1 GS, 2-for-2 FG, 2-for-2 XP)
James Madison
* Elijah Culp - CB, Green Bay Packers
* Nick DeGennaro - WR, Washington Commanders
* Xavier Holmes - LB, New England Patriots
Aaron Stinnie - OL, New York Giants (1 G)
Jacob Thomas - S, Minnesota Vikings (1 G, 1 GS, 3 Tackles)
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, 6 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended, 1 Interception, 35 Yards, 1 Touchdown)
Robert Hunt - OL, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 1 GS)
* Andre Jones Jr. - LB, Buffalo Bills
Keyon Martin - CB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 4 Tackles)
Elijah Mitchell – RB, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G, 3 Rushes, 6 Yards, 3 Receptions, 20 Yards)
^Max Mitchell - OL, New York Jets
^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, 2 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
^L’Jarius Sneed – CB, Kansas City Chiefs
Milton Williams – DL, New England Patriots (1 G, 1 GS, 1 Tackle, 1 Tackle For Loss)
Marshall
Rasheen Ali - RB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 3 Kickoff Returns, 91 Yards)
* Ethan Driskell - OL, Kansas City Chiefs
Mike Green - EDGE, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Tackles)
* Elias Neal - LB, New England Patriots
* JJ Roberts - S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dalton Tucker - OL, Indianapolis Colts (1 G)
Old Dominion
^ Nick Saldiveri – OL, New Orleans Saints
* Stone Smartt - TE, New Orleans Saints
Keion White – DL, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 1 GS, 1 Tackle, 1 Tackle For Loss, 1 Pass Defended)
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 (1 G, 1 GS, 6 Tackles)
* Jamie Sheriff - LB, Seattle Seahawks
Jalen Tolbert - WR, Miami Dolphins (DNP)
Corliss Waitman - P, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 1 GS)
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, 76 Yards)
^Dell Pettus - S, New England Patriots
^Caleb Ransaw - S, Jacksonville Jaguars
Javon Solomon - LB, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 Tackle, 1 Sack)
* Reddy Steward - CB, Dallas Cowboys
Kimani Vidal - RB, Los Angeles Chargers (1 G, 7 Rushes, 30 Yards, 1 Reception, 6 Yards, 4 Kickoff Returns, 98 Yards)
*Practice Squad
^Injured & Other Reserve