UCF Professional Athletes

Two Knights Knocking on the Door in Cleveland

The Cleveland Browns made a pair of notable roster moves this week, opening the 21-day practice window for UCF alumni quarterback Dillon Gabriel and defensive tackle Kalia Davis. The designation — announced Tuesday — signals that both players are progressing in their recoveries from injured reserve and could be activated to the 53-man roster before the window closes.

Gabriel's return is the headliner. The Browns' QB room is already crowded, and adding a healthy Gabriel back into the mix immediately raises questions about the team's direction at the position. For a franchise that has shuffled through signal-callers in recent years, the former Knights standout will need to make a strong case in practice to carve out a real role. The 21-day window gives him the opportunity to do exactly that — but the clock is ticking.

Davis, meanwhile, provides potential reinforcement along Cleveland's defensive interior. The Browns activated the practice window for the DT alongside Gabriel, and a healthy Davis bolsters a position group that can always use depth as the season grinds into October.

---

RJ Harvey Shines in a Broncos Loss

Out in Denver, UCF running back RJ Harvey turned in one of the week's more impressive individual performances despite his team coming up short. Harvey racked up 25 rushing yards and hauled in 10 receptions for 68 receiving yards in the Broncos' 14-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The receiving production was a standout number — 10 catches for a running back in any game is a significant workload and a testament to how Denver is leaning on Harvey as a pass-catching option out of the backfield.

The loss stings for Denver, but Harvey's usage suggests he's firmly entrenched as a key weapon in the offense.

---

Around the League

Elsewhere, Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes was on the field Monday as the Falcons rolled past the New Orleans Saints 45-24, a dominant performance for a defense Hughes contributes to in the secondary. Eagles long snapper Charley Hughlett was in uniform as Philadelphia dropped a 20-24 decision to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, with UCF's Mac McWilliams also suiting up for the Eagles in that contest.

The Browns' moves for Gabriel and Davis are the story of the week for Knights fans — two former Orlando standouts now on the clock to prove they're ready to contribute in Cleveland.

For UCF fans tracking their alumni in the NFL, the Week 3 window produced one story that overshadowed everything else: RJ Harvey exiting Denver's 30-26 win over the Los Angeles Rams with an in-game injury, leaving his availability a genuine question mark going forward.

Harvey had already been listed as questionable heading into Sunday's contest — a red flag that, as it turned out, proved prescient. The Broncos running back managed to get on the field, posting a modest stat line of 6 rushing yards and 6 receptions for 41 receiving yards before the injury forced him out of the game. In a backfield that had been thinning out, Denver was already without Marvin Mims Jr. on Sunday, a wide receiver who was a game-time decision and ultimately landed on the inactives list.

The Broncos did make one roster move of note, activating Jordan Jackson — inactive through the first two weeks — while moving Sai'vion Jones to the inactive list. That kind of shuffling underscores just how much the injury situation in Denver is in flux, and Harvey's status will be one of the more closely watched developments heading into Week 4.

For the UCF faithful, Harvey had been one of the more compelling Knights-to-pros success stories entering the 2026 season. A dual-threat back capable of contributing in the passing game — evident even in his limited Sunday work — any extended absence would be a significant blow both to the Broncos and to fantasy managers who took a chance on the former Knight.

No other UCF alumni generated notable statistical activity in the research window. The Knights' NFL footprint remains broad — from Gabriel Davis with the Bills to Richie Grant with the Patriots to Shaquill Griffin in Seattle — but this week, Harvey's health was the only storyline that demanded attention.

Denver held on for the four-point win despite the attrition, but the injury clouds linger. UCF fans will be watching the injury report closely as the week unfolds.

Two UCF alumni share a backfield — and, this week, a very different injury fate.

Denver's Sunday night showdown against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3 arrives with the Broncos backfield in a state of managed chaos, and a pair of Knights are at the center of it. RJ Harvey is cleared to play after missing Week 2 entirely with a hamstring injury. Jonah Coleman, the rookie fourth-round pick who stepped up in Harvey's absence, is officially ruled out with an ankle injury he picked up during Denver's Week 2 win over Jacksonville.

