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UCF is entering this season with more versatility in its running back room than ever before, and one of those roles belongs to power back Landen Chambers. With the Knights' struggles in the red zone and short-yardage situations, adding a physical back like Chambers was an emphasis. Chambers gives UCF another option when the Knights need to move the chains or finish drives near the goal line. Chambers enters his redshirt junior season after an impressive 2025 campaign at Central Arkansas, where he earned First Team All-United Athletic Conference honors. He played in all 12 games and rushed for 1,273 yards and 10 touchdowns on 242 carries, ranking ninth nationally in the FCS in rushing yards and eighth with 106.1 rushing yards per game. Chambers also showed some versatility as a receiver, adding 238 receiving yards on 27 catches. That gives UCF another dimension in the backfield as the Knights look to utilize a deeper and more versatile group of running backs this season. Chambers made an immediate impact in his first game as a Knight against Bethune-Cookman, scoring twice in UCF's 73-6 victory. His first touchdown came on a 2-yard run before halftime, giving UCF a 38-0 lead. He added a 27-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter as the Knights continued to pile on points. Now preparing to go against Pitt, here's what Chambers had to say: (Photo: Nate Hill/Staff , 247Sports)   On reflecting on his UCF debut and scoring two touchdowns against Bethune-Cookman: "Oh, man. It was great. It was like everything—all in the pictures, all in the media. It was great. You know, I got to give thanks to the O-line for that, though." On the potential of the UCF running back room: "Man, if we could all stay healthy... We all have one goal in mind, so if we could all stay healthy and keep each other accountable, it could be real great, real special." On carving out a role as UCF's short-yardage and red-zone power back: "Yes, most definitely. I feel like we all got a role. I mean, shoot, that's mine, so I'm going to take pride in it." On film study expectations for Pitt's defense: "They got a lot of blitzes, a lot of different packages, and stuff like that. I feel like if we hone in this weekend and this week, we should be good." On team mindset heading into a hostile road environment: "It's just about us. I mean, control what we can control and do whatever Coach needs us to do." On preparing for Pitt's run defense: "Really just stick to what we know, stick to all the things that coaches have prepared for us, and go out there and do it." On showcasing his versatility beyond being just a power back: "It was great. I mean, shoot, just going out there being back felt great. When I went out on the rail route and caught the ball—yeah, that was pretty fun." On his reaction to Duke Watson's opening touchdown run: "We all knew coming out there. We all knew what it was. I mean, shoot, Duke is something special. We all knew what he could do, so it's not a surprise." On working alongside Duke Watson and Taevion Swint in a committee backfield: "It's really fun being around those guys. I mean, we all learn something from each other. We all have something that we need from each other. So we all just hone in, take it all in, and learn from each other." On national recognition and the team's internal belief: "Shoot. I mean, it's UCF—we've kind of always been on the back burner. So you know, we believe in us. So it really doesn't matter; we believe in us." On playing in an NFL venue against Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium: "Truly, I'll say it's going to be fun. We've just got to hone in, take everything serious, be focused, and not let the distractions get to us." On team execution regardless of the opponent: "Just doing what we've always been doing. I mean, I feel like it doesn't really matter who the opponent is as long as we keep doing what we know, we'll be good against anybody." On the offensive line's performance and physical growth: "They opened up a lot of holes. I mean, shoot, they were pushing those guys back. But now it's next week and now it's time to hone in on the next one. There's going to be more drive, more fight—it's definitely going to be a game to watch up there in the trenches." On blocking out crowd noise with the team's "Just Breathe" motto: "I just say everybody take a deep breath. We have a motto going on called 'Just Breathe,' and that's when all the things—high pressure and everything—just breathe and relax and go back to your basic training." On the running back room's "Band Starters" identity: "It just sparked another fire under us. I mean, shoot, now we see we can go do it, so now let's do it every week. It doesn't just get us hyped up; it gets the whole team riled up. Everybody's ready to play now. Now we know what we're here for. We call ourselves the 'band starters'—we like to hear the band when we touch the field." On Alonzo Barnett III's leadership: "Truly, I mean, you could tell he was a great leader. He's been there before, so you could tell he kind of knows what to do in different situations." On the origin and impact of the "Just Breathe" motto: "It came about through the running back coach—the running back room kind of invented it, but running back coach, Coach Jimmy Beal, presented it in front of the team, and that's what we got from it. It helped me relax and just be calm in high-pressure situations. I feel like that's the best time to be calm in high-pressure situations anyway, so just breathe." On team slogans and Coach Jimmy Beal: "We got 'UCF Fast,' play fast. We got 'Rise and Conquer' every day. Go get it. We got a couple! He was really excited. Now that's just the standard, so now it's another level to go reach with another standard to shoot for, so we're just going to keep building." On proving UCF's identity on the road against Pitt : "Every team's going to have something special about them, but like I said, we just do what we do—it doesn't matter. We're here to play. It doesn't matter who you line up against us, we're going to do what we're taught and it's going to work out." For more UCF coverage, follow Knights247 on X, Instagram, and Facebook! Sign up for our FREE UCF Knights Newsletter