Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 93 Brad Gurley
In this story:
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 93 days to go, let's meet UCF defensive tackle Brad Gurley:
1. Who is Brad Gurley?
Position: Defensive Tackle
Class: Redshirt Senior
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2 / 290 pounds
Hometown: Bowling Green, Kentucky
High School: Bowling Green High School
Gurley's arrival in Orlando is the culmination of a college football career in which he did not have a full scholarship to start out with. Only after redshirting his first season and playing one game in his second season with Eastern Kentucky did he earn his full scholarship in 2024. The moment that his mother, Crystal Smith, gave him the news during a team meeting was featured in a segment on NBC Nightly News.
A moment to last a lifetime for our man, Brad Gurley!
— EKU Football (@EKUFootball) August 26, 2024
🎥: @NBCNightlyNews#E2W | #MatterOfPride https://t.co/NNm71cWCL6 pic.twitter.com/KidCC3lIrf
Following a spring practice session on April 30, Gurley said he "chose" UCF defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin, who spent several years of his coaching career in the defensive tackle's hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky, first as a defensive coordinator at Warren Central High School in 2014 before returning in 2016 to be a graduate assistant for his alma mater, Western Kentucky, also located in Bowling Green. He served in that role from 2016 to 2017 before becoming the Hilltoppers' defensive line coach from 2018 to 2020.
2. What did he do last season?
Gurley made the most of his first season of college football as a starter, doing so for all of Eastern Kentucky's 12 games. He was named to the All-United Athletic Conference Second Team after leading the Colonels with 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, finishing seventh in the conference in sacks per game. He also recorded 45 tackles, 21 of them solo, five quarterback hurries, three passes defended and one forced fumble.
3. What role is he going to have in 2026?
The Knights are no strangers to a transfer from an FCS school emerging to become a starter after linebacker Cole Kozlowski pulled it off last season, even earning an All-Big 12 Third Team honor.
Gurley could have the opportunity to do something similar in 2026 if his production from Eastern Kentucky translates to the Big 12, something Martin said on April 30 he has seen. However, if he is to pull it off, he is going to have to stand out in a deep defensive tackle room, as described by Martin, that sports several other experienced players like RJ Jackson Jr., Thomas Collins and Horace Lockett.
As of this writing, Gurley looks most likely to be a meaningful piece in a defensive tackle rotation, even if it is not as a starter, given the presence of returners Jackson Jr. and Lockett. However, his share of playing time could increase, which could lead to a starting nod, with a standout fall camp performance, early-season production, injuries or a combination of all three.
Catch up on the rest of the list below:
No. 97 Josh Schell and Mason Denaberg
Add us as a preferred source on Google
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.
Follow itsBrysonTurner