Knights in the Pros: 2022 NFL Season Recap

Jan 10, 2023 - 4:11 PM

The 2022 NFL season has come to an end. Let's take a look at how some former UCF Knights did this season.

Gabe Davis

Davis, who played for the Knights from 2017 to 2019, had a solid season for the Buffalo Bills.

Arguably the most impactful player on this list, he formed a formidable receiving duo alongside pro bowler Stefon Diggs, with 48 receptions for 836 yards and 7 touchdowns in 15 games.

---

Richie Grant

Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Grant, who played for the Knights from 2016 to 2020, improved greatly in his sophomore NFL season with the Atlanta Falcons. He played in all 17 games and recorded 123 tackles, 70 of which were solo. He also had a forced fumble, which he also recovered, and two interceptions.

---

Matt Prater

Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images

Despite missing four games due to a nagging hip injury, Prater, who played for the Knights from 2002 to 2005, had a solid year for the Arizona Cardinals. In the 13 games he played, he was 22-for-25 on field goal attempts and 17-for-18 on extra point attempts.

He also extended his NFL record of career field goals from 50 yards or more to 70, including a 57-yarder against the Falcons on New Year’s Day

---

Latavius Murray

Murray, who played for the Knights from 2008 to 2012, began the season unsigned. He joined the New Orleans Saints for one game, before being moved to their practice squad where he then chose to sign with the Denver Broncos. In 13 games, he recorded 760 yards and 6 touchdowns on 171 carries. He also had 27 catches for 132 yards.

---

Mike Hughes

Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Hughes, who played for the Knights in 2017, played in 16 games for the Detroit Lions. He only missed the Week 8 game due to a knee injury. He served as the team’s second-string cornerback and recorded 51 tackles, 35 of which were solo tackles.

---

Tre’Quan Smith

Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Smith appeared in 15 games, only missing the first two games of the season due to suffering a shoulder injury in a preseason game. He recorded 19 receptions for 278 yards and one touchdown.

---

Breshad Perriman

Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

Perriman played mostly as a backup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season. He appeared in 11 games, recording 9 receptions for 110 yards and one touchdown.

---

Charley Hughlett

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Hughlett served as the Cleveland Browns’ starting long snapper for all 17 games this season, his 11th in the league. He signed a four-year contract extension in October.

---

Shaquill Griffin

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Griffin only appeared in 5 games for the Jaguars this season due to suffering a back injury in the Jaguars' Week 6 game against the Indianapolis Colts. In those five games, he recorded a total of 29 tackles, 23 of which were solo tackles.

---

Trysten Hill

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Hill, who played for the Knights from 2016 to 2018, was used sparingly this season in Arizona. In the 6 games he played, he recorded 6 tackles, five of which were solo tackles and one of which was a sack. He was not active for the Cardinals’ final two games due to suffering a knee Injury in Week 16.

---

Brandon Johnson

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson began this season unsigned after he was waived by the Denver Broncos with an injury settlement. However, later in the year he was re-signed to the Broncos’ practice squad and would later be elevated to the active roster. He appeared in 6 games, where he recorded 6 receptions for 42 yards and one touchdown.

---

Jordan Akins

Akins didn’t play the first two games of the season as a result of being on the Texans practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster and stayed there for the rest of the season. He played in 15 games, recording 37 receptions for 495 yards and 5 touchdowns, including the game-winner (and subsequent two-point conversion) in the Texans’ finale, which ironically bumped them out of the #1 draft pick.

---

Justin McCray

Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

McCray, who played for the Knights from 2010 to 2013, served as a second-string guard for the Texans. He missed a couple of games with a hamstring injury. He played a total of 152 snaps.

---

Jacob Harris

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Harris was active for 7 games this season, moving back and forth between the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad and active roster. He was ruled out for the rest of the year when he tore a pectoral muscle in a Week 14 game after recording one catch for six yards.

---

Aaron Robinson

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Robinson appeared in two games for the New York Giants. He recored six tackles, five of which were solo tackles. He was ruled out for the year a result of tearing his ACL and partially tearing his MCL in Week 4.

---

Matthew Wright

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Wright was signed in the middle of the season by the Kansas City Chiefs and played in Weeks 4 and 5 for the team before being cut. He was then signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he was once again cut after four games. He would then re-sign with the Chiefs, joining their practice squad.

In the six games Wright played, he was 15-for-15 on extra point attempts and 15-18 on field goal attempts, including a Chiefs’ franchise record 59-yarder (this record was broken the following week by Harrison Butker):

---

Other Notables

• Kalia Davis did not play a snap in his rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers due to being placed on the Reserve/non-football injury list because of the ACL injury he sustained while still at UCF. He figures to be back in the mix next season.
• Tre Nixon was a member of the New England Patriots’ practice squad all year and did not appear in any games.
• Jordan Franks, who played for the Knights from 2014 to 2017, did not appear in any games this season for the Kansas City Chiefs as a result of being a member of the team’s practice squad.
• Tay Gowan is a member of the Minnesota Vikings practice squad and did not appear in any games this season.
• Big Kat Bryant began this season as a member of the Miami Dolphins practice squad. He was cut in the middle of the year and remains unsigned.