Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 2 Jayden Williams and Tyren Hornes

Welcome to UCF Knights on SI's countdown to kickoff!

In this series, we are going to introduce you to every single player on the 2026 UCF football roster so that you can know what to expect from them or even pinpoint the ones you want to follow throughout the coming season. We are going to go through the Knights' roster in reverse jersey-number order, with the day each player's entry is published corresponding to the number of days remaining until UCF's season-opener on Sep. 3 at 7 p.m. against Bethune-Cookman.

For this entry, we have two players with the same jersey number. So, with two days to go, let's meet UCF defensive back Jayden Williams and wide receiver Tyren Hornes:

Who is Jayden Williams?
What did Williams do last season?
What role is Williams going to have in 2026?
Who is Tyren Hornes?
What did Hornes do last season?
What role is Hornes going to have in 2026?

1. Who is Jayden Williams?

Position: Defensive Back

Class: Fifth Year

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11 / 190 pounds

Hometown: Valrico, Florida

High School: Bloomingdale High School

Jayden Williams transferred to UCF before the 2025 season after four years at Florida Atlantic, the last of which saw him serve as one of the Owls' captains.

2. What did Williams do last season?

Williams played in two of the Knights' first three games in 2025 before a thumb injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. He recorded seven tackles, four of which were solo, during those two games.

3. What role is Williams going to have in 2026?

Williams said he was "extremely excited" and "blessed" to gain the medical waiver necessary for him to return for the 2026 season and after he was slated to have a co-starting role alongside Demari Henderson at safety, he is set to reassume a starting role alongside Henderson to start the 2026 season, according to the Knights' first depth chart.

4. Who is Tyren Hornes?

Position: Wide Receiver

Class: Freshman

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0 / 175 pounds

Hometown: Bradenton, Florida

High School: Booker High School

Tyren Hornes, formerly known as Tyren Wortham, was a the Knights' highest-rated high school signing if the 2026 recruiting class, being its only four-star one, according to 247Sports. His announcement about his commitment to the Knights did not come on Early Signing Day, but a month later at the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 3.

"I just wanted to be out there, let it be known that I've come to UCF, and it was my home," Hornes said following an Aug. 10 practice session.

5. What did Hornes do last season?

Tyren Hornes, roll the tape🎥🏈 https://t.co/NtP7vPZwNe pic.twitter.com/FBBLEdAX7C
— UCF Football Recruiting (@UCF_Recruiting) January 3, 2026

Hornes helped Booker High School reach the FHSAA 3A Semifinals in 2025. He logged 54 catches for 802 yards and 12 touchdowns, plus 11 rushes for 122 yards and a touchdown, according to his UCF Athletics profile page.

6. What role is Hornes going to have in 2026?

Following a spring practice session on April 18, UCF wide receivers coach Sean Beckton said Hornes had "basically a complete game," and that at that point, for him, it was about "finding his way through."

Additionally, as coach Scott Frost detailed after an Aug. 10 practice session, he had been making "some really good plays" during fall camp.

"I think he's got the upside to be a really special player, and typical with guys like that is just how quick it clicks on and how fast they can be reliable and consistent, and he's certainly taking some huge strides," Frost said.

While Hornes may not have the expeience of other starters like Duane Thomas Jr. and Josh Derry, with the impression Hornes has made since he arrived at UCF, he earned a spot as the backup wide receiver to a returning Waden Charles, according to the Knights' first depth chart of the 2026 season. So, expect him to see at least some looks during the season as he gets acclimated to college football.

Catch up on the rest of the list below:

No. 3 Jonathan Bibbs

No. 4 Braeden Marshall and Taevion Swint

No. 5 Josh Derry and DJ Bell


No. 6 Isaiah Nixon and DayDay Farmer	No. 7 Duane Thomas Jr. and Antione Jackson	No. 8 Demari Henderson and Rocco Marriott	No. 9 Waden Charles	No. 10 Kaleb Annett and Sincere Edwards
No. 11 Landen Chambers and Ken Talley	No. 12 Keyone Jenkins and Aymeric Koumba	No. 13 Caleb Rollerson	No. 14 Alonza Barnett III and Kahmel Johnson	No. 15 Will Stone and Preston Hall
No. 16 Dante Carr and TJ Branch	No. 17 Jailen Duffie	No. 18 Caleb Flagg and Caden Piening	No. 19 Rashad Henry	No. 20 Lewis Carter and Kaj Baker
No. 21 Ty Bartrum	No. 22 Amarion Queen	No. 23 Jordan Nunuha and Jayden Burnett	No. 24 Tackett Curtis and Arthur Lewis IV	No. 25 Rukeem Stroud
No. 26 Duke Watson and Elijah Keys	No. 27 Nicholas Antoine	No. 28 Matt Irwin	No. 29 Tyce Porcher	No. 30 Otis Hardy
No. 31 Noah McGough	No. 32 Matthew Occhipinti	No. 33 Phil Picciotti	No. 34 Jahleel Culbreath	No. 35 Agyeman Addae
No. 36 Dylan Bennett	No. 37 Rocklyn Kelley	No. 38 Jayden Jennings	No. 39 Andrea Parisi	No. 41 Bruno Dall
No. 42 Artavius Jones and Chance Nixon	No. 43 Cole Kozlowski	No. 44 Kyle Hicks	No. 45 Quentin Hatch	No. 47 Arthur Kingdom and Sam Powell
No. 49 Atticus Bertrams and Donnell Johnson III	No. 53 LaParka Langston	No. 54 Cooper Terpstra and Trenton Turner	No. 55 Jacob Maiava and Noah Mercer	No. 56 Patrick Ryan
No. 57 Camp Lott	No. 58 Connor Meadows	No. 61 Owen Spell	No. 66 Brady Wayburn	No. 67 Noah Senka
No. 68 Ethan Higgins	No. 70 RaiShaun McHaney	No. 71 Amahn Williams	No. 72 Dominick Campbell	No. 73 Henry Tabansi
No. 74 Matthew Prigmore	No. 75 Tyler Gibson	No. 76 Justin Royes	No. 77 Kasiyah Charlton	No. 78 Preston Cushman
No. 79 Daniel Marcellinus	No. 80 Elijah Hardy	No. 81 Zack Palmer	No. 82 Jordyn Bridgewater	No. 83 Dylan Burk
No. 84 Thomas Wadsworth	No. 85 Carson Hinshaw	No. 86 Chase Hinshaw	No. 87 Brooks Hall	No. 88 Grayson Brousseau
No. 90 Mujahid Jefferson	No. 91 Donteye Drew	No. 92 Jeffson Lafontant	No. 93 Brad Gurley	No. 94 L A Jesse Harrold
No. 95 RJ Jackson Jr.	No. 96 Anthony Coaxum	No. 97 Josh Schell and Mason Denaberg	No. 98 Alhassan Iddrissu	No. 99 Thomas Collins

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