NEW ORLEANS — Alumni of Sun Belt football programs are well-represented on National Football League (NFL) rosters entering the 2023 season. With 87 Sun Belt alumni earning roster spots, the league boasts a 14 percent increase in representation over the 2022 campaign.
Forty-eight will don NFL uniforms during the league’s opening weekend as part of their team’s 53-man active roster—also an increase over Week 1 a year ago.
Each of the Sun Belt’s conference-record nine 2023 NFL Draft picks made an NFL team, with six on active rosters, two on injured reserve lists and one on a practice squad.
Every Sun Belt program is represented by multiple former standouts on NFL rosters—led by 13 from App State. Three other teams—Louisiana (10), Old Dominion (10) and Southern Miss (10)—claim double-digit representation.
The Mountaineers and Ragin’ Cajuns also lead the way with seven alums on active rosters, where they are followed closely by Georgia Southern (6), Old Dominion (6) and Southern Miss (6).
Twenty-four Sun Belt alums will open the 2023 season on their respective team’s 16-man practice squad. Fifteen will begin the campaign on injured or other reserve lists.
Sun Belt alumni dot 28-of-32 NFL rosters, including multiple former standouts on 26 teams. Three teams—the Atlanta Falcons (6), Denver Broncos (5) and New Orleans Saints (5)—claim five-or-more Sun Belt alumni on their rosters.
The 2023 NFL regular season commences on Thursday, Sept. 7, when the Detroit Lions visit the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Two Sun Belt alumni—Jerick McKinnon out of Georgia Southern and Nazeeh Johnson out of Marshall—earned rings with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII and remain with Kansas City heading into the 2023 campaign.
Demario Davis of the New Orleans Saints via Arkansas State and Jeremy Reaves of the Washington Commanders via South Alabama represented the Sun Belt in the 2023 Pro Bowl Games. Both Davis—Second Team All-Pro linebacker—and Reaves—First Team All-Pro special teamer—were named to the AP All-Pro teams following the 2022 season. Davis was also a First Team All-Pro pick in 2019 and a Second Team All-Pro honoree in 2020 and 2021.
The Sun Belt has been represented in each of the past five Super Bowls and had an alumnus on all 14 playoff rosters a year ago.
App State
Akeem Davis-Gaither – LB, Cincinnati Bengals
* Darrynton Evans – RB, Miami Dolphins
Nick Hampton – LB, Los Angeles Rams
* Tae Hayes – CB, Baltimore Ravens
^ Cooper Hodges – OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
D’Marco Jackson – LB, New Orleans Saints
* Shemar Jean-Charles – CB, San Francisco 49ers
Shaun Jolly – DB, Los Angeles Rams
Kendall Lamm – OL, Miami Dolphins
Sam Martin – P, Buffalo Bills
Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons
* Henry Pearson – FB, Green Bay Packers
^ Jalen Virgil – WR, Denver Broncos
Arkansas State
Demario Davis – LB, New Orleans Saints
Blake Grupe – K, New Orleans Saints
^ Forrest Merrill – DL, Denver Broncos
Kirk Merritt – WR, New Orleans Saints
Coastal Carolina
* Lance Boykin – CB, Seattle Seahawks
* C.J. Brewer – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Jerrod Clark – DL, Los Angeles Chargers
* Jeff Gunter – DL, Cincinnati Bengals
* Tarron Jackson – DL, Philadelphia Eagles
Isaiah Likely – TE, Baltimore Ravens
Georgia Southern
Darrell Baker Jr. – CB, Indianapolis Colts
Tyler Bass – K, Buffalo Bills
Matt Breida – RB, New York Giants
* Raymond Johnson III – DL, Detroit Lions
Younghoe Koo – K, Atlanta Falcons
Jerick McKinnon – RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Najee Thompson – CB, Minnesota Vikings
Georgia State
^ Penny Hart – WR, Atlanta Falcons
Wil Lutz – K, Denver Broncos
Chandon Sullivan – CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
* Quavian White – CB, Arizona Cardinals
James Madison
* Ben DiNucci – QB, Denver Broncos
Mike Greene – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Dean Marlowe – S, Los Angeles Chargers
^ Jimmy Moreland – CB, New York Jets
Aaron Stinnie – OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
