The NFL's final roster cuts are still weeks away, but Vanderbilt's footprint across the league is already taking shape — and the most compelling story this week belongs to Jaylen Mahoney.
The 25-year-old safety landed with the Philadelphia Eagles after the team made a quartet of roster moves, giving Mahoney a legitimate shot at sticking on an NFC contender's 53-man roster. His path here is the kind that defines the undrafted grind: Mahoney signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2024, worked his way through that system, and now finds himself on the other side of the country with a fresh opportunity in Philly.
Mahoney isn't the only Commodore in an Eagles uniform. Running back Khari Blasingame has also been part of Philadelphia's roster, meaning Vanderbilt has more than one representative fighting for a spot in a crowded, talent-rich locker room. For a program that doesn't typically churn out first-round picks, having multiple alums competing on the same NFL team is a quiet point of pride.
The Broader Vanderbilt Roster Landscape
Across the league, Vanderbilt alumni are scattered from Nashville to every time zone. Zach Cunningham, Allan George, and Tyson Russell are all in Detroit with the Lions — a notable Commodore cluster on a team that's emerged as one of the NFC's most exciting franchises. Dayo Odeyingbo made his way to the Chicago Bears, where the pass rusher will look to revive a career that showed flashes of high-end potential during his time in Indianapolis. Anfernee Orji is with the New York Giants at linebacker, and Will Sheppard — a name Green Bay fans will want to track — is listed with the Packers at wide receiver after drawing attention for his versatility coming out of Nashville.
Jordan Matthews, one of the more decorated Vanderbilt pass-catchers in recent memory, is back in the league with the Carolina Panthers at wide receiver, adding a veteran presence to a rebuilding roster.
The undrafted-to-roster pipeline remains the primary avenue for Vanderbilt players entering the NFL, which makes Mahoney's persistence worth tracking. Making a 53-man roster as an undrafted safety — particularly one who has already bounced through one franchise — requires not just talent but the kind of adaptability that NFL personnel departments quietly covet.
Preseason games will ultimately determine who survives the cuts. But right now, Mahoney's move to Philadelphia is the headline, and Vanderbilt fans have more than a dozen reasons to keep an eye on NFL rosters as the final push toward the regular season begins.
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