Plenty of G5 Representation in Super Bowl LII

Football fans! Come one, come all, because it is time for one of the biggest events all year! The Super Bowl is right around the corner, and we have had some wild ones recently.

Although it can sometimes be dominated by players from the P5, we have seen G5/FCS/D2 players make big names for themselves on the biggest possible stage. Guys like Joe Flacco (University of Delaware), Malcolm Butler (West Alabama), and Julian Edelman (Kent State) come to recent memory of G5 players representing the underdogs well. With that in mind, I was curious in seeing how many G5 players there are on the rosters this year. So without further ado, here are the G5 representatives on the current active roster (not counting those who are out for the season with injuries). I highlight who the probable starters are with the *.

New England Patriots (12 players)

• *Ryan Allen, Punter, Louisiana Tech
• *Malcolm Butler, Cornerback, West Alabama
• *Joe Cardona, Long Snapper, Navy
• *James Develin, Fullback, Brown
• *Stephen Gostkowski, Kicker, Memphis
• *James Harrison, Linebacker, Kent State
• *Chris Hogan, Wide Receiver, Monmouth
• Jacob Hollister, Tight End, Wyoming
• Eric Lee, Defensive Lineman, USF
• Bernard Reedy, Wide Receiver, Toledo
• Elandon Roberts, Linebacker, Houston
• *Kyle Van Noy, Linebacker, BYU

Philadelphia Eagles (12)

• *Jay Ajayi, Running Back, Boise State
• Will Beatty, Offensive Tackle, UConn
• Bryan Braman, Defensive End, West Texas A&M
• Brandon Brooks, Offensive Guard, Miami (OH)
• Brent Celek, Tight End, Cincinnati
• *Vinny Curry, Defensive End, Marshall
• *Jake Elliot, Kicker, Memphis
• *Corey Graham, Safety, New Hampshire
• Kamu Grugler-Hill, Linebacker, Eastern Illinois
• *Jason Kelce, Center, Cincinnati
• Rick Lovato, Long Snapper, Old Dominion
• Steven Means, Defensive End, Buffalo

Overall Conference Breakdown:

• 8 AAC
• 4 MAC (5 if you were to count Julian Edelman)
• 4 FCS
• 3 C-USA
• 2 MWC
• 2 NCAA D2
• 1 Independent

Analysis:

In total, there are 24 former G5 players on the Super Bowl roster. There are nine offensive, 10 defensive and five special teams players. As you can see, the AAC leads all the G5 schools with eight players, right behind the Big 12 at 11. Both these teams seem to really like guys from Ohio as Kent State, Toledo, and Cincinnati all made appearances on the these rosters. I was super surprised to see that the FCS was ahead of C-USA and Mountain West, but my biggest surprise was seeing zero Sun Belt players on either roster.

In addition, we can officially start calling Memphis the elite kicker school, as both kickers on the roster will be starting. The last big point of emphasis is the amount of G5 players on this roster who are starting. I count 13 bona-fide starters with a few more that get playing time on a regular basis. That is 54 percent of G5 players are starting, while many others on this list do contribute. These players are not just filling a quota to stay on the roster. Many of them will get playing time and will play a decisive part on the world’s biggest stage.

Who do you think wins the Super Bowl? Which G5 player will have the biggest impact on the game? Vote in the poll and share in the comments your thoughts. Enjoy the game!