Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff

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.

So, with 30 days to go, let's meet UCF defensive back Otis Hardy:

Who is Otis Hardy?
What did he do last season?
What role is he going to have in 2026?

1. Who is Otis Hardy?

Position: Defensive Back

Class: Freshman

Height/Weight: 6-foot-0 / 180 pounds

Hometown: Orlando, Florida

High School: Evans High School

Otis Hardy is one of two Evans High School alums joining the Knights this fall, with the other being defensive tackle Mujahid Jefferson.

"It’s special knowing someone you’ve played with before is going through the same transition," Hardy said to UCF Knights on SI following his commitment. "It just makes it even better."

2. What did he do last season?

After three seasons at Dr. Phillips High School, Hardy transferred to Evans High School to finish his high school career. During that lone season at Evans, he totaled 27 tackles, 15 of which were solo, and one tackle for loss.

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

In a position room that returns the likes of Jayden Bellamy, Demari Henderson, Jayden Williams, Antione Jackson, DJ Bell and Braeden Marshall and adds experienced players like Ty Bartrum, Matt Irwin and Jailen Duffie, Hardy's chances of seeing the field in 2026 as a true freshman, and one that joined the team during the fall, are likely very low.

Since Hardy is a part of the last college football recruiting class that can utilize a redshirt, or can choose to go by the new five-for-five age-based eligibility model, he at least has a guaranteed five years in college to develop and earn playing time down the line. For now, however, he can spend the 2026 season learning from what is set to be a deep defensive back room in Orlando, something Hardy himself said back in February he wanted to do.

"I want to learn how they prepare," Hardy said. "The game is faster and more detailed at the college level, so learning how they study film, take care of their bodies, and handle their responsibilities will be big for me. I just want to soak up as much knowledge as I can to become a big impact player on the field."

Catch up on the rest of the list below:

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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