Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 97 Josh Schell and Mason Denaberg

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 the first time on this list, we have two players with the same jersey number. So, with 97 days to go, let's meet UCF punter Mason Denaberg and defensive tackle Josh Schell:

Who is Josh Schell?
What did Schell do last season?
What role is Schell going to have in 2026?
Who is Mason Denaberg?
What did Denaberg do last season?
What role is Denaberg going to have in 2026?

1. Who is Josh Schell?

Position: Defensive Tackle

Class: Redshirt Senior

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4 / 265 pounds

Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

Josh Schell started his collegiate career as a dual sport athlete at Grand Valley State, playing both football and baseball. After redshirting his freshman football season, Schell pitched in 13 games from the bullpen for the baseball team and even ended up getting All-GLIAC Tournament honors. However, it was only for one season, as he fully committed to football for the rest of his time at Grand Valley State, where he played two more seasons before transferring to Tennessee.

2. What did Schell do last season?

Last season was Schell's only one with Tennessee after transferring from Grand Valley State. He only recorded one tackle, though he played in 13 games.

3. What role is Schell going to have in 2026?

Defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin said Schell and Gurley were "violent with their hands," something that can solve issues as a defensive tackle. He also said he had a great rotation and that his group is a deep one.

Considering Schell has not had much playing experience at the Division I level and is new to the defensive tackle position, shifting from defensive end, experienced D1 defensive tackles like Horace Lockett, RJ Jackson Jr., Thomas Collins and Brad Gurley would likely end up in front of him.

However, Schell is still an experienced player. Martin even said that, thanks to the experience his defensive tackle room has had this season, he can focus on teaching "what to do and not how to do it." So, this could help put him ahead of freshmen like Trenton Turner, Noah Mercer and Isaiah McNish.

With his experience as a defensive end, Schell could potentially serve as a super utility defensive lineman at the third-string level, and would work into the defensive tackle rotation about as often as fellow upperclassman Jeffson Lafontant does.

"We will rush from the five sometimes, even as a defensive tackle," Schell said. "So to have the experience, to be able to play outside and inside, just the more versatile, the more you can do, the better."

4. Who is Mason Denaberg?

Position: Kicker/Punter

Class: Redshirt Freshman

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4 / 225 pounds

Hometown: Merritt Island, Florida

Mason Denaberg was tired of getting hurt every year. A right-handed pitcher from Merritt Island, he was drafted with the 27th overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals. However, after six years in the minors, he has not been able to progress higher than High-A Fredricksburg. Then, he said, his brother suggested he should try to punt.

"It was kind of always, like something I told myself when I was hurt, just to make myself feel better, you know, like 'You know, you could always go back and punt,' but I never really thought it would happen," Denaberg said.

While Denaberg is one of the older players on the team at 26-years-old and is going to turn 27 before the Knights' season-opener, he said his teammates keep him young. Plus, he said he does not feel like he misses baseball.

"I mean, I think this is the perfect life for me now," Denaberg said. "I mean, I live, you know, 40 minutes from my parents' house. Girlfriend's around, family's around, I got two nieces now, so.... just, I don't know, it's kind of the perfect thing."

5. What did Denaberg do last season?

Denaberg made it into one game during his true freshman season, serving as a holder for an extra point against North Carolina A&T.

6. What role is Denaberg going to have in 2026?

While his position is listed as kicker/punter, Denaberg spent the observed portions of spring practice working as a punter alongside Wisconsin transfer Atticus Bertrams. While he said after spring practice on April 7 that he is in a "better spot" now, Denaberg is most likely going to serve as Bertrams' backup, given the transfer's experience at the position. Though special teams coordinator Pete Alamar said on April 7 that they are going to "compete like crazy."

Denaberg's experience last season as a holder could also come in handy if Alamar wants Bertams to focus solely on punting.

Stay tuned for more from our countdown to kickoff from now until kickoff!

Catch up on more UCF news below:

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Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 98 Alhassan Iddrissu

Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 99 Thomas Collins

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