Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 6 Isaiah Nixon and DayDay Farmer
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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 seven days to go, let's meet UCF EDGE Isaiah Nixon and wide receiver Ric'Darious "DayDay" Farmer:
- Who is Isaiah Nixon?
- What did Nixon do last season?
- What role is Nixon going to have in 2026?
- Who is Ric'Darious "DayDay" Farmer?
- What did Farmer do last season?
- What role is Farmer going to have in 2026?
1. Who is Isaiah Nixon?
Position: EDGE
Class: Redshirt Junior
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4 / 245 pounds
Hometown: St. Petersburg, Florida
High School: Lakewood High School
After multiple seasons at UCF playing behind Malachi Lawrence and Nyjalik Kelly, Isaiah Nixon has the opportunity to make his first collegiate football start in 2026.
The St. Petersburg native is a graduate of Lakewood High School, a program that was led by coach Cory Moore, who has since gone on to become a scout for the Los Angeles Rams in the summer of 2025.
2. What did Nixon do last season?
Nixon played in 11 of the Knights' 12 games in 2025, coming off the bench to record 24 tackles, 11 of them solo, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
3. What role is Nixon going to have in 2026?
Nixon's place as a starter for the Knights in 2026 has already been all but cemented. In fact, following an April 21 practice session, EDGE coach Mike Dawson said he looked forward to seeing him "come off the edge" this season, considering he just "happened to be playing against two guys that were going into the 2025 NFL Draft." So, now with both Lawrence and Kelly gone to the NFL, Nixon has no more obstacles between him and a starting role.
It's a moment that Nixon said he has been waiting his whole life for.
"I feel it's gonna be a big year for me and for all of us; and the main goal is to win a Big 12, so that's what I want to do," Nixon said.
4. Who is Ric'Darious "DayDay" Farmer?
Position: Wide Receiver
Class: Redshirt Sophomore
Height/Weight: 6-foot-0 / 160 pounds
Hometown: Melbourne, Florida
High School: Melbourne Central Catholic High School
After playing in 11 games, during which he caught six passes for 54 yards, as a true freshman at West Virginia, Ric'Darious Farmer, known by his nickname, DayDay, returned to his home state ahead of the 2025 season via the transfer portal.
Before he transferred to Melbourne Central Catholic High School for his high school senior season, Farmer played for Cocoa High School, which was led at the time by former UCF quarterback Ryan Schneider, who threw for the second-most passing yards in a UCF career, season and single game in program history. During this time, he was also evaluated by Andrew Ivins, Director of Scouting for 247Sports, who wrote that Farmer was a "productive inside receiver that excels in catch-and-run situations" and "should be viewed as a potential difference maker in the slot."
5. What did Farmer do last season?
Farmer ended up sidelined for the entirety of the 2025 season thanks to a knee injury during spring practice. While UCF wide receivers coach Sean Beckton said following an April 18 practice session that Farmer "probably could have came back," he instead stayed on the sideline and used his
6. What role is Farmer going to have in 2026?
In Ivins' evaluation of Farmer back in January 2023, he wrote that the young receiver would "find most success in a scheme that utilizes a lot of three and four-receiver formations." The UCF wide receiver room may very well have that capability in 2026.
Farmer is not going to be the most apparent receiving talent on UCF's roster, what with the returns of Duane Thomas Jr., Waden Charles and tight end Dylan Wade, plus new additions like the experienced Josh Derry from the transfer portal and true freshman Tyren Hornes, who has impressed during fall camp. However, taking Ivins' evaluation into account, such a situation could end up being exactly the one that suits Farmer. Beckton even said that Farmer needed to give the team some depth behind Thomas.
The Melbourne native is likely not going to get the most snap share in the wide receiver room as it looks going into the season. Returners like Thomas and Charles, and the senior transfer Josh Derry, would likely be the ones in the running for that. However, Beckton called Farmer "a gifted athlete," to the point that he gets away with a few things on the field because of it.
"At the top of routes, when he does it correctly, you can see the difference, the separation he creates," Beckton said. "Ball in hand, he's able to separate and make plays for us, you know."
While Farmer might be in year three of college football, 2026 is going to be the season that he starts having a regular receiving role. It may not be as a regular starter, but it's going to be a role with enough playing time that it would not be a shock if he broke out a big play or two for the Knights somewhere along the way.
Catch up on the rest of the list below:
No. 7 Duane Thomas Jr. and Antione Jackson
No. 8 Demari Henderson and Rocco Marriott
No. 10 Kaleb Annett and Sincere Edwards
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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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