Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 98 Alhassan Iddrissu
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 98 days to go, let's meet one of the Knights' new EDGEs: Alhassan Iddrissu.
1. Who is Alhassan Iddrissu?
Welcome to UCF, @Alhassanid8531 ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/jzyTEqzhOo
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) December 3, 2025
Position: EDGE
Class: Freshman
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6 / 250 pounds
Hometown: Oakdale, Connecticut
Iddrissu immigrated to the United States in 2022 after living in Spain for 20 months. He is originally from Kumasi, the second-largest city in Ghana. According to an October Knights247 article, he has not been back home or seen his family since he left in 2020, even with his father passing away in January.
Initially, he was pursuing a basketball career, but began getting attention from colleges after one season of high school football.
2. What did he do last season?
Iddrissu's senior season at St. Thomas More School ended before it began due to an injury to his patellar tendon, the muscle at the front of the knee that connects the kneecap (or patella) to the tibia. The three-star recruit was already committed to the Knights at this point, after making his announcement on June 12.
Before that, Iddrissu's junior season, his only one of high school football, saw him record six sacks and 15 tackles for loss, according to his UCF Athletics profile page.
3. What role is he going to have this season?
It's a long road to recovery to come back from an injury to the patellar tendon, but it is possible. Take Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne, who suffered the injury in 2014, but came back the next season to record 37 tackles across 11 games.
However, combine that with Iddrissu being a true freshman and still being relatively new to the sport of football, it is understandable EDGE coach Mike Dawson said on April 21 that he needs to get healthy first; and with experienced EDGEs like Isaiah Nixon, Sincere Edwards, Bruno Dall and Ken Talley also on the roster, Iddrissu can take the time he needs to do that while also learning more about how to the play the game he only took up in his junior year of high school.
Both Dawson and coach Scott Frost are optimistic about Iddrissu's ability to contribute. Back on Dec. 3, Frost said it was "a battle" to get him to commit, and he was excited about his upside. As for Dawson, he said he was impressed by Iddrissu's size, particularly his 85-inch wingspan, according to a scouting report from 247Sports' Greg Biggins in June 2024.
"He's about as long as a guy that I've had in a room, and his wingspan is, you know, you'll be impressed by, if not anything else, the way that his length is and his wingspan is very impressive," Dawson said. "And he's a guy that I think is, you know, he's gonna have his best football ahead of him."
Iddrissu's role during the 2026 season hinges on when his recovery has progressed enough that coaches and trainers are comfortable with him being on the field. If that point comes during fall practice or early in the season, then there is a chance his role could grow as the season goes on, as coaches get more comfortable leaving him in the game for longer periods of time. However, if that point comes late in the season, he is likely not going to see too many snaps; just enough to get him some reps to help with his development and continued rehab so that he is 100% in 2027.
Stay tuned for more from our countdown to kickoff from now until kickoff!
Catch up on more UCF news below:
Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 99 Thomas Collins
UCF Forward Vows To Return To Knights If Granted Extra Year
Meeting the Moment: How UCF Softball Advanced To Its Second Ever Super Regional
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