Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 53 LaParka Langston
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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.
So, with 53 days to go, let's meet UCF's offensive lineman LaParka Langston:
1. Who is LaParka Langston?
Happy 21st Birthday @LaparkaL!!
— AJ Blazek (@CoachBlaz) April 12, 2026
Big Dogs Gotta Eat!! 💯🦾🔥 pic.twitter.com/mor2jPUJ7E
Position: Offensive Lineman
Class: Redshirt Junior
Height/Weight: 6-foot-7 / 285 pounds
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
High School: Mundy's Mill High School
LaParka Langston, or "LP," according to his UCF Athletics profile page, made the jump to the Division I level last season after spending his freshman and sophomore years playing at the JUCO level for Northwest Mississippi Community College, which was also the old stomping grounds of former UCF wide receiver Jacoby Jones.
Before Langston made his way to Orlando, he was named a first-team NJCAA All-American after playing in 10 of the Rangers' 11 games, helping them to a 10-2 (6-0 MACCC North) record and 2,000 yards rushing and receiving.
2. What did he do last season?
Langston redshirted his first season as a Knight, playing in just one game against North Carolina A&T.
3. What role is he going to have in 2026?
Thanks to redshirting last season, Langston had time to settle in at the Division I level and preserve two seasons of eligibility. Now, this offseason is set to be the culmination of his development over that year. Offensive line coach AJ Blazek did not mention him following an April 9 practice session, but he also said that he wanted "eight to nine guys" that he knows can play for the program.
With players already experienced in Division I football like Preston Cushman, Connor Meadows, Owen Spell, Tyler Gibson, Henry Tabansi, Cooper Terpstra and Brady Wayburn already in the picture, that just leaves two more spots for the size of the main rotation Blazek is looking for. So, this leaves Langston to battle it out with players like Jacob Maiava, Camp Lott and Justin Royes for the final one or two spots.
Considering Royes was out with an injury for most of last season and the way Blazek spoke of Maiava, Langston seems more likely on the outside looking in on this battle than not. However, there is still fall camp to go, giving him an opportunity to earn more snaps, and even if he ends up seeing the field only on limited occasions again in 2026, he still has one last season of eligibility in 2027.
So, while Langston has an uphill battle to earn regular playing time, his success at the JUCO level and time spent developing in Orlando can still at least give the Knights' offensive line a fallback option if the injury bug strikes.
Catch up on the rest of the list below:
No. 54 Cooper Terpstra and Trenton Turner
No. 55 Jacob Maiava and Noah Mercer
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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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