Harvey Returns, Coleman Steps Aside

Harvey's absence in Week 2 was supposed to be Coleman's moment. ESPN's Eric Moody had pegged the rookie as the prime candidate to take over change-of-pace duties against the Jaguars, and Coleman's snaps reflected that elevated role. But the ankle injury suffered during that game has proven significant enough to keep him out of practice for the entire week leading into the Rams matchup — the Broncos officially ruled him out on the final injury report.

Harvey, meanwhile, practiced in limited fashion early in the week before returning to full participation. Per the Broncos' final injury report, both Harvey and JK Dobbins are good to go for Sunday night. That's the good news. The bad news is that Denver heads into prime time running a thinner-than-expected group, with Coleman sidelined and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. listed as questionable.

What It Means for Harvey

Harvey's return is the headline. The second-year back out of UCF had a standout rookie campaign — noted for a 12-touchdown season — and his absence over the past week had sharpened focus on just how important he is to Denver's offense. With Coleman out and Dobbins also returning from injury, Harvey figures to see meaningful backfield work in a high-profile SNF setting.

Fantasy managers have taken notice: Harvey is listed as a viable start in Week 3 matchup debates, while Coleman's absence removes what was becoming an interesting second option out of the Denver backfield.

The Bigger Picture

For UCF fans tracking their alumni, this week underscores just how quickly fortunes can shift in an NFL backfield. A week ago, Coleman was the story — the promising rookie filling in for an injured veteran. Now the roles are flipped, and Harvey is back under the lights while Coleman watches from the sideline.

Denver's backfield situation bears watching beyond this week, particularly if Coleman's ankle lingers. But for Sunday night, it's Harvey who gets the spotlight — and the chance to remind the league why he was a key piece of the Broncos' offensive plans heading into the season.

Elsewhere in the UCF alumni network, Commanders defensive tackle Ricky Barber was elevated from the practice squad for Washington's Week 2 game against the Cowboys, though that activity falls outside the primary storyline of this week's Knights news.

A pair of UCF alumni spent the week in Denver's injury report — and for one of them, Week 2 came too soon.

Marvin Mims Out; RJ Harvey a Game-Time Question

Wide receiver Marvin Mims was ruled out entirely for the Broncos' home matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, sidelined by a foot injury that kept him out of practice all week. His absence removes a key piece of Denver's passing game and offers a clean look at how much the Broncos will miss him when he's not available.

The news was marginally better for running back RJ Harvey. After being listed as a Wednesday DNP with a hamstring tweak following Denver's 31–10 Monday Night Football loss to Kansas City — in which Harvey carried for 18 yards and added 4 receptions for 23 more — the second-year RB returned to limited practice on Thursday. He was ultimately tagged as questionable heading into the Jacksonville game.

Harvey's hamstring concern prompted immediate attention from the fantasy football community: with the former UCF standout's status uncertain, backfield handcuff Jonah Coleman emerged as a sleeper option with potential for a significant role elevation. The silver lining, per reporting, is that the injury appeared to be on the minor end of the spectrum.

Ricky Barber's Roller Coaster Week in Washington

UCF linebacker Ricky Barber had one of the more turbulent roster weeks among Knights in the NFL. The Commanders released Barber from their 53-man roster Thursday, signing veteran cornerback Isaac Yiadom in his place. But the story didn't end there — Washington turned around and elevated Barber from the practice squad ahead of their Week 2 trip to Dallas, using him as a situational defensive line piece against the Cowboys.

It's the kind of week that defines life on the roster bubble: cut, re-signed, elevated. Barber remains in Washington's plans for now, but his long-term roster security is clearly unsettled.

Elsewhere Among the Knights

Mike Hughes suited up for Atlanta in their Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh, though the Falcons cornerback didn't register notable statistical output in a 20–13 defeat. The rest of UCF's substantial NFL alumni contingent — spread across 30-plus rosters — largely avoided the injury report and the headlines this week, with Denver's pair commanding most of the Knights' spotlight.

The bigger storyline to watch: if Harvey plays through his hamstring issue Sunday and Mims misses extended time, UCF's most prominent NFL presence enters a pivotal stretch with real questions about durability and role.