Four Knights Set To Compete In Hula Bowl
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Four UCF Knights players are getting one more chance to lace up their cleats as college football players in central Florida in the 2026 Hula Bowl.
The quartet is split between the game’s two teams, with running back Myles Montgomery and defensive back Phillip Dunnam on Team Aina, Hawaiian for "land," and running back Jaden Nixon and kicker Noe Ruelas on Team Kai, Hawaiian for "the sea" or "the ocean."
The Hula Bowl is one of several college all-star games, like the Senior Bowl, that provide professional football hopefuls the opportunity to showcase their skills to scouts. It has historically been played in Hawaii, though the Acrisure Bounce House has been its host since the 2022 edition.
However, due to the stadium's Roth Tower construction project, the 2026 matchup, the game's 80th anniversary, is set to be played at Spec Martin Stadium, the home of the Stetson Hatters football team, in DeLand. This edition also boasts a coaching matchup between brothers, with former Washington Commanders coach Jay Gruden leading Team Aina and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden leading Team Kai.
Learn more about how to follow the Hula Bowl and the UCF players competing in it below:
Venue: Spec Martin Stadium (DeLand, Florida)
Kickoff: Saturday, Jan. 10, 12:00 p.m. EST
TV/Streaming: CBS Sports Network
Live Twitter/X Updates: @itsBrysonTurner and @UCFKnightsOnSI
Game History: Teams Aina and Kai are tied at 6-6-1.
UCF Players at the Hula Bowl:
1. Myles Montgomery, Running Back - Team Aina (Jersey #19)
Myles Montgomery spent his final two seasons of college football with UCF after transferring in from Cincinnati. In this past season, his first as a starter, he tallied 143 carries for 705 yards and four touchdowns, plus 17 receptions for 182 yards.
Montgomery said the most important part of the week's experience was getting to talk the professional scouts, since he never really got to do so during the regular season.
“Some of them knew me better than I thought they would, just because they follow you around and whatnot, but, yeah, it’s a really good experience,” Montgomery said on Friday following the final practice before game day.
2. Noe Ruelas, Kicker - Team Kai (Jersey #81)
Noe Ruelas transferred to UCF from James Madison for his final season of college football last offseason. He converted 15 of his 17 field goal attempts in his lone season as a Knight, tying for the third-highest single-season field goal percentage in program history, and went 32/33 on extra points.
Of Ruelas' 15 converted field goals, he made 11 consecutively, which is the fourth-longest streak in program history. He also converted three of his four attempts from 50 yards or further, which is the most 50-yard field goals made by a UCF kicker in its FBS history, and tied for the second-most overall.
For his efforts, Ruelas earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors, was an honorable mention for the Big 12's Special Teams Player of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which honors college football's best kicker.
3. Phillip Dunnam, Defensive Back - Team Aina (Jersey #11)
Phillip Dunnam transferred to UCF from Florida Atlantic for his final season of collegiate eligibility last offseason. He was named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after recording 60 tackles, 43 of which were solo tackles, the most he's had in a season in his career.
Dunnam also made three tackles for loss, broke up two passes and snagged three interceptions this past season. All three of those picks came in a single game against Houston, a first in UCF history, with one of which ended up being his only career pick six.
4. Jaden Nixon, Running Back - Team Kai (Jersey #20)
Jaden Nixon arrived at UCF last offseason after transferring in from Western Michigan. He tallied 71 carries for 554 yards and seven touchdowns, plus 17 receptions for 88 yards.
While Nixon ended up finishing outside the Top 20 in the Big 12 in total rushing yards, he maximized the touches he was able to get enough to finish second in the league with 7.8 yards per carry.
This season also saw Nixon bond with Montgomery, with the two even hosting all 13 episodes of the UCFast Cast together all season. However, the two running backs are on opposite sides for the Hula Bowl.
"It's funny, every time we're doing stretches, because it's like, in front of, like, each team, so we always go, 'Hey, Jaden!' 'Hi, Myles!' and just joke around like that," Montgomery said.
Catch up on more UCF news below:
The 2026 UCF Knights Transfer Portal Tracker
UCF Offensive Lineman Confirms 2026 Return
Three Key Takeaways From UCF's Big 12 Opening Win Over #17 Kansas
Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.
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