^ Josh Wells – OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
Louisiana
Percy Butler – S, Washington Commanders
Kevin Dotson – OL, Los Angeles Rams
* Eric Garror – DB, Tennessee Titans
Robert Hunt – OL, Miami Dolphins
Andre Jones Jr. – DL, Washington Commanders
* Johnny Lumpkin – TE, Indianapolis Colts
Elijah Mitchell – RB, San Francisco 49ers
Max Mitchell – OL, New York Jets
^ John Stephens Jr. – WR, Dallas Cowboys
Tracy Walker III – S, Detroit Lions
ULM
* Derrick Gore – RB, Washington Football Team
* Josh Pederson – TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Marshall
^ Josh Ball – OL, Dallas Cowboys
^ Abraham Beauplan – LB, Minnesota Vikings
Steven Gilmore – CB, Detroit Lions
Neville Hewitt – LB, Houston Texans
^ Nazeeh Johnson – S, Kansas City Chiefs
Old Dominion
^ Broughton Hatcher – LS, Green Bay Packers
Tre Hawkins III – CB, New York Giants
* Marcus Haynes – LB, Denver Broncos
Taylor Heinicke – QB, Atlanta Falcons
* Zack Kuntz – TE, New York Jets
Rick Lovato – LS, Philadelphia Eagles
Zach Pascal – WR, Arizona Cardinals
Nick Saldiveri – OL, New Orleans Saints
Stone Smartt – TE, Los Angeles Chargers
* Oshane Ximines – LB, New York Giants
South Alabama
Gerald Everett – TE, Los Angeles Chargers
^ Darrell Luter Jr. – CB, San Francisco 49ers
Jeremy Reaves – S, Washington Commanders
Jalen Tolbert – WR, Dallas Cowboys
* Corliss Waitman – P, New England Patriots
Southern Miss
^ Cornell Armstrong – CB, Atlanta Falcons
* Natrone Brooks – CB, Atlanta Falcons
Jason Brownlee – WR, New York Jets
* TyKeem Doss – OL, Baltimore Ravens
Tim Jones – WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
^ Tarvarius Moore – S, Green Bay Packers
Nick Mullens – QB, Minnesota Vikings
Rakeem Nunez-Roches – DL, New York Giants
Eric Scott Jr. – CB, Dallas Cowboys
Quez Watkins – WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Texas State
* Levi Bell – DL, Seattle Seahawks
Aaron Brewer – OL, Tennessee Titans
David Mayo – LB, Washington Commanders
Troy
Jake Andrews – OL, New England Patriots
^ Shakel Brown – DL, Tennessee Titans
* Practice Squad
^ Injured & Other Reserve
Forty-eight will don NFL uniforms during the league’s opening weekend as part of their team’s 53-man active roster—also an increase over Week 1 a year ago.
Each of the Sun Belt’s conference-record nine 2023 NFL Draft picks made an NFL team, with six on active rosters, two on injured reserve lists and one on a practice squad.
Every Sun Belt program is represented by multiple former standouts on NFL rosters—led by 13 from App State. Three other teams—Louisiana (10), Old Dominion (10) and Southern Miss (10)—claim double-digit representation.
The Mountaineers and Ragin’ Cajuns also lead the way with seven alums on active rosters, where they are followed closely by Georgia Southern (6), Old Dominion (6) and Southern Miss (6).
Twenty-four Sun Belt alums will open the 2023 season on their respective team’s 16-man practice squad. Fifteen will begin the campaign on injured or other reserve lists.
Sun Belt alumni dot 28-of-32 NFL rosters, including multiple former standouts on 26 teams. Three teams—the Atlanta Falcons (6), Denver Broncos (5) and New Orleans Saints (5)—claim five-or-more Sun Belt alumni on their rosters.
The 2023 NFL regular season commences on Thursday, Sept. 7, when the Detroit Lions visit the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Two Sun Belt alumni—Jerick McKinnon out of Georgia Southern and Nazeeh Johnson out of Marshall—earned rings with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII and remain with Kansas City heading into the 2023 campaign.
Demario Davis of the New Orleans Saints via Arkansas State and Jeremy Reaves of the Washington Commanders via South Alabama represented the Sun Belt in the 2023 Pro Bowl Games. Both Davis—Second Team All-Pro linebacker—and Reaves—First Team All-Pro special teamer—were named to the AP All-Pro teams following the 2022 season. Davis was also a First Team All-Pro pick in 2019 and a Second Team All-Pro honoree in 2020 and 2021.
The Sun Belt has been represented in each of the past five Super Bowls and had an alumnus on all 14 playoff rosters a year ago.
