Gators NFL Round Up: Multiple Rookies Find Homes on 53-Man Rosters

Multiple Florida Gators alumni who went pro earlier this year have found homes with NFL teams heading into the regular season

Multiple Gators have found a home | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Florida Gators will see more football alumni on the active rosters of NFL teams this upcoming season. Multiple notable Gators who went pro this year found homes on a few 53-man rosters.

Let's take look at who will live to play football another day in this Gators NFL Round-Up.

Former Gators Starting Quarterback Makes Cut with Texans

Graham Mertz will stick around Houston backing up CJ Stroud on the Texans. Mertz was draftd by the Texans in the sixth round of the NFL Draft back in April.

He completed 71.9% of his passes for 174 yards while throwing one touchdown to three interceptions during preseason action. Nothing stellar to see here, but the Texans see him as a worthy option in case of an emergency.

Mertz was the starting quarterback in 2023 and to start 2024 before an ACL injury took him out halfway through the season.

Waived Defensive Back Claimed By Cowboys

It didn't take long for defensive back Trikweze Bridges to find a home after he was waived by the Los Angeles Chargers. According to the Dallas Morning News, he was claimed by the Dallas Cowboys on waivers and added to their 53-man roster.

He was drafted in the seventh-round in the 2025 NFL Draft following a season in Gainesville, his fifth in college overall. He spent the first four seasons of his collegiate career with Oregon.

Two Gators Teammates Stick Together with Titans

Two members of the Florida Gators offense last season have made the cut with the Tennesee Titans. Offensive lineman Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson and wide receiver Chimere Dike are on the 53-man roster.

Both players were instrumental in the Gators' second-half surge to finish 8-5 and take down Tulane to win the Gasparilla Bowl - though Crenshaw-Dickson didn't play in the bowl game.

Crenshaw-Dickson played in all 12 regular-season games, starting 11, for the Gators logging 685 snaps and allowing zero individual sacks. This effort earned him a spot in the East-West Shrine Bowl, garnering him more exposure ahead of the draft.

He signed on with the Titans as an undrafted free agent.

Meanwhile, Dike played in all 13 games including the Gasparilla Bowl. He finished with a career high 786 receiving yards and averaged a career-best 18.6 yards per reception. His two touchdowns are the second most he had in a college season.

The Titans drafted him in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.