Jaden Nixon and Nyjalik Kelly didn’t survive the Packers’ first round of roster cuts, but both former UCF standouts still have a path back to Green Bay.
Neither player made Green Bay’s 53-man roster, yet there’s a strong possibility both end up on the practice squad once the waiver process plays out. For two undrafted rookies, that’s hardly a dead end. It’s just the next checkpoint.
Kelly made the louder case this summer. He finished the preseason with two sacks, tied for fifth among a crowded group of players, and he flashed the kind of edge pressure that can force a coaching staff to keep looking his way.
One of those plays came after he worked around the offensive lineman to get home from behind. Green Bay also gave him a chance in coverage, and he turned that into an interception when he read the quarterback’s eyes and picked off an overthrown pass over the middle.
His teammates swarmed him after the turnover, celebrating the play as he ran down the field. That showing in the preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals could be the reason he sticks around on the practice squad.
Nixon’s preseason line was quieter, but he still found the end zone. He ran for 64 yards and one touchdown, with his score coming against the Denver Broncos in a game that also featured another UCF alum, RJ Harvey.
Roster cutdown day is always a stressful one for undrafted players, and Nixon and Kelly are no exception. A strong preseason can help, but it does not guarantee a spot when teams are forced to make hard choices. Sometimes a club keeps an extra body at one position and gives up depth somewhere else.
Still, their NFL stories are not close to over. USA TODAY Packers beat reporter Ryan Wood said there is a strong chance Nixon returns to the practice squad, and Milwaukee Journal Packers beat reporter Tom Silverstein reported that the Packers hope Kelly clears waivers and comes back.
If that happens, both players would remain in the mix for future call-ups, especially if injuries hit Green Bay later on.
The two arrived in the league after big senior seasons at UCF, where they were part of a productive pair at their respective spots. Nixon lined up with Myles Montgomery in the backfield, while Kelly worked opposite Malachi Lawrence on the edge.
Together, the running backs piled up more than 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. The edge rushers combined for 74 tackles and four sacks, and their defensive line earned Big 12 Defensive Line of the Week honors for its showing against West Virginia.
Kelly and Nixon clear waivers tomorrow at 1 p.m. EST, and if no other team claims them, they’ll likely be back in Green Bay.
In Other News...
UCFs Backfield Battle Just Got More Interesting This Summer
Summer is usually when depth charts start to take shape, and at UCF, a couple of familiar names are helping drive that conversation ahead of the 2026 season. Braeden Marshall is back for his fourth year and remains in line to handle the nickelback spot, while Taevion Swint is working his way into the picture at running back after a setback that slowed his development early on. It is the kind of backfield and secondary continuity that can quietly matter when camp opens, especially for a team trying to sort out who can be trusted in bigger roles.
Swints path is the one to watch because the staff has already shown plenty of belief in what he can become. A redshirt freshman now, he has been projected into the running back rotation, and coaches came away encouraged by what he put on display during spring practice. Marshall gives the defense a steady presence on the perimeter, but Swint brings the more intriguing offseason storyline, with his return to health and his early flashes leaving just enough room for the next step to become one of the summers more interesting competitions. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Frost Wants UCF Locked In With Opener Questions Looming
UCF has spent the week trying to make the final leap from camp mode to game mode as it gets set to open against Bethune-Cookman at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium. Scott Frost has stressed that part of the challenge now is sharpening the details that matter once the ball is live, and starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III has sounded ready for the first test of the season.
The Knights will, however, have to manage a few personnel questions as kickoff approaches. Edge rusher Bruno Dall is out because of an injury, and a couple of other pieces have been working through camp issues, leaving the staff with some decisions still hanging over the first depth chart of the year. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Alums Just Survived A Tense NFL Roster Cut Week
The NFLs roster-cut deadline was a tense one for former UCF players, but several ex-Knights came through with 53-man roster spots. Mike Hughes is in with the Atlanta Falcons, while Tylan Grable landed on the Buffalo Bills, Alex Ward stuck with the Las Vegas Raiders, Kalia Davis made the Cleveland Browns and Mac McWilliams earned a place with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Not every UCF alum made it through the squeeze, as Nyjalik Kelly, Jaden Nixon and Paul Rubelt were among the names trimmed as teams finalized their squads. Even so, the overall picture was a solid one for the Knights pipeline, with multiple former standouts still in position to contribute at the next level and others left waiting for a possible practice-squad opening. [Read more 🡒]