Brian Dooley Receives UDFA Deal with Tennessee Titans
The Ironman of EMU football heads to Tennessee to begin his rookie year.
After 257 draft picks heard their names called by 32 NFL clubs, all of Eastern Michigan’s graduates were left waiting by the phones. So far, just one player’s gotten the good news he was looking for. And of course it’d be the man who played more football than anybody else in EMU history to be the lucky name.
Brian Dooley, who has hopes of making it 10 years in the league, signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Tennessee Titans late Saturday. With Dooley’s addition to the Titans, it continues EMU’s streak of outgoing graduates to go on and sign as undrafted free agents or receive mini-camp invites since 2015.
Dooley received a lot of positive attention in August when he gave his scholarship to teammate and walk-on Zach Conti. On the field, Dooley has stood the tests the time by breaking the school’s all-time games played (62) and games started (60) records during his final season, surpassing fellow O-lineman Sidy Sow who was drafted by the New England Patriots last year.
Speaking of fellow O-linemen, former EMU left tackle Marcellus Johnson, who went to Missouri for his final season, likewise signed a UDFA deal with the New York Giants. Johnson was a three-year starter at left tackle for the Eagles, and was just a backup for the Mizzou O-line last year (84 total snaps in 2023, per Pro Football Focus).
With Dooley, Sow, and Johnson all finding their ways into the league, EMU can now know that 3/5 of its starting offensive line from 2020-2022 turned into, at minimum, future NFL signees.
MACtion in the NFL Draft
Quinyon Mitchell (#22 overall to Philadelphia Eagles) — It’s not every year we get a first-round pick out of the MAC. Especially in the transfer portal era, it takes a special type of player to not leave after years of obvious production. Then there’s the cherry on top, when Nick Saban told the entire country how he went about his business at Alabama regarding Mitchell. Just flat out said that the Tide tried to get Mitchell to jump into the transfer portal, but their plans never worked. Mitchell’s a unique character who stuck out his college career with the school that wanted him first.
Marshawn Kneeland (#56 overall to Dallas Cowboys) — It’s not ever y year we get a first-round pick AND a second-rounder out of the MAC, but here we are. Unfortunate to the readers of this newsletter who are probably tired of being reminded in which game all of Kneeland’s senior-year high-upside production was on display, but Kneeland could’ve had a much better senior year if he didn’t come into the year with a lagging injury.
UDFA wire
Buffalo Bills
CB Ken’s Lovely (WMU)
Cincinnati Bengals
CB Michael Dowell (Miami)
QB Rocky Lombardi (NIU)
Detroit Lions
LB Daron Gilbert (NIU)
Green Bay Packers
DT James Ester (NIU)
DT Rodney Mathews (Ohio)
Jacksonville Jaguars
RB Lorenzo Lingard (Akron)
Kansas City Chiefs
LB Bryce Houston (Ohio)
DB D.J. Miller (Kent State)
LA Rams
WR Sam Wiglusz (Ohio)
Minnesota Vikings
LB Dallas Gant (Toledo)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DT Judge Culpepper (Toledo)
CB Chris McDonald (Toledo)
OL Nolan Potter (NIU)
Washington Commanders
OL David Nwaogwugwu (Toledo)