Coastal Carolina Professional Athletes

Coastal Carolina in the NFL | Week 7

Isaiah Likely is playing like a man with something to prove, and the timing couldn't be better for the New York Giants.

The Chanticleers' most prominent NFL export put together one of the standout tight end performances of Week 7, hauling in 6 catches for 99 yards and a touchdown in the Giants' 27–34 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The score — a 24-yard strike — was complemented by a two-point conversion, and it came in a game that carried more than just scoreboard significance: it was played against the backdrop of a franchise-level pivot at quarterback.

The Giants have named J.J. McCarthy their new starting QB, and Likely isn't just adjusting to the change — he's actively championing it. In the wake of Sunday's performance, Likely told reporters he wants to make McCarthy's transition as smooth as possible, a posture that reflects both veteran savvy and a clear understanding of his own role in the offense. For a tight end who has steadily grown into one of the more dangerous receiving options in New York's system, the alignment with a new signal-caller could define the back half of his season — and his career trajectory.

The fantasy football world is already taking notice. McCarthy's ascension immediately raised questions about what the offense looks like for skill-position players like Likely and wide receiver Malik Nabers. If the Giants lean into the short-to-intermediate passing game to ease McCarthy in, Likely — reliable, sure-handed, and clearly in the new starter's trust tree — stands to be a consistent beneficiary.

Beyond the numbers, there's a story here about Coastal Carolina's pipeline to the professional game. Likely was a relative unknown coming out of Conway, South Carolina, a product of a program that has punched well above its weight in recent NFL drafts. His emergence as a legitimate starting tight end in one of the league's biggest markets is the clearest proof that the Chanticleers can develop NFL-caliber talent.

Likely isn't the only CCU alum on a New York roster, either — safety Clayton Isbell is also on the Giants' active list, though he didn't register notable stats in Week 7. Elsewhere across the league, Josaiah Stewart (Rams), Tarron Jackson (Eagles), and Brock Hoffman (Steelers) continue to hold roster spots, keeping Coastal Carolina's footprint spread across multiple contenders and playoff hopefuls.

But this week unambiguously belongs to Likely. Six catches, 99 yards, a touchdown, and a two-point conversion — all while positioning himself as a foundational piece of a quarterback's fresh start. That's not just a stat line. That's a statement.

For years, Isaiah Likely waited behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore, flashing enough to tantalize but never getting the runway to prove what he could do as a featured weapon. The Coastal Carolina product is making up for lost time in New York — and doing it loudly.

In Week 5 against Washington, Likely turned in the kind of performance that forces a reckoning. His 11 catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns were all career highs, helping spark a Giants comeback that ultimately ended in a 27-27 tie. The historic output made Likely the centerpiece of a rally, even if New York couldn't finish it off.

Through five games, the numbers are hard to argue with: 33 receptions and four touchdowns, placing him second among all NFL tight ends in catches. That production puts him in elite company at the position — and in a market that consistently undervalues tight ends until they're impossible to ignore, Likely is crossing that threshold fast.

What's driving it isn't just volume — it's connectivity. Likely has spoken openly about his growing chemistry with quarterback Jameis Winston, describing the Giants' offense as "taking the right trajectory." Winston, who faces his former Saints team in Week 6, has leaned on Likely as his security blanket and red-zone weapon, a dual role that few tight ends can credibly fill simultaneously.

The reliance is structural, too. Despite spending $48.34 million in free agency, the Giants' passing game runs almost entirely through Malik Nabers and Likely. That concentration of targets is a front-office concern worth watching — PFF's early 2027 mock draft already has New York addressing receiver — but for Likely, the thin supporting cast means opportunity. He's the second read, the checkdown, the fade route in the end zone, the answer when a play breaks down. He's everything.

The arc from Coastal Carolina to this moment is worth appreciating. The Chanticleers have quietly built a pipeline of NFL talent, but none have arrived on a stage this bright. Likely is no longer a depth piece or a change-of-pace option. At 26 years old, he's a genuine No. 1 option in a major-market offense, and he's playing like he knows it.

The Giants have their issues — a tie in Week 5 doesn't paper over roster gaps — but Likely isn't one of them. He's the solution.