10 D-III players on NFL rosters

 

FROM D3FOOTBALL.COM

Although some of the faces of Division III football in the NFL are changing, D-III retains its numbers in the league as seven players start the season on 53-man rosters, two on practice squads and one on the reserve/injured list as the 2020 NFL season gets underway.

Two players from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and seven members of West Region teams are among the 10, and two of them are on the Las Vegas Raiders: tight end Derek Carrier, an eight-year pro out of Beloit, and linebacker Nicholas Morrow, a fourth-year pro from Greenville. Morrow re-signed with the Raiders for $3.26 million this past offseason after a year in which he started eight games and was on the field for 70 percent of the team's snaps.

UW-Platteville alumnus Dan Arnold returns to the Arizona Cardinals after he caught six passes from his tight end spot over the team's final three games last season. He has been proclaimed as a potential breakout candidate in 2020. 

Former St. John's lineman Ben Bartch, who was Division III football's only draftee this past offseason, joins the Jaguars, while standout Hobart alumnus Ali Marpet will remain in a starting role for the Buccaneers and Matt Gono, a Wesley alumnus who got into five games with the Falcons last year, returns to Atlanta.

Brandon Zylstra had a great training camp and enters his third year in the league. It's the second season for the Concordia-Moorhead alumnus at wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers after he caught eight passes in 2019, five of them for first downs.

The Chicago Bears placed former Dubuque cornerback Michael Joseph on injured reserve last week. Former UW-Whitewater receiver Jake Kumerow will start the season on the practice squad of the Buffalo Bills after he was cut by the Packers, and Berry wide receiver Mason Kinsey will start his first NFL season on the Patriots' practice squad.

The Bills cut veteran kicker Stephen Hauschka in August, but the Middlebury graduate could still catch on somewhere this season. Former Monmouth quarterback Alex Tanney, who has stuck around the league for several years but has only had the chance to throw 15 passes, was cut by the New York Giants.

The full list:

Arizona Cardinals -- Dan Arnold, TE, UW-Platteville

Atlanta Falcons -- Matt Gono, T, Wesley

Carolina Panthers -- Brandon Zylstra, WR, Concordia-Moorhead

Jacksonville Jaguars -- Ben Bartch, OL, St. John's

Las Vegas Raiders -- Derek Carrier, TE, Beloit

Las Vegas Raiders -- Nicholas Morrow, LB, Greenville

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Ali Marpet, G, Hobart

Reserve/injured
Chicago Bears -- Michael Joseph, CB, Dubuque (reserve/injured)

Practice squad
Buffalo Bills -- Jake Kumerow, WR, UW-Whitewater

New England Patriots -- Mason Kinsey, WR, Berry

Over 60 D-II Alums on NFL Rosters

 

FROM D2FOOTBALL.COM: 

Over 60 Alums on NFL Rosters

The following D-II players were on active NFL rosters the first week of the 2020 season. It is updated from time to time based upon NFL transactions but is not guaranteed to be accurate to the minute.

Albany State, Grover Stewart, DT, Dolphins

Ashland, Adam Shaheen, TE, Bears

Assumption, Deonte Harris, WR, Saints

Assumption, Zach Triner, LS, Buccaneers

Augustana, C.J. Hamm, RB, Vikings

Bemidji State, Gunner Olszewski, WR, Patriots

Bloomsburg, Matt Feiler, T, Steelers

California (PA), Erik Harris, S, Raiders

Carson-Newman, Chris Jones, P, Cowboys

Charleston, John Cominskey, DE, Falcons

CSU-Pueblo, Morgan Fox, DE, Rams

CSU-Pueblo, Ryan Jensen, C, Buccaneers

CSU-Pueblo, Mike Pennel, DT, Chiefs

East Central, Trinity Benson, WR, Broncos

East Central, David Moore, WR, Seahawks

Ferris State, Austin Edwards, DE, Falcons

Ferris State, Zack Sieler, DT, Dolphins

Ferris State, Malik Taylor, WR, Packers

Ferris State, Tavierre Thomas, DB, Browns

Ferris State, Jason Vander Laan, TE, Saints

Ferris State, Justin Zimmer, DL, Bills

Fort Hays, Nathan Shepherd, DL, Jets

Grand Valley, Brandon Carr, CB, Cowboys

Grand Valley, Matt Judon, LB, Ravens

Grand Valley, Nick Keizer, TE, Chiefs

Humboldt State, Alex Cappa, G, Buccaneers

Kentucky Wesleyan, Keelan Cole, WR,Jaguars

Limestone, Vyncint Smith, WR, Jets

Lenoir-Rhyne, Kyle Dugger, DB, Patriots

Lindenwood, Pierre Desir, CB, Jets

Lindenwood, Jonathan Harris, DL, Broncos

Malone, Ashton Dulin, WR, Colts

Mars Hill, Denzelle Good, OL, Raiders

Midwestern State, Marqui Christian, S, Bears

Minnesota State, Adam Theilen, WR, Panthers

Missouri Southern, Brandon Williams, DT, Ravens

Missouri Western, Greg Zuerlein, K, Cowboys

Newberry, Edmond Robinson, LB, Falcons

North Alabama, Janoris Jenkins, CB, Saints

Pittsburg State, DeVante Bausby, CB, Broncos

Pittsburg State, John Brown. WR, Ravens

Saginaw Valley, Jeff Heath, S, Raiders

Simon Fraser, Rysen John, WR, Giants

Sioux Falls, Dennis Gardeck, LB, Cardinals

Sioux Falls, Trey Pipkins, T, Chargers

Southern Arkansas, Tanner Hudson, TE, Buccaneers

Tarleton State, EJ Speed, LB, Colts

Valdosta State, Stephen Denmark, DB,Bears

Valdosta State, Jody Fortson, WR, Chiefs

Valdosta State, Kenny Moore II, CB, Colts

Virginia State, Trenton Cannon, RB, Panthers

Washburn, Corey Ballentine, CB, Giants

Washburn, Kyle Hinton, G, Vikings

Wayne State (Mich.), Anthony Pittman, LB, Lions

West Alabama, Malcolm Butler, CB, Titans

West Alabama, Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs

West Alabama, Seth Roberts, WR, Ravens

West Alabama, Dee Virgin, CB, Lions

West Georgia, Tyrell Adams, LB, Texans

West Georgia, Alex Armah, RB, Panthers

West Georgia, John Hurst, WR, Buccaneers

Western Oregon, Tyrell Williams, WR, Raiders

Western State, Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers