UNC, NC State Lead In-State Parade
On 2025 NFL Opening-Day Rosters
(Wake, Duke, App State, ECU Next)
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
(last updated Sept. 4, 2025)
As the 2025 National Football League regular season begins Thursday and ramps up Sunday, both the state of North Carolina and the Atlantic Coast Conference are represented with a huge number of players.
The Old North State, which has seven Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs, seven Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) programs and 18 Division Two/Three programs, collectively has more than 100 players on opening-week NFL rosters.
As usual, North Carolina and NC State are leading the way, with the Tar Heels (30) and Wolfpack (28) both ranking among the top six teams in the ACC in that regard.
Wake Forest, Duke, Appalachian State and East Carolina have the next-most NFL players among in-state programs.
Campbell, Elon, Fayetteville State, Lenoir-Rhyne and NC Central also have multiple players on NFL rosters (counting injured/reserve lists and practice squads) during Week One. Barton, North Carolina A&T and Wingate have one player each.
NFL Players—NC-Based College
(Week One Rosters/Reserve Lists)
30—North Carolina
28—NC State
20—Wake Forest
19—Duke
9—Appalachian State
5—East Carolina
4—Charlotte, NC Central
2—Campbell, Elon, Fayetteville State, Lenoir-Rhyne
1—Barton, North Carolina A&T, Wingate
Below are the complete lists from in-state programs, including those on injured reserve and others beyond NFL teams’ 53-man rosters, as indicated.
(Position/Player, NFL Team/Seasons) North Carolina (30) RB British Brooks, Houston Texans (2)
WR Dyami Brown, Jacksonville Jaguars (5)
RB Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals (4) — Practice Squad
RB Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings (4)
WR Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (3)
CB Storm Duck^, Miami Dolphins (2)
LB Power Echols, Chicago Bears (R) — Practice Squad
OL Joshua Ezeudu, New York Giants (4) — Reserve/DTR
LB Tomon Fox, New York Giants (3) — Practice Squad
WR Stephen Gosnell^, Buffalo Bills (R) — Practice Squad
LB Cedric Gray, Tennessee Titans (2)
RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers (R)
OT Charlie Heck, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6)
LB Cole Holcomb, Pittsburgh Steelers (7)
WR Mack Hollins, New England Patriots (9)
QB Sam Howell, Philadelphia Eagles (4)
CB Mike Hughes^, Atlanta Falcons (8)
CB Alijah Huzzie, Houston Texans (R) — Reserve/NFI
OG Willie Lampkin, Philadelphia Eagles (R) — Reserve/Injured
QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots (2)
TE Bryson Nesbit, Minnesota Vikings (R) — Practice Squad
OL Asim Richards, New Orleans Saints (3)
DL Jordon Riley^, New York Giants (3) — Practice Squad
DT Jahvaree Ritzie, New England Patriots (R) — Practice Squad
LB Kaimon Rucker, Baltimore Ravens (R) — Practice Squad
S MJ Stewart, Houston Texans (8)
LB Chazz Surratt, Seattle Seahawks (4)
QB Mitchell Trubisky, Buffalo Bills (9)
WR Devontez Walker, Baltimore Ravens (2)
RB Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys (5)
NC State (28)
OT Anthony Belton, Green Bay Packers (R)
OC Garrett Bradbury, New England Patriots (7)
QB Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals (10)
LB Bradley Chubb, Miami Dolphins (8)
P AJ Cole III, Las Vegas Raiders (7)
OC Zeke Correll, Minnesota Vikings (R) — Reserve/Injured
DL Cory Durden, New England Patriots (1) — Practice Squad
OT Ikem Ekwonu, Carolina Panthers (4)
DT BJ Hill, Cincinnati Bengals (8)
RB Nyheim Hines, Los Angeles Chargers (6) — Practice Squad
S Tanner Ingle, Los Angeles Rams (1) — Practice Squad
DL Justin Jones, Arizona Cardinals (8) — Reserve/Injured
RB Bam Knight, Arizona Cardinals (3)
DB Nick McCloud^, Chicago Bears (5)
OG Timothy McKay, Washington Commanders (R) — Practice Squad
OL Dylan McMahon, Los Angeles Rams (2) — Practice Squad
DL Alim McNeil, Detroit Lions (5) — Reserve/PUP
WR Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders (7)
DE Larrell Murchison, Los Angeles Rams (6)
LB Germaine Pratt, Las Vegas Raiders (7)
DL Kentavius Street, Atlanta Falcons (7) — Practice Squad
LB Drake Thomas, Seattle Seahawks (3)
WR Thayer Thomas, Denver Broncos (2)
