Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 55 Jacob Maiava and Noah Mercer
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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 55 days to go, let's meet UCF offensive lineman Jacob Maiava and defensive tackle Noah Mercer:
- Who is Jacob Maiava?
- What did Maiava do last season?
- What role is Maiava going to have in 2026?
- Who is Noah Mercer?
- What did Mercer do last season?
- What role is Mercer going to have in 2026?
1. Who is Jacob Maiava?
Position: Offensive Lineman
Class: Redshirt Freshman
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2 / 280 pounds
Hometown: Kahuku, Hawaii
High School: Santa Margarita Catholic High School
While Maiava is from Hawaii, his football career has already had him on the mainland for quite some time. Before transferring to Santa Margarita Catholic High School in California ahead of his junior year, he played for Liberty High School in Las Vegas.
Maiava is the latest member of his family to enter the athletic world, a legacy that began with his great-grandfather, "Prince" Neff Maiava, an American Samoan professional wrestler whose family relocated to Hawaii when he was two. His grandchild and Jacob's uncle, Kaluka Maiava, played linebacker at USC from 2005 to 2008 and played six seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the fourth round.
The latest generation of Maiava athletes is shared between Jacob and his older brother, quarterback Jayden Maiava. While Jacob decided to start his college career on the East Coast, Jayden stayed out west, committing to UNLV ahead of the 2022 season. After serving as the Rebels' starting quarterback as a redshirt freshman in 2023 and getting named the Mountain West's Freshman of the Year, he followed his uncle's footsteps and transferred to USC, where he has been ever since.
The elder Maiava brother was the Trojans' starting quarterback for all 13 of their games last season, throwing for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns to help reach a 9-4 record. He is set to return to the team in 2026 for his redshirt senior season.
2. What did Maiava do last season?
Maiava played in eight snaps across four games during his true freshman season, which allowed him to utilize his redshirt and retain four seasons of eligibility.
3. What role is Maiava going to have in 2026?
Billed as a true center on his 247Sports profile, Maiava is in the thick of the battle for that position's starting job this season. While he does not have the experience of guys like Brady Wayburn or Cooper Terpstra, UCF offensive line coach AJ Blazek seemed impressed with him if his comments following an April 9 practice session are anything to go by.
"He's way ahead of what I thought he would be from the way the guys described him," Blazek said. "He's athletic. He is the energy of the old line; I really feel that at times. So, he could be a glue guy that if all's equal and he becomes the guy."
Due to how stiff the competition at center is coming out of spring practice, it is difficult to ascertain if Maiava is going to get the starting job. However, given how he's already gotten Blazek's attention, and his ability to play guard as well, the Hawaiian could be in for a drastic increase in snaps in 2026, regardless if he's a starter or an oft-used backup.
4. Who is Noah Mercer?
Welcome to UCF, @Njmercer07 ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/YAxuPDdtQk
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) December 3, 2025
Position: Defensive Tackle
Class: Freshman
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5 / 285 pounds
Hometown: Key West, Florida
High School: Key West High School
While Noah Mercer initially committed to South Florida on June 22, 2025, he ended up flipping to the Knights on Early Signing Day.
In addition to football, Mercer was also a track and field athlete in high school. During his junior season in spring 2025, he finished in fourth place in the discus throw at the FHSAA State Championship and made it to the regionals in the shot put.
5. What did Mercer do last season?
Noah Mercer, roll the tape🎥🏈 https://t.co/Yw9QbpDTyJ pic.twitter.com/A8lcxvWLFn
— UCF Football Recruiting (@UCF_Recruiting) December 3, 2025
According to his UCF Athletics profile page, Mercer led his Key West High School team with 52 total tackles and set a school record for most sacks in a single season at 14 in 2025. The Conchs finished the season at 7-5 with an appearance in the FHSAA 3A regional semifinals.
6. What role is Mercer going to have in 2026?
When speaking of Mercer following an April 30 practice session, UCF defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin first brought up the freshman's frame and size. Standing at 6-foot-5, Mercer is already the second-tallest defensive tackle for the Knights. He has also bulked up, gaining 50 pounds from the time of his commitment to the publishing of this article, now putting him at 285 pounds.
Martin also described Mercer as "a program guy."
"He's somebody that you can really groom up and become what you want," Martin said.
Such coachability is going to serve Mercer well in 2026, as it seems like he is not going to be a regular contributor on the field quite yet. Martin admitted that the Key West native still did a lot of "freshman things" and made a point to emphasize that Mercer was still "growing" when mentioning his size.
There is also the matter of the experienced players ahead of Mercer, from returners Horace Lockett and RJ Jackson Jr. to transfers Brad Gurley and Thomas Collins. Given this level of depth, Mercer's best chance at seeing playing time outside of a few snaps would be if the injury bug took hold in the defensive tackle room. However, given that four of the Knights' 10 defensive tackles are seniors, Mercer's time in the spotlight could come sooner rather than later, even if it is not in 2026.
Catch up on the rest of the list below:
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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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