Spartans in the NFL: Training camp roundup

With it being the first few days in August, NFL training camps are underway. During this time, over a dozen Spartans in the NFL are pouring their blood, sweat, and tears on the turf to try to make a professional roster for the first, second, or dozenth time.

Here is a list of former Spartans in the NFL currently competing to make it on a roster.

Atlanta Falcons

• QB Kirk Cousins (4th round, 2012)

Kirk Cousins enters as the QB2 for the Falcons, behind former Spartan adversary Michael Penix Jr. While Cousins is in the twilight of his career, he has 159 career starts in the NFL after starring for MSU from 2007-2011.

• RB Nate Carter (UDFA, 2025)

Carter went undrafted this spring, but signed to a pro contract immediately after the draft ended. He is looking to break onto the roster in a loaded Falcons’ running back room.

Baltimore Ravens

• C Nick Samac (7th round, 2024)

Nick Samac returns to the Ravens, looking to make his professional debut this year. Samac made the active roster in 2024.

Buffalo Bills

• TE Matt Sokol (UDFA, 2019)

Matt Sokol now enters his sixth team since coming out of MSU in 2019. The Spartan has two career NFL games played, and now looks steal some playing time from Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid in the Bills’ tight end room. He was just signed on July 22.

Carolina Panthers

• RB Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams (UDFA, 2025)

Kay’Ron Lynch Adams also took his talents to the NFC South, signing with the Panthers after the NFL Draft concluded. He looks to burst onto the scene after showing potential and promise in his final season in college with the Spartans.

• LB Jacoby Windmon (UDFA, 2024)

Jacoby Windmon enters his second year as a pro after recording 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks in eight games (two starts) during his rookie season with the Panthers. He also holds the distinction as the first, and, to date, only player to be fined for a hip drop tackle.

Chicago Bears

• CB Ameer Speed (6th round, 2023)

Ameer Speed enters his third team in as many seasons, looking to contribute on special teams and defensive back for the Bears. Through his first two seasons, the single-season Spartan has participated in 17 games at the professional level.

• OL Luke Newman (6th round, 2025)

Luke Newman was the only drafted Spartan in 2025, and enters training camp looking to protect Caleb Williams for new head coach Ben Johnson. During the minicamp portion of the offseason, Newman, alongside other Bears linemen, were seen catching passes. This is no surprise to Detroit fans, with Ben Johnson’s famous bag of trick plays.

• K Jonathan Kim (UDFA, 2025)

Jonathan Kim also joins Newman and Speed as players to transfer and end their career at Michigan State, and then join the Bears. The UDFA among his fellow Spartans, Kim enters training camp looking to displace Cairo Santos as starting kicker for the Windy City.

Cleveland Browns

• OL Jack Conklin (1st round, 2016)

Jack Conklin is, to date, the last Spartan first rounder, and has started all 106 games he’s appeared in for his career. He has two All-Pro nods during his tenure in the league, and did receive a vote for Comeback Player of the Year last season.

Dallas Cowboys

• CB Josh Butler (UDFA, 2020)

Josh Butler had the most unlikely story of all on this list, going from movie sets as a football player to the USFL, all the way to his home state Cowboys. He made his debut last season, and recorded 21 tackles, five pass break ups, and a sack, before suffering another setback, an ACL tear. He is currently on the physically unable to perform list.

Denver Broncos

• LB Jordan Turner (UDFA, 2025)

Jordan Turner, a one-year Spartan and team captain, went undrafted in the spring and only got a tryout with the Broncos, but impressed enough to earn a slot on the 90-man roster.

Detroit Lions

• DL Raequan Williams (UDFA, 2020)

Raequan Williams entered the summer looking to play in his first NFL game since 2021. His work was cut out for him, as the Lions enter with a stacked roster and first round pick Tyleik Williams in the same position group. The elder Williams (no relation) impressed enough during mini-camp to earn a spot on the 90-man but was unfortunately waived this week.

