Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 54 Cooper Terpstra and Trenton Turner
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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 54 days to go, let's meet UCF offensive lineman Cooper Terpstra and defensive tackle Trenton Turner:
- Who is Cooper Terpstra?
- What did Terpstra do last season?
- What role is Terpstra going to have in 2026?
- Who is Trenton Turner?
- What did Turner do last season?
- What role is Turner going to have in 2026?
1. Who is Cooper Terpstra?
Welcome to UCF, @CooperTerpstra ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/o3Fs4LkHuC
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) January 4, 2026
Position: Offensive Lineman
Class: Redshirt Junior
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4 / 305 pounds
Hometown: Holland, Michigan
High School: West Ottawa High School
According to 247Sports, Cooper Terpstra was initially committed to Division II school Grand Valley State in June 2022. However, after being named first-team all-state Division 1-2 by the Associated Press and Grand Valley State went through a coaching change, Cooper Terpstra pivoted and walked on to Michigan State's team for the 2023 season.
After redshirting his true freshman season, he worked his way into a special-teams role in 2024 and even got 36 snaps at center.
2. What did Terpstra do last season?
Terpstra played in 11 of Michigan State's 12 games last season. His lone start came as a center in the Spartans' final game, in which he was also their highest-graded offensive lineman at 74.8.
3. What role is Terpstra going to have in 2026?
While the center position is seemingly a wide-open competition as of spring practice, UCF offensive line coach AJ Blazek said Terpstra has helped other players he's tried at the position "pick up and move faster." Of course, it does help that Terpstra has in-game experience being a center for a Power 4 college football team. So, in Blazek's words, Terpstra already has the skillset and understanding for the position.
Based on that experience, Terpstra seems like the likeliest choice to be the Knights' starting center in 2026. However, even if he is not, and a younger player like Jacob Maiava or Camp Lott or another lineman like Connor Meadows or Brady Wayburn shifts over and takes the role, Terpstra would at least still serve as an oft-used reserve player that holds the position down while the starter takes a rest.
So, whether it's as the starter or backup, expect quarterback Alonza Barnett III to line up behind Terpstra fairly often next season.
4. Who is Trenton Turner?
DL Trenton Turner is a Knight ⚔️🔥@trentnxtup8 | #KnightVision25 pic.twitter.com/IDWJUSBCQh
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) February 5, 2025
Position: Defensive Tackle
Class: Redshirt Freshman
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2 / 320 pounds
Hometown: Lakeland, Florida
High School: Lakeland High School
Despite playing his first three seasons of high school football at Lake Wales High School, even winning a state title with the Highlanders during his sophomore season in 2022, Turner transferred to Lakeland High School for his senior season in 2024. This, according to a Lakeland Ledger article from November 2024, meant he actually got to go to school closer to his home in Auburndale, which is also part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area.
Turner was also a two-sport athlete in high school, playing both football and basketball. In the latter sport, he averaged 7.3 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game playing as a forward/center, according to MaxPreps.
5. What did Turner do last season?
Turner saw the field in two games as a true freshman, which allowed him to use his redshirt. The first of those two games saw him make his first collegiate tackle.
6. What role is Turner going to have in 2026?
At 320 pounds, Turner is the second-heaviest player on the team, only coming behind fellow defensive tackle Horace Lockett. Such size can serve him well on the defensive line, but with such experienced players ahead of him like Lockett, RJ Jackson Jr., Brad Gurley and Thomas Collins, it is unlikely that he is going to see too large a role on the field in 2026, barring injuries.
That being said, next season is only going to be Turner's second of his college football career, so spending it learning from players above could serve him well to become a starting defensive tackle option for the Knights in the future.
Catch up on the rest of the list below:
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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