NEW ORLEANS – Coastal Carolina alumnus and New York Giants starting tight end Isaiah Likely scored a pair of touchdowns on Sunday Night Football to underscore numerous standout performances by Sun Belt Conference football alumni during the first week of the 2026 National Football League (NFL) season.
Seventy-seven Sun Belt football alumni held roster spots on 29-of-32 NFL rosters with 49 on active rosters, 19 on practice squads and nine on injured or other reserve lists. In Week 1 contests, 39 saw game action with 20 earning the start for their respective teams.
In his first game with the Giants after signing a three-year, $40 million free agent contract during the offseason, Likely caught eight passes for 78 yards and recorded two touchdowns in a 28-20 home win over the Dallas Cowboys. Likely recorded multiple touchdowns for the third time in his career and for the first time since Week 5 of the 2024 season as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. The former Chanticleer got behind the defense for a 15-yard touchdown reception with 20 seconds remaining in the first half to give the Giants a 14-7 lead before adding a two-yard touchdown catch midway through the third quarter to widen the advantage to 21-7.
Georgia State product and Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Ted Hurst made his NFL debut on Sunday, reeling in three catches on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter for 36 yards. Hurst was the No. 84 overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Bucs.
Multiple former Sun Belt kickers lit up the scoreboard on special teams around the league, as Georgia Southern alum and Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass racked up 12 points going 3-for-3 on field goals and converting all three extra-point attempts in the team’s 36-31 road win over the Houston Texans. Bass connected on field goals from distances of 46, 34 and 33 yards, respectively in the contest.
Making his NFL debut with the Giants, former Arkansas State kicker Dominic Zvada went 4-for-4 on extra points in Sunday night’s win over the Cowboys. On Monday Night Football, Georgia State alum and Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz made his lone field goal attempt from 31 yards out and converted his only extra point attempt in a 31-10 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Additional special teams contributors included App State alum and Carolina Panthers punter Sam Martin recording three punts for 147 yards in the team’s 59-37 home loss to the Chicago Bears. In his first season with the San Francisco 49ers, former South Alabama punter Corliss Waitman registered two punts for 94 yards in a 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Friday evening in the NFL’s first game played in Australia.
Defensively, Arkansas State alum and New York Jets starting linebacker Demario Davis racked up a team-high eight tackles in a 23-10 road win over the Tennessee Titans. Beginning his 15th NFL season, the five-time All-Pro returned to the franchise that made him the No. 77 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft as a free agent during the offseason.
App State alumnus and Indianapolis Colts starting linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither also registered a team-leading eight tackles in the team’s 41-23 setback against the Ravens. In his seventh NFL season, Davis-Gaither signed a free agent contract with the Colts after spending last season with the Arizona Cardinals.
Louisiana Tech product and Kansas City Chiefs starting cornerback L’Jarius Sneed racked up a team-high eight tackles in the win over the Broncos. In his 7th NFL season, Sneed returned to the Chiefs during the offseason following two seasons with the Titans. He played his first four seasons with the Chiefs and won two Super Bowls after being selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Another former Louisiana Tech defensive back and current Washington Commanders starting cornerback Amik Robertson accumulated six tackles in a 24-22 road defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles. Teammate and South Alabama alum Jeremy Reaves recorded five tackles in the contest as the Commanders’ starting safety.
Three more rookies and Sun Belt products added defensive production during their NFL debuts. A Louisiana alum and 49ers linebacker, Jaden Dugger earned the start and made five tackles in the win over the Rams. Dugger was selected by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft with pick No. 154.
On Sunday, former Troy defensive back and Jacksonville Jaguars safety Caleb Ransaw tallied six tackles in a 34-10 home win over the Cleveland Browns. Additionally, former James Madison defensive back and Minnesota Vikings undrafted free agent Jacob Thomas compiled three tackles in a 39-22 home victory over the Green Bay Packers.
