Virginia Professional Athletes

Virginia's NFL footprint was hard to miss in Week 1, with two Cavalier alumni making headlines for very different reasons — one with a touchdown catch that announced his arrival, the other by preparing to play virtually every position on the field.

Dontayvion Wicks, WR2 in Philadelphia

Dontayvion Wicks wasted no time justifying the Eagles' faith in him. In Philadelphia's 24-22 Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders, the former Virginia wideout logged 2 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown — a debut that validated the off-season buzz around his expanded role in Philly's new passing offense.

Wicks operated as the Eagles' WR2 and flashed the playmaking ability that had long made him a prospect worth watching. His 36.5 yards per reception tells its own story: this wasn't volume work, it was chunk plays. The New York Times noted that Wicks has no shortage of believers inside the organization, with those close to the situation describing it plainly: "It's his time to shine." Based on Sunday's tape, those believers look prescient.

Olamide Zaccheaus, Swiss Army Knife in Atlanta

If Wicks had the cleaner storyline, Olamide Zaccheaus had the weirder — and arguably more memorable — one. Heading into Atlanta's Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Falcons were already turning to backup quarterback Cooper Rush under emergency conditions. But Atlanta's contingency planning didn't stop there.

With injuries decimating the Falcons' quarterback and running back rooms, Zaccheaus was formally tabbed as the team's emergency option at multiple positions — including quarterback. Yes, the Virginia alum and veteran wide receiver was prepped to potentially line up under center, take handoffs as a running back, and still handle his usual WR duties if disaster struck. The Sporting News and Heavy Sports both confirmed the wild contingency plan ahead of kickoff.

On the field, Zaccheaus's stat line was modest — 1 catch for 5 yards in a 20-13 Atlanta loss — but the circumstances around his role made him one of the most-discussed players of Week 1 regardless. The Falcons' emergency architecture around him said everything about how much the organization trusts the veteran Cavalier.

Around the Rest of the Roster

Elsewhere in the UVA diaspora, Malik Washington — a Dolphins receiver — posted 3 catches for 53 yards in Miami's 27-13 win over Las Vegas, a quiet but solid debut. Saints safety Jonas Sanker also saw action in New Orleans' narrow 30-31 loss to Detroit.

Virginia's NFL alumni class enters the season with genuine contributors spread across the league, but it's Wicks and Zaccheaus who set the tone for Week 1 — one with a touchdown, the other with a job description nobody else in the league could match.

Morgan Moses Earns the 'C'

Virginia's most prominent NFL name entering the 2026 season isn't suiting up for a Super Bowl contender — but he's wearing something just as meaningful. Veteran offensive tackle Morgan Moses was named one of six captains for the New England Patriots ahead of the 2026 NFL season, joining quarterback Drake Maye, tight end Hunter Henry, safety Kevin Byard III, cornerback Marcus Jones, and linebacker Robert Spillane in that leadership group.

For a Patriots franchise in full rebuild mode, the choice of Moses signals that New England's locker room isn't being handed over entirely to youth. Moses, a 12th-year pro, brings exactly the kind of veteran anchor a young offensive line — and a second-year signal-caller in Maye — needs in the room. The announcement did draw fan scrutiny over one notable omission (cornerback Christian Gonzalez was conspicuously left off the list), but Moses's selection was widely viewed as earned.

A UVA product out of Charlottesville, Moses has spent his career as one of the league's more quietly reliable right tackles. Getting the captain designation in New England is a fitting chapter for a player who has never made headlines for the wrong reasons.

Other Hoos Worth Watching

Moses isn't the only Virginia alumnus with a meaningful role heading into Week 1.

In Miami, wide receiver Malik Washington is positioned as the Dolphins' de facto WR1 after a dramatic offseason reshaping of the depth chart. With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle both gone, Washington steps into a featured role that would have seemed unimaginable a year ago. The opportunity is enormous; whether he can capitalize on it is the question that will define his 2026.

In Philadelphia, Dontayvion Wicks arrives with something to prove. The Eagles wide receiver is being evaluated as a potential WR2, a significant step up from the role-player label he's carried to this point. Wicks has the athleticism to make that leap — Philadelphia is betting he can deliver it.

Between Moses's captaincy, Washington's sudden prominence in Miami, and Wicks's shot at a defined role in Philly, Virginia has legitimate storylines threading through the NFL's opening week. The Cavaliers don't produce first-round stars at a headline pace, but their alumni have a habit of carving out meaningful careers — and right now, a handful of them are at genuine inflection points.

Virginia in the NFL | Week of Aug. 23–29

Two injury-riddled seasons had quietly moved Jelani Woods toward the margins of the NFL conversation. Training camp in New Jersey is pulling him back.

The former Virginia tight end — a 6-foot-7, 259-pound target who flashed genuine upside as a rookie with the Colts in 2022 — arrived at Jets camp as a longshot for the 53-man roster. He's not leaving it that way. According to Yahoo Sports, Woods has been turning heads throughout the preseason stretch, making a compelling case that the physical tools scouts fell in love with at the NFL Draft are still very much intact.

The backstory matters here. Woods wasn't merely banged up over the past two years — he was, in the blunt language of the Yahoo Sports report, "robbed by injuries and betrayed by his body." That kind of stretch breaks players mentally as much as physically. The fact that Woods has come into camp not just healthy but productive says something about his makeup, not just his talent.

For a Jets offense still searching for reliable receiving options beyond its top weapons, a high-ceiling tight end who can stretch the seam and create mismatches in the red zone is exactly the kind of chess piece coordinators covet. Woods doesn't need to be a star to make this roster — he needs to be useful, dependable, and healthy. Camp suggests he's all three.

Other Hoos Around the League

Woods isn't the only Virginia alum with something to prove this preseason. Jowon Briggs, also with the Jets, is competing at defensive end — meaning two Cavaliers are fighting for roster spots on the same New York sideline.

Elsewhere, Dontayvion Wicks is in Eagles camp at wide receiver, while Malik Washington continues to work at wideout for the Dolphins. Both are in the mold of versatile, competitive depth pieces trying to carve out roles on legitimate playoff contenders.

On the offensive line front, Morgan Moses is with the Patriots at tackle and Olusegun Oluwatimi — the 2022 Rimington Trophy winner — is in Seattle's mix at center, continuing to develop at the next level.

Defensively, Bryce Hall (Texans, CB), Nick Jackson (Buccaneers, LB), and Juan Thornhill (Jaguars, FS) round out a solid core of Virginia defensive alumni still logging NFL paychecks heading into final cuts.

The Bottom Line

The story of Virginia's NFL week belongs to Woods. If he makes this Jets roster after two years of injury setbacks, it won't just be a feel-good preseason note — it'll be one of the more quietly resilient comeback arcs of the cutdown season. Hoos fans should be watching Hard Knocks highlights very carefully.