Green Bay Packers

• WR Jayden Reed (2nd round, 2023)

Jayden Reed returns for his third campaign with the Packers. Reed looks to make 2025 his first 1,000-yard campaign following his last two season totals getting within 210 yards of the milestone.

Indianapolis Colts

• LB Joe Bachie (UDFA, 2020)

Joe Bachie enters his sixth NFL campaign with a new team, the Indianapolis Colts. Bachie has played in 51 games for two teams in his first five years in the league, with 48 tackles to show for it.

Los Angeles Chargers

• DL Naquan Jones (UDFA, 2021)

Naquan Jones inked a deal with Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers following his most productive NFL season with the Cardinals. Jones had three sacks last season, and has 6.5 during his four-year NFL career.

Los Angeles Rams

• OL A.J. Arcuri (7th round, 2022)

AJ Arcuri remains with the Rams following his 2024 campaign, where he played in two games. In three NFL seasons, he has appeared in 10 NFL contests, although his current claim to fame is being the draft selection before Brock Purdy.

Minnesota Vikings

• WR Jalen Nailor (6th round, 2022)

Jalen Nailor returns to the Vikings for his fourth campaign, coming off of his best campaign yet. “Speedy” had six touchdowns in 2024, alongside 414 yards. Nailor has a new quarterback for 2025, that being former collegiate rival JJ McCarthy.

New England Patriots

• P Bryce Baringer (6th round, 2023)

Bryce Baringer is at the helm of New England’s punting duties for the third straight year. Baringer lost his streak of 26 consecutive games with a 50-yard punt in Week 11 last year, but looks to begin it anew this season.

Philadelphia Eagles

• FB Ben VanSumeren (UDFA, 2023)

Ben VanSumeren has now flipped to fullback for the Eagles. After starting his career in Ann Arbor as a fullback, he flipped to linebacker, where he played with MSU for two seasons. He was part of the active roster that won last season’s Super Bowl.

Pittsburgh Steelers

• TE/FB Connor Heyward (6th round, 2022)

Connor Heyward continues his time as the H-back for the Steelers. Last season was his least productive as a pro, statistically, but still appeared in 17 games for his third straight season in the league.

• DL Jacob Slade (UDFA, 2023)

Jacob Slade enters this year trying to make his professional debut. He will join 2022 teammate Derrick Harmon in the position room as former Spartans in the NFL.

Seattle Seahawks

• RB Kenneth Walker III (2nd round, 2022)

Kenneth Walker III begins his fourth campaign as a popular breakout candidate at the running back slot. Following a pair of 1,000- and 900-yard campaigns, he struggled with injury to a 500-yard campaign in 2024. Expect better results with the resurgent Sam Darnold as Walker’s quarterback.

• WR Cody White (UDFA, 2020)

Cody White has quietly made a living in the league, as he has appeared in 20 games since 2021. He has eight catches for 79 yards in his career so far, and competes with the player that inherited his seven and the “White” nameplate at MSU, Ricky White, in training camp this year.

• WR Montorie Foster Jr. (UDFA, 2025)

Montorie Foster Jr. had two rookie minicamps to attend, that being Seattle’s and Cleveland’s, ultimately ending up in the Pacific Northwest. He enters a relatively unproven room outside of Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Tennessee Titans

• DB Kendell Brooks (UDFA, 2023)

Kendell Brooks shined after a Xavier Henderson injury, and then the one-year starter’s Pro Day numbers gave Brooks NFL consideration. He saw game action in five games in 2024, recording a tackle.

Former Spartans that finished their career elsewhere:

• WR Trishton Jackson (Arizona Cardinals)
• DT Simeon Barrow Jr. (Atlanta Falcons)
• WR Keon Coleman (Buffalo Bills)
• DL Montez Sweat (Chicago Bears)
• QB Payton Thorne (Cincinnati Bengals)
• WR Cade McDonald (Cleveland Browns)
• DE Michael Fletcher Jr. (New York Jets)
• DL Derrick Harmon (Pittsburgh Steelers)
• WR Ricky White III (Seattle Seahawks)

The NFL season officially kicks off Sept. 4. We’ll see where the Spartans in the NFL stand then.