From FCS Football To The Super Bowl: Every Former FCS Player In Super Bowl LX

The stage is set for Super Bowl LX, where the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will battle at Levi's Stadium. It will feature a wide variety of former FCS talent, including eight active players on Seattle's roster and six active players for New England.

Multiple of those players have been significant contributors for these two franchises. The Patriots also have two FCS players on the injured reserve and practice squad, while the Seahawks have one. Nine players are from the Big Sky, three come from the MVFC, and two come from the Pioneer League.

We're going to give a quick college summary and breakdown of each former FCS player you will see on the biggest stage in football this Sunday.

Seattle Seahawks

Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington - WR)

Where else can we start, but with the former Triple Crown and Super Bowl MVP wide receiver Cooper Kupp? Cooper is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, wide receiver to play at the FCS level, spending four years at Eastern Washington.

Cooper hit the ground running, earning FCS All-American honors in all four seasons, totaling over 1,400 receiving yards in every season, and accumulating 6,464 receiving yards and 73 touchdowns over his illustrious career.

He averaged over eight receptions per game over his four seasons and helped lead some of the best offenses in FCS history. Eastern Washington never got over the hump in the playoffs, but there's no question that Cooper Kupp is one of the best players we've ever seen.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) warms up prior to a game against the San Francisco 49ers | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Eric Saubert (Drake - TE)

Eric Saubert was a stud tight end at Drake for four years (2013-16). He made first-team All-PFL as a freshman and was an All-American by his junior season.

Saubert amassed an impressive 2,179 receiving yards across four seasons. His 10 touchdowns as a senior ranked 19th in the entire country. Saubert is an important piece of the Seattle offense and the 12 personnel packages they prefer to play.

Rashid Shaheed (Weber State - WR)

Rashid Shaheed was at Weber State from 2017-21, putting together an incredible career as one of the best Big Sky players ever. Shaheed had seven kickoff return touchdowns in his career, which was a new all-time record at the FCS level.

He was also an All-Big Sky and FCS All-American selection in all four years, becoming the first Weber State player to do so. Shaheed averaged 29 yards per kick return, while also posting 2,178 receiving yards over his college career.

Grey Zabel (North Dakota State - OL)

Grey Zabel was a two-time national champion at North Dakota State, where he started 41 games along the offensive line. He started every game over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, including leading the Bison to a national title as a senior in 2024. Zabel has been a starter all season for the Seahawks at left guard and has been playing his best football of late.

Jalen Sundell (North Dakota State - OL)

40% of the Seahawks' offensive line comes from North Dakota State. Sundell was a four-year starter for the Bison, the first three at center, but made the move to tackle in 2023. He still earned FCS All-American honors after the move. He now leads the Seattle offensive line as the starting center.

Seattle Seahawks center Jalen Sundell (61) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jacardia Wright (Missouri State - RB)

Jacardia Wright is a member of Seattle's practice squad and was a weapon over his three seasons at Missouri State. Wright had over 1,200 all-purpose yards as a senior.

Jason Myers (Marist - K)

Myers was at Marist from 2009-12, where he not only kicked field goals, but also served as the punter for the Red Foxes. He left Marist as the program's all-time leading scorer among placekickers.

Ty Okada (Montana State - S)

Ty Okada played at Montana State from 2018-22, where he was an All-Big Sky defensive back in his last two years. He racked up 179 tackles, 18 pass breakups, and 15 tackles for loss. He ranks 10th among Seattle defensive players in snaps played this season.

Patrick O'Connell (Montana - LB)

O'Connell was a two-time FCS All-American at Montana, playing there from 2019-22 after transferring up from the Division II level. He had an incredible 242 tackles, 45 tackles for loss, and 28.5 sacks over his three full seasons. He's been an important special teams player and depth piece for Seattle this year.

New England Patriots

Efton Chism III (Eastern Washington - WR)

Chism is somehow the second-best former Eastern Washington wide receiver in this game. Don't let that diminish how incredible he was the past four seasons with the Eagles. He had 3,852 receiving yards and 37 receiving touchdowns in his career. Chism was an effective kick returner early in his college career, a role he's taken on for the New England Patriots.

Terrell Jennings (Florida A&M - RB)

Jennings had 1,754 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns from 2019-23 at Florida A&M. He was named the MVP of the SWAC Championship, propelling the Rattlers to their first Celebration Bowl appearance. He is now a member of the New England practice squad.

Lan Larison (UC Davis - RB)

Larison was a legend at UC Davis as an all-around weapon, making an impact as a running back, receiver, and returner. He racked up an incredible 6,504 all-purpose yards and 51 total touchdowns from 2021-24. He was signed by the Patriots in 2025, but was placed on IR after breaking his foot during the preseason.

Julian Ashby (Furman - LS)

Julian Ashby was the long snapper at Furman from 2020-23 before playing his final college season at Vanderbilt. He was selected in the 7th round by the Patriots, now serving as the long snapper for the franchise.

Elijah Ponder (Cal Poly - DE)

Ponder was a star at Cal Poly, where he was a multi-year All-American and All-Big Sky selection. He had 26.5 sacks over his career. Ponder started as a depth piece this season, but has gotten more playing time as a rotational player for New England. He made one of the biggest plays of the AFC Championship game when he recovered a fumble on the 12-yard line, which led to New England's only touchdown.

Marte Mapu (Sacramento State - LB)

Mapu was an All-American at Sacramento State and was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. He had 76 tackles and two interceptions that season for the Hornets. Mapu is an important special teams player and depth piece for New England.

New England Patriots safety Marte Mapu (15) against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half of an NFL International Series game | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Christian Elliss (Idaho - LB)

Elliss was a first-team All-Big Sky linebacker for Idaho in 2020. He recorded 266 total tackles in 38 career games with the Vandals. He is a starting linebacker for the Patriots, where he has 94 total tackles, including a crucial strip sack in the AFC Championship game.

Jack Gibbens (Abilene Christian - LB)

Jack Gibbens spent four seasons at Abilene Christian before spending his final season at Minnesota. He played in 39 career games for the Wildcats and totaled 258 tackles, seven sacks, and five interceptions, including 104 tackles in 2019. Gibbens is a key special teams player for New England and plays frequently as a rotational piece on defense.

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