Hoos in the NFL: 13 Virginia Football Alums Participating in NFL Training Camps

Matt Newton | Jul 31, 2024

Former Virginia wide receiver Malik Washington is preparing for his rookie NFL season with the Miami Dolphins. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Training camp is in full swing as all 32 teams have begun their preparations for the 2024 season and the process of reducing their rosters from the 90 players participating in training camp down to the final 53-man roster they will bring into week 1. There are 13 former Virginia football players confirmed to be participating in training camps around the National Football League.

See the full list of former Wahoos in the NFL below:

WR Malik Washington - Miami Dolphins

The most recent UVA football product to join the ranks of the NFL, Malik Washington shattered several of the program's receiving records in his lone season as a Cavalier before getting selected by the Dolphins with the 184th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Miami is loaded at the wide receiver position with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle leading the way, but Washington should have an opportunity for significant playing time as he competes with Odell Beckham Jr. and Braxton Berrios for the third wide receiver spot.

WR Dontayvion Wicks - Green Bay Packers

Another wide receiver who held a few of those Virginia receiving records before Washington broke them, Dontayvion Wicks was a fifth round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2023 and had a tremendous rookie year, appearing in 15 regular season games with six starts and recording 39 receptions for 581 yards and four touchdowns. Wicks made two starts in the playoffs, catching a pair of passes for 25 yards and a touchdown to help the youthful Packers reach the Divisional round. Wicks should be a borderline starter again this season and could be poised for a big sophomore year while catching passes from one of the league's top young quarterbacks in Jordan Love.

TE Jelani Woods - Indianapolis Colts

A third round pick in 2022, the NFL career of Jelani Woods got off to a great start as he caught 25 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games as a rookie. Woods then missed the entire 2023 season due to hamstring injuries and will now have to both pick up where he left off and probably do a little more than that in order to beat out a competitive tight end room in Indianapolis, which includes former VCU basketball standout Mo Alie-Cox, and earn the TE1 designation.

CB Anthony Johnson - Atlanta Falcons

Former Virginia defensive back Anthony Johnson got the final spot on Atlanta's 90-man training camp roster. He signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2023, but was eventually released last October before getting signed to the Packers practice squad. Johnson will have a lot of work to do to earn a permanent roster spot in Atlanta.

CB Bryce Hall - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bryce Hall spent the first four seasons of his career with the New Yok Jets, a stretch during which he appeared in 39 games and made 26 starts, but only two of those starts have come in the last two seasons as he slid down the depth chart. There was one memorable moment for Hall last season, though, as he returned a fumble for a touchdown to seal New York's road win over the Denver Broncos. Now, Hall will look for a fresh start with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he's likely to start out as a second-team cornerback.

WR Olamide Zaccheaus - Washington Commanders

Zaccheaus is entering his sixth season in the NFL and will do so on his third different team as he joins the Washington Commanders. After spending the first four years of his career in Atlanta, Zaccheaus played last season in Philadelphia, where he appeared in all 17 games with one start and caught 10 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Zaccheaus was stuck behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in Philly and it'll be similar situation in Washington with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson ahead of him, but he should still have a decent chance of earning significant on-field snaps for the Commanders in 2024.

OT Morgan Moses - New York Jets

Entering his 11th season in the NFL, Morgan Moses is back with the New York Jets for the second time after they made a move to trade for him in March. Moses spent the first seven seasons of his career in Washington, then played the 2021 campaign with the Jets, and then spent the last two years with the Baltimore Ravens. The 33-year-old, who has 152 games and 144 career starts under his belt, will likely be the team's starter at right tackle this season.

OL Chris Glaser - New York Jets

The New York Jets are one of two teams in the NFL with two former Cavaliers on the training camp roster, as Morgan Moses is joined by fellow former UVA offensive lineman Chris Glaser, who has been brought back to the Jets multiple times over his first two years in the NFL. Glaser made his NFL debut for the Jets in 2023, logging five appearances and one start. Now, he'll look to earn a more permanent roster spot with the franchise that has given him the most opportunities.

DE Charles Snowden - Las Vegas Raiders

Snowden last played in 2021 and has only six defensive snaps and 13 special teams snaps under his belt in his NFL career. The Raiders signed Snowden to their practice squad last December and then he signed a reserve/future contract with the franchise in January, a one-year deal worth $795,000. Snowden will have to have an impressive training camp to crack the active roster.

S Juan Thornhill - Cleveland Browns

The 2023 season was Juan Thornhill's fifth in the NFL and first with the Browns after winning two Super Bowls with the Chiefs. He missed six games with a calf injury, his first time playing less than 16 games in his career, but still produced at a high level, recording 54 tackles, two quarterback hits, and one pass defended in 11 starts. Thornhill will look to get back to his 2022 form this season as the starting free safety for one of the best defenses in the NFL.

S Rodney McLeod Jr. - Cleveland Browns

Thornhill's likely backup is another former Cavalier defensive back in Rodney McLeod Jr., who announced earlier this year that this will be his final season of professional football. The 34-year-old safety has logged 166 games and 143 starts over his 12 seasons in the NFL and won Super Bowl LII with the Philadelphia Eagles. In his last year in the NFL, he'll supply depth for the Browns behind Thornhill and Grant Delpit.

S Joey Blount - Arizona Cardinals

Blount was signed off of the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad by the Arizona Cardinals in October of 2023 and ended up playing 11 games with one start for Arizona last season. In 25 snaps on defense, Blount made two tackles and defended one pass. He made a much bigger impact on special teams, registering nine tackles and forcing two fumbles. Blount could be called upon to provide safety depth behind Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson for the Cardinals, but he has certainly solidified himself as a valuable part of Arizona's special teams unit.

Brent Urban - Baltimore Ravens

Brent Urban is set for the 11th season of his NFL career, which began with four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. After stints in Chicago, Tennessee, and Dallas, Urban has been back with the Ravens for the last two years. In 2023, Urban played in all 17 regular season games (plus the two playoff games) and made three starts, recording 22 tackles, three sacks, one fumble recovery, and six quarterback hits. Urban should be a rotational defensive end once again for the Ravens this season.

The deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters to 53 players is August 27th at 4pm ET. For most of the league, the NFL preseason begins on Thursday, August 8th and runs through Sunday, August 25th.