ESPN Puts UCF Linebacker Among Its Top Sleepers In Nation

UCF Knights linebacker Kelli Lawson was labeled a sleeper this season by ESPN writer Adam Rittenberg on Wednesday.

Lawson is one of 43 sleepers Rittenberg highlighted. The writer surveyed coaches and players alike to ascertain which players have "generated excitement" and "will be showcasing their talents in big ways" this season.

"Keli is a kid who is kind of built weird for his position," coach Scott Frost said to ESPN for the article. "He's playing [middle] linebacker for us and he's 6-5, can run like a freak, big kid, so I'm excited to see him play."

New for ESPN: I've been spending the past six weeks asking coaches about under-the-radar players on their teams to watch for the 2025 season.

Here are 43 sleepers and why they're poised to break through. https://t.co/d9Au5Z1XFh
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) August 20, 2025

Lawson was hampered by injury last season at Virginia Tech, but he still battled through it to play in 11 games, starting one of them. He recorded 40 tackles, 20 of them solo, 1.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and one interception.

Rittenberg described Lawson as a "tall, rangy linebacker" who had his most productive season in 2023, when he earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors. He started eight of 13 games he played that season, recording 80 tackles, 39 of them solo, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, six pass breakups and one interception.

"He's a great guy," fellow linebacker Lewis Carter said of Lawson at UCF's Player Media Day on Aug. 4. "He always gonna hold you accountable. He not gonna do things to be liked... he gonna let you know what it is, but he gonna bring the energy every day, and he's very competitive, but he's a great leader."

Lawson gets his first opportunity to live up to his sleeper designation on Thursday at 7 p.m. as UCF hosts Jacksonville State.

UCF Linebacker Speaks Out On Move to FBS Level

The UCF Knights offense is not the only unit that is "UCFast," according to linebacker Cole Kozlowski.

Transferring in from Colgate, Kozlowski said following Monday's practice that the defense's speed stood out to him.

"Everyone flies around the ball," Kozlowski said. "Everyone wants to hunt. Everyone's excited to finally get going."

While he was one of the top tacklers in the FCS with 133 tackles, 66 of them solo, plus eight tackles for losses, 3.5 sacks and six passes, Kozlowski said he's been challenged to be a "more physical" guy in Orlando.

"At Colgate, I was definitely a little bit more of a finesse guy, and with Coach [Mark] D'Onofrio here, I gotta be a lot more physical, which I like, getting more hands on lineman and things like that," Kozlowski said. "I think it's definitely helped me as a linebacker."

Kozlowski said he got flashbacks to family vacations to Orlando when he came to visit UCF while he was in the transfer portal. He ended up clicking "right off the bat" with linebacker coach Mark D'Onofrio thanks to their shared New Jersey background. D'Onofrio hails from Hoboken, right across the river from New York City, while Kozlowski is from Spring Lake, over an hour's drive south down the Atlantic coast.

Thanks to those connections, Kozlowski now finds himself on the precipice of his first season playing FBS football.

"I'm looking forward to the excitement of the Bounce House," Kozlowski said. "I know I've been talking a lot with the UCF fans with all the signing day we did the other day, which was awesome."

The Knights' season-opener is on Aug. 28 against Jacksonville State.

"Everyone's excited," Kozlowski said. "There's a lot of anticipation, especially with a new coaching staff and new, kind of new, settlement coming in here, and I'm really excited to prove to everyone how good we could really be."

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