2026 NFL PLAYOFFS
Former ACC/NC Stars To Enjoy Huge (100M+)
World Television Spotlight In Super Bowl LX
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
(last updated Feb. 6, 2026)
When the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks battle in Super Bowl LX on Sunday (6:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock) and attract what likely will be the largest American television audience of the entire 2026 calendar year, more than 20 products of Atlantic Coast Conference schools and/or North Carolina-based universities will be among those competing for the sport’s biggest prize.
In most years, the three most-watched American television programs — of any kind, not just sports — are the Super Bowl and the two conference title games.
In 2024, for example, the Super Bowl matching Kansas City and San Francisco drew an average audience of almost 124 million viewers in the United States, and the American Football Conference and National Football Conference championship games attracted more than 50 million viewers each.
For comparison, the most-watched 2024 program beyond the sports genre (a presidential debate) drew about 20 million viewers and ranked behind 11 NFL contests, including six regular-season games.
The Super Bowl also is broadcast in almost 200 countries beyond the United States, in more than 30 languages, significantly supplementing its total audience. In 2024, the NFL estimated an outside-the-USA audience of more than 62.5 million total viewers (always a much larger number than “average viewers”), with the largest contributions coming from Mexico, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia.
This year, the ACC and North Carolina products who are expected to be in starting roles on Sunday night are Patriots kicker Andy Borregales (Miami), Patriots center Garrett Bradbury (NC State), Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (UNC), Patriots defensive end Harold Landry III (Boston College), Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (UNC), Patriots right tackle Morgan Moses (Virginia), Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (NC State), Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (Wake Forest) and Patriots strong safety Craig Woodson (Cal).
Maye (23 first-place votes), the 2022 ACC Player of the Year for the Tar Heels, just finished as the runner-up to Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (24 first-place votes) in this year’s NFL Most Valuable Player balloting. Already a two-time Pro Bowl selection, Maye led the NFL in passer rating and completion percentage this season while earning second-team All-Pro honors.
In addition, although he never competed in the ACC himself, Patriots free safety Jaylinn Hawkins (Cal) will play a starting role while representing a program that joined the league in 2024.
On the opening day of the 2025-26 NFL regular season, current ACC schools were represented by more than 400 players on the 32 NFL teams’ active rosters, injury/reserve lists and practice squads.
The list below includes only those players affiliated with the two remaining NFL playoff teams.
Players On Super Bowl LX Rosters
(Name, Current Role, Years In NFL)
Boston College (1)
Harold Landry III, starting DE, New England Patriots (8)
Cal (2)
Jaylinn Hawkins, starting FS, New England Patriots (6)
Craig Woodson, starting SS, New England Patriots (R)
Clemson (0)
none
Duke (1)
Jake Bobo, second-team WR, Seattle Seahawks (3)
Florida State (4)
Cam Akers, backup RB, Seattle Seahawks (5) — practice squad
Cory Durden*, second-team NT, New England Patriots (1)
Joshua Farmer, backup DT, New England Patriots (R) — injured reserve
Amari Gainer*, backup LB, New England Patriots (2) — practice squad
Georgia Tech (0)
none
Louisville (0)
none
Miami (3)
Elijah Arroyo, third-team TE, Seattle Seahawks (R)
Andy Borregales, starting PK, New England Patriots (R)
Leonard Taylor III, second-team DT, New England Patriots (2)
North Carolina (4)
Amari Gainer, backup LB, New England Patriots (2) — practice squad
Mack Hollins, starting WR, New England Patriots (9)
Drake Maye, starting QB, New England Patriots (2)
Chazz Surratt, second-team LB, Seattle Seahawks (4)
NC State (3)
Garrett Bradbury, starting OC, New England Patriots (7)
Cory Durden, second-team NT, New England Patriots (1)
Drake Thomas, starting LB, Seattle Seahawks (3)
Pitt (0)
none
SMU (1)
Charles Woods, second-team CB, New England Patriots (2)
Stanford (1)
Austin Hooper, second-team TE, New England Patriots (10)
Syracuse (1)
Tommy DeVito*, third-string QB, New England Patriots (3)
Virginia (2)
Morgan Moses, starting RT, New England Patriots (12)
Olu Oluwatimi*, second-team OC, Seattle Seahawks (3)
Virginia Tech (0)
none
Wake Forest (1)
Kenneth Walker III*, starting RB, Seattle Seahawks (4)
OTHER NC-BASED PROGRAMS:
Appalachian State (1)
Shemar Jean-Charles, backup CB, Seattle Seahawks (5)
Lenoir-Rhyne/D2 (1)
Dareke Young, second-team WR, Seattle Seahawks (4)
*—finished college playing career at another school
