Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 20 Lewis Carter and Kaj Baker
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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 20 days to go, let's meet UCF linebacker Lewis Carter and running back Kaj Baker:
- Who is Lewis Carter?
- What did Carter do last season?
- What role is Carter going to have in 2026?
- Who is Kaj Baker?
- What did Baker do last season?
- What role is Baker going to have in 2026?
1. Who is Lewis Carter?
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Height/Weight: 6-foot-0 / 225 pounds
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
High School: Tampa Catholic High School
Lewis Carter is back for a second season at UCF after his breakout as a starting linebacker in 2025.
Originally from Tampa, Carter spent his first two seasons coming off the bench at Oklahoma before returning to his home state.
In addition to playing football, Carter was also a track athlete at Tampa Catholic High School. During his senior season, he made it to the FHSAA 2A Track and Field State Championships as part of a 4x400m relay team, which finished seventh, according to TRRFS.org.
2. What did Carter do last season?
Carter was named an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after leading the Knights with 92 tackles, 52 of them being solo. He also recorded four tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup.
3. What role is Carter going to have in 2026?
Carter is set to be the Knights' leader on defense in 2026 and a guaranteed starter at linebacker, injuries notwithstanding. With his return, he is likely to also be in contention to defend his title as the Knights' leading tackler.
“I try really hard not to fall in love with guys, you know, because I don't put too much on their plate, or expectation-wise, or, you know, talk guys up, but, you know, I'm a Lewis Carter fan, man,” defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said following an April 2 practice session.
Grinch is not the only one. Both Phil Steele and Athlon Sports named Carter to their Preseason All-Big 12 Second Teams.
4. Who is Kaj Baker?
Welcome to UCF, @NitroKaj ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/R0Keg6TvMB
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) December 3, 2025
Position: Running Back
Class: Freshman
Height/Weight: 5-foot-8 / 160 pounds
Hometown: Miami, Florida
High School: Somerset Academy
If there is one word to describe Kaj Baker, it's fast, and he is not shy about it. His nickname, "Nitro," was included not just in his social media handles, but even in his MaxPreps and Hudl profiles.
In addition to playing football, Baker was also a track athlete for Somerset Academy. He finished in fourth place in the 100m at the FHSAA 3A Track and Field Championships with a 10.76-second time, but he has a personal best of 10.35 seconds, according to TFRRS.org. He also has a high school best of 20.89 seconds in the 200m.
He chose the Knights over offers from the likes of Pittsburgh, Duke, Louisville, Wake Forest, Liberty and Florida State, according to 247Sports.
5. What did Baker do last season?
In his senior season at Somerset Academy, Baker rushed for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also tallied 500 receiving yards and caught four touchdowns.
6. What role is Baker going to have in 2026?
Despite being a true freshman, UCF running backs coach Jimmy Beal said Baker was one of the fastest players in the running back room.
"He's super fast and elusive, and he's showing a lot of explosive runs that, you know, we get him the ball in space, he's going to find it," Beal said following an April 24 practice session.
While such speed might allow Baker to see a few snaps in 2026, particularly during the Knights' season-opener against Bethune-Cookman or during garbage time, the fact that he is in a running back room featuring the likes of Duke Watson, Landen Chambers, Taevion Swint and Agyeman Addae is going to make capturing a large share of playing time a challenge.
However, back on Signing Day, coach Scott Frost said Baker had "some of the same traits" as a running back from his first stint in Orlando: Adrian Killins, particularly his speed. Killins only saw the field for 68 plays as a freshman in 2016 before increasing to 147 as a sophomore in 2017. So, while the depth of the running back room may keep Baker from playing a large role in 2026, he can still carve out a role for himself in the backfield, and perhaps as a kick or punt returner, in the future.
Catch up on the rest of the list below:
No. 23 Jordan Nunuha and Jayden Burnett
No. 24 Tackett Curtis and Arthur Lewis IV
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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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