OL Joe Thuney, Chicago Bears (10)
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling^, San Francisco 49ers (8)
LB Payton Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers (2)
QB Russell Wilson^, New York Giants (14)
OG Chandler Zavala, Carolina Panthers (3)
Wake Forest (20)
WR Alex Bachman, Las Vegas Raiders (2) — Practice Squad
LB Boogie Basham, Carolina Panthers (5) — Practice Squad
S Jessie Bates III, Atlanta Falcons (8)
CB Caelen Carson, Dallas Cowboys (2) — Reserve/Injured
LB Branson Combs, Jacksonville Jaguars (R) — Practice Squad
WR Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals (5)
QB Sam Hartman^, Washington Commanders (1) — Practice Squad
OT Justin Herron, Detroit Lions (6) — Reserve/Injured
OG Michael Jurgens, Minnesota Vikings (2)
RB Ahmani Marshall, Cleveland Browns (R) — Practice Squad
S Malik Mustapha, San Francisco 49ers (2) — Active/PUP
WR AT Perry, Denver Broncos (2) — Practice Squad
S JJ Roberts^, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (R) — Reserve/Injured
LB Justin Strnad, Denver Broncos (6)
DB Ja’Sir Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers (4)
OL Zach Tom, Green Bay Packers (4)
DE Kobie Turner, Los Angeles Rams (3)
RB Kenneth Walker III^, Seattle Seahawks (4)
TE Blake Whiteheart, Cleveland Browns (3)
WR Ke’Shawn Williams^, Pittsburgh Steelers (R) — Practice Squad
Duke (19)
OC Graham Barton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2)
DB Josh Blackwell, Chicago Bears (4)
WR Jake Bobo, Seattle Seahawks (3)
DT DeWayne Carter, Buffalo Bills (2)
CB Michael Carter II, New York Jets (5)
LS Evan Deckers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2)
LB Victor Dimukeje, New York Giants (5) — Reserve/PUP
LB Joe Giles-Harris, Cincinnati Bengals (2) — Practice Squad
TE Noah Gray, Kansas City Chiefs (5)
LS Thomas Hennessy, New York Jets (9)
LB Shaka Heyward, Cincinnati Bengals (2)
QB Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (7)
QB Riley Leonard, Indianapolis Colts (R)
OG Jacob Monk, Green Bay Packers (2) — Reserve/Injured/DFR
WR Jordan Moore, Cincinnati Bengals (R) — Practice Squad
OG Lucas Patrick, Cincinnati Bengals (9)
DL Aeneas Peebles^, Baltimore Ravens (R)
DE Chris Rumph II, New Orleans Saints (5)
OG Laken Tomlinson, Houston Texans (11)
Appalachian State, FBS (9)
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, Arizona Cardinals (6)
LB Nick Hampton, Los Angeles Rams (3)
OL Cooper Hodges, Jacksonville Jaguars (3) — Reserve/PUP
LB D’Marco Jackson, Chicago Bears (4)
CB Shemar Jean-Charles, Seattle Seahawks (5) — Practice Squad
OT Kendall Lamm, Miami Dolphins (10)
RB Ahmani Marshall, Cleveland Browns (R) — Practice Squad
P Sam Martin, Carolina Panthers (13)
OL Ryan Neuzil, Atlanta Falcons (4)
East Carolina, FBS (5)
WR Zay Jones, Arizona Cardinals (9)
CB Ja’Quan McMillian, Denver Broncos (3)
QB Gardner Minshew II^, Kansas City Chiefs (7)
RB Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens (3)
CB Shavon Revel Jr., Dallas Cowboys (R) — Active/NFI
Charlotte, FBS (4)
LB Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers (6)
DT Larry Ogunjobi, Buffalo Bills (9) — Reserve/Suspended
LB Markees Watts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3)
LB Julius Welschof, Pittsburgh Steelers (1) — Practice Squad
NC Central, FCS (4)
CB Brandon Codrington, Buffalo Bills (2)
OL Ricky Lee III^, Jacksonville Jaguars (2) — Practice Squad
OL Nick Leverett^, Arizona Cardinals (5) — Practice Squad
OG Torricelli Simpkins III^, New Orleans Saints (R)
Campbell, FCS (2)
TE Julian Hill, Miami Dolphins (3)
OT Tyler McLellan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2) — Practice Squad
Elon, FCS (2)
WR Chandler Brayboy, Jacksonville Jaguars (R) — Practice Squad
OL Olisaemeka Udoh, Tennessee Titans (7)
Fayetteville State, D2 (2)
OT Kion Smith, Miami Dolphins (3)
CB Joshua Williams, Kansas City Chiefs (4)
Lenoir-Rhyne, D2 (2)
S Kyle Dugger, New England Patriots (6)
WR Dareke Young, Seattle Seahawks (4)
Barton, D2 (1)
WR Kameron Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2)
North Carolina A&T, FCS (1)
OL Ricky Lee III, Jacksonville Jaguars (2) — Practice Squad
Wingate, D2 (1)
P Ethan Evans, Los Angeles Rams (3)
*—finished college playing career at another school