App State
Akeem Davis-Gaither – LB, Cincinnati Bengals
* Darrynton Evans – RB, Miami Dolphins
Nick Hampton – LB, Los Angeles Rams
* Tae Hayes – CB, Baltimore Ravens
^ Cooper Hodges – OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
D’Marco Jackson – LB, New Orleans Saints
* Shemar Jean-Charles – CB, San Francisco 49ers
Shaun Jolly – DB, Los Angeles Rams
Kendall Lamm – OL, Miami Dolphins
Sam Martin – P, Buffalo Bills
Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons
* Henry Pearson – FB, Green Bay Packers
^ Jalen Virgil – WR, Denver Broncos
Arkansas State
Demario Davis – LB, New Orleans Saints
Blake Grupe – K, New Orleans Saints
^ Forrest Merrill – DL, Denver Broncos
Kirk Merritt – WR, New Orleans Saints
Coastal Carolina
* Lance Boykin – CB, Seattle Seahawks
* C.J. Brewer – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Jerrod Clark – DL, Los Angeles Chargers
* Jeff Gunter – DL, Cincinnati Bengals
* Tarron Jackson – DL, Philadelphia Eagles
Isaiah Likely – TE, Baltimore Ravens
Georgia Southern
Darrell Baker Jr. – CB, Indianapolis Colts
Tyler Bass – K, Buffalo Bills
Matt Breida – RB, New York Giants
* Raymond Johnson III – DL, Detroit Lions
Younghoe Koo – K, Atlanta Falcons
Jerick McKinnon – RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Najee Thompson – CB, Minnesota Vikings
Georgia State
^ Penny Hart – WR, Atlanta Falcons
Wil Lutz – K, Denver Broncos
Chandon Sullivan – CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
* Quavian White – CB, Arizona Cardinals
James Madison
* Ben DiNucci – QB, Denver Broncos
Mike Greene – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Dean Marlowe – S, Los Angeles Chargers
^ Jimmy Moreland – CB, New York Jets
Aaron Stinnie – OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
^ Josh Wells – OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
Louisiana
Percy Butler – S, Washington Commanders
Kevin Dotson – OL, Los Angeles Rams
* Eric Garror – DB, Tennessee Titans
Robert Hunt – OL, Miami Dolphins
Andre Jones Jr. – DL, Washington Commanders
* Johnny Lumpkin – TE, Indianapolis Colts
Elijah Mitchell – RB, San Francisco 49ers
Max Mitchell – OL, New York Jets
^ John Stephens Jr. – WR, Dallas Cowboys
Tracy Walker III – S, Detroit Lions
ULM
* Derrick Gore – RB, Washington Football Team
* Josh Pederson – TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Marshall
^ Josh Ball – OL, Dallas Cowboys
^ Abraham Beauplan – LB, Minnesota Vikings
Steven Gilmore – CB, Detroit Lions
Neville Hewitt – LB, Houston Texans
^ Nazeeh Johnson – S, Kansas City Chiefs
Old Dominion
^ Broughton Hatcher – LS, Green Bay Packers
Tre Hawkins III – CB, New York Giants
* Marcus Haynes – LB, Denver Broncos
Taylor Heinicke – QB, Atlanta Falcons
* Zack Kuntz – TE, New York Jets
Rick Lovato – LS, Philadelphia Eagles
Zach Pascal – WR, Arizona Cardinals
Nick Saldiveri – OL, New Orleans Saints
Stone Smartt – TE, Los Angeles Chargers
* Oshane Ximines – LB, New York Giants
South Alabama
Gerald Everett – TE, Los Angeles Chargers
^ Darrell Luter Jr. – CB, San Francisco 49ers
Jeremy Reaves – S, Washington Commanders
Jalen Tolbert – WR, Dallas Cowboys
* Corliss Waitman – P, New England Patriots
Southern Miss
^ Cornell Armstrong – CB, Atlanta Falcons
* Natrone Brooks – CB, Atlanta Falcons
Jason Brownlee – WR, New York Jets
* TyKeem Doss – OL, Baltimore Ravens
Tim Jones – WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
^ Tarvarius Moore – S, Green Bay Packers
Nick Mullens – QB, Minnesota Vikings
Rakeem Nunez-Roches – DL, New York Giants
Eric Scott Jr. – CB, Dallas Cowboys
Quez Watkins – WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Texas State
* Levi Bell – DL, Seattle Seahawks
Aaron Brewer – OL, Tennessee Titans
David Mayo – LB, Washington Commanders
Troy
Jake Andrews – OL, New England Patriots
^ Shakel Brown – DL, Tennessee Titans
* Practice Squad
^ Injured & Other Reserve
