DALLAS – Former Conference USA defensive standouts made their presence felt in the backfield during Week Five of the NFL season, with a wave of front-seven stars recording sacks, tackles for loss and quarterback hits across the league.
 
Cleveland’s Alex Wright (UAB) and Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson (FAU) set the tone up front, each producing disruptive performances for their teams. Wright tallied four tackles (two solo), one sack, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit, while Hendrickson added two sacks among his four total tackles, along with a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits.
 
New England’s Milton Williams (LA Tech) continued his steady production in the trenches with four tackles and half a sack in an upset of the Bills, while the Chargers’ Teair Tart (FIU) posted three tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery. The Giants’ duo of Rakeem Nuñez-Roches (Southern Miss) and Roy Robertson-Harris (UTEP) combined for a strong interior showing, totaling six tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. Seattle rookie Tyrice Knight (UTEP) added four tackles and a tackle for loss in another solid outing.
 
Beyond the front seven, Detroit corner Amik Robertson (LA Tech) turned in one of his best games of the season with six solo tackles, a pass deflection and an interception, which set the Lions up at the Bengals’ 17 and led to a touchdown. Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (FAU) recorded four tackles and a PBU. Indianapolis corner Charvarius Ward (MTSU) posted five tackles (four solo), and Denver safety Devon Key (WKU) added a tackle and a pass deflection.
 
Philadelphia’s Reed Blankenship (MTSU) continued his steady play with three tackles, and New Orleans rookie Quincy Riley (MTSU) contributed a solo stop and a pass breakup. Titans veterans and LA Tech alums L’Jarius Sneed and Xavier Woods combined for six tackles in Tennessee’s secondary, while San Francisco’s Upton Stout (WKU) turned in a career-best eight tackles.
 
On offense, Washington’s Luke McCaffrey (Rice) made the most of his opportunities, hauling in a 50-yard reception and returning three kickoffs for 92 yards (30.7 avg). The Giants’ Devin Singletary (FAU) carried six times for 20 yards out of the New York backfield.
 
In the punting game, Detroit’s Jack Fox (Rice) averaged 44.8 yards per punt, pinning four of five inside the 20-yard line with a long of 64, while Thomas Morstead (SMU) averaged 42.0 yards per punt with two inside the 20.
 
Click here for a complete list of the 83 former CUSA players featured on NFL rosters for the 2025 season.