Southern Miss Professional Athletes

Nick Mullens' NFL life just got a little more complicated — and a little more secure, all within the span of a few days.

The Southern Miss product was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars last week as a direct consequence of the team's trade for Quinn Ewers, a move that reshaped the franchise's quarterback room in one fell swoop. When a high-profile QB arrives via trade, roster math gets brutal fast, and Mullens was the odd man out after Jacksonville cut three quarterbacks on Sunday.

The exit didn't last long. Mullens returned to the Jaguars' practice squad on Monday alongside fellow cut Joey Aguilar, landing back in the organization he knows and keeping his NFL career very much alive heading into the 2026 regular season.

It's a familiar kind of limbo for a quarterback like Mullens — valuable enough to bring back, but now operating a clear rung below Ewers on the depth chart. The practice squad role gives him a foothold: he stays in the building, stays in the system, and remains just one injury or roster move away from being elevated back to the active 53. For a veteran backup who has bounced around the league, that's not nothing. That's the job.

Mullens, who built his college career at Southern Miss before earning multiple NFL stints with teams including the 49ers and Browns, has long served as a dependable emergency option in quarterback rooms across the league. His familiarity with Jacksonville's scheme could be what keeps him relevant in a room that just got a lot more crowded at the top.

Fellow Golden Eagle Tim Jones also remains on the Jaguars' roster as a wide receiver, meaning Southern Miss has two representatives in Jacksonville as the regular season opens — though Mullens, for now, is doing his work off the main stage.

For Golden Eagles fans tracking their alumni across the NFL landscape, the Mullens situation is the headline story of the week: a roster cut that could have signaled the end of a chapter, quickly followed by a lifeline that keeps the story going. In the NFL's final week of roster cuts and practice squad signings, stranger things have happened than a practice squad QB working his way back into the spotlight before Thanksgiving.

Southern Miss Alumni Report | NFL | Aug. 23–29, 2026

Three Southern Miss alumni made noise across the league this preseason week — two of them in the same dramatic finish.

Bell and Gore Jr. Deliver for Buffalo

The Bills needed every yard of it. In a 28-27 preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, a pair of Golden Eagles alumni combined to account for two of Buffalo's four touchdowns — and the margin of victory came down to the final whistle.

Rookie receiver Skyler Bell was the breakout name of the night. The Southern Miss product hauled in seven catches for 49 yards and capped his evening with a 28-yard rushing touchdown — an eye-catching dual-threat play that will have Bills fans buzzing heading into roster cutdowns. Seven receptions in a preseason game is a statement; a touchdown on the ground is an exclamation point. Bell is clearly making a case for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Frank Gore Jr. kept the family tradition alive in the backfield, adding a rushing touchdown of his own to round out what was a genuinely impressive night for the Southern Miss pipeline in western New York. Buffalo's 28-27 final score means neither score was window dressing — both touchdowns mattered.

Two alumni, two end-zone trips, one win. It doesn't get much cleaner than that for Hattiesburg bragging rights.

Mullens Battles for Jacksonville's QB2 Spot

Down in Jacksonville, Nick Mullens is navigating a different kind of pressure. The veteran quarterback — a former starter with NFL experience across multiple franchises — is currently in the mix to serve as the Jaguars' backup signal-caller heading into the regular season.

Whether the Jaguars' fanbase is comfortable with that arrangement is an open question, literally: a recent survey put the question directly to Jacksonville supporters. Mullens brings experience and familiarity with NFL systems, which counts for something in a backup role. But backup quarterbacks get scrutinized far more carefully in today's NFL, where injuries can flip a franchise's season in a single snap. The verdict from Jags fans remains mixed.

Mullens won't need to be a star — he just needs to be ready. Whether the Jaguars agree he's the right man for that job will likely be settled before the final preseason game.

The Bigger Picture

Southern Miss doesn't always dominate the alumni headlines in a single week, but this stretch was a genuine showcase. Bell's performance alone is the kind of tape that sticks with personnel departments. Gore Jr. adding a score alongside him only amplifies the story. And Mullens fighting for a roster spot at quarterback — one of the most competitive positions in the sport — reflects the caliber of athlete the program continues to produce.

Week to watch: Bell's fate when Buffalo finalizes its 53-man roster.