App State
* Joey Aguilar - QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
* Anderson Castle - RB, Indianapolis Colts
Akeem Davis-Gaither - LB, Indianapolis Colts (1 G, 1 GS, 8 Tackles)
D’Marco Jackson - LB, Chicago Bears (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Tackles)
* Ahmani Marshall - RB, Carolina Panthers
Sam Martin - P, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 1 GS, 3 Punts, 147 Yards)
^DeShawn McKnight - DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Jalen McLeod – LB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons (1 G, 1 GS)
Arkansas State
Jacob Bayer – C, Cincinnati Bengals (1 G)
^Keyron Crawford - DE, Las Vegas Raiders
Demario Davis – LB, New York Jets (1 G, 1 GS, 8 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
Blake Grupe – K, New York Jets (DNP)
^Corey Rucker - WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Seydou Traore - TE, Miami Dolphins (1 G)
Dominic Zvada - K, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 4-for-4 XP)
Coastal Carolina
Isaiah Likely – TE, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 8 Receptions, 78 Yards, 2 Touchdowns)
Georgia Southern
^Darrell Baker Jr. - CB, Miami Dolphins
* Shemar Bartholomew - CB, Tennessee Titans
Tyler Bass - K, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 3-for-3 FG, 3-for-3 XP)
Camden Brown - WR, Dallas Cowboys (DNP)
* 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, 1 GS, 3 Receptions, 36 Yards)
Wil Lutz - K, Denver Broncos (1 G, 1 GS, 1-for-1 FG, 1-for-1 XP)
^Jamari Thrash - WR, Cleveland Browns
James Madison
Jamree Kromah - DL, Chicago Bears (DNP)
Aaron Stinnie - OL, New York Giants (1 G)
Jacob Thomas - S, Minnesota Vikings (1 G, 3 Tackles)
Louisiana
Percy Butler - S, Washington Commanders (1 G)
Dalen Cambre - WR, New York Giants (DNP)
Kevin Dotson - OL, Los Angeles Rams (1 G, 1 GS)
Jaden Dugger - LB, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, `1 GS, 5 Tackles)
Robert Hunt - OL, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 1 GS)
* Andre Jones Jr. - LB, Buffalo Bills
Keyon Martin - CB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 2 Tackles)
Max Mitchell - OL, New York Jets (1 G)
^K.C. Ossai - LB, Houston Texans
Nate Thomas - OL, Houston Texans (DNP)
ULM
* D’Arco Perkins-McAllister, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
* Car’lin Vigers - CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Louisiana Tech
^Jimmy Holiday - WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Amik Robertson – CB, Washington Commanders (1 G, 1 GS, 6 Tackles)
L’Jarius Sneed – CB, Kansas City Chiefs (1 G, 1 GS, 8 Tackles)
Milton Williams – DL, New England Patriots (1 G, 1 GS, 3 Tackles)
Xavier Woods – S, Chicago Bears (DNP)
Marshal
Rasheen Ali - RB, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 1 Tackle)
* Ethan Driskell - OL, Kansas City Chiefs
Mike Green - EDGE, Baltimore Ravens (1 G)
* 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, 1 Fumble Recovered)
South Alabama
* Kentrel Bullock - RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Darrell Luter Jr. - DB, Las Vegas Raiders (DNP)
* Jamaal Pritchett - WR, New York Jets
Jeremy Reaves - S, Washington Commanders (1 G, 1 GS, 5 Tackles)
* Jamie Sheriff - LB, Los Angeles Rams
Jalen Tolbert - WR, Miami Dolphins
Corliss Waitman - P, San Francisco 49ers (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Punts, 94 Yards)
^Jeremiah Webb - WR, New England Patriots
Southern Miss
* Natrone Brooks – CB, Detroit Lions
Swayze Bozeman - LB, Cincinnati Bengals (1 G, 2 Tackles)
Frank Gore Jr. - RB, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 Rush, 3 Yards)
* Tim Jones - WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Nick Mullens - QB, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 G, 3 Rush Attempts, -3 Yards)
Rakeem Nuñez-Roches - DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Troy
Jake Andrews - C, Houston Texans (1 G)
Tez Johnson - WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 Rush, -4 Yards, 1 Punt Return, 13 Yards)
Dell Pettus - S, New England Patriots (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Tackles)
Caleb Ransaw - S, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 G, 6 Tackles)
Javon Solomon - LB, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 3 Tackles)
* Reddy Steward - CB, Dallas Cowboys
Kimani Vidal - RB, Los Angeles Chargers (1 G)
*Practice Squad
^Injured & Other Reserve