Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff

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 99 days to go, let's meet one of the Knights' new defensive tackles: Thomas Collins.

Who is Thomas Collins?
What did he do last season?
What role is he going to gave this season?

1. Who is Thomas Collins?

Position: Defensive Tackle

Class: Redshirt Junior

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1 / 280 pounds

Hometown: Gothenburg, Sweden

Collins is one of five European players on the Knights' roster in 2026, hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden. It is the country's second-largest city behind its capital, Stockholm. Located on the coast of the Kattegat, it is a 3.5-hour ferry ride from there to Frederikshavn, Denmark.

After a spring practice session on April 30, Collins said he played soccer and hockey growing up, but his father, who spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy, would "toss the football around in the backyard and watch the Super Bowl." He did not start playing the sport until he was 13 or 14, when he realized he "could tackle without being penalized." He started out as a linebacker, along with "a little running back," before ending up on the defensive line.

Collins' life changed in more ways than one when he started playing football, as it was also how he met his wife, Frida. She was his teammate on his U-13 team, Collins said, and the pair celebrated their one-year anniversary over spring break. Frida has also continued her football journey and was named to Sweden's national women's flag football team on May 1.

The Swedish school system has particular types of schools called "riksidrottsgymnasium" (abbreviated to RIG), which translates to "national sports secondary school." The closest comparison to it would be IMG Academy here in Florida. The only RIG for American football, as of 2022, is located in the city of Uppsala, which is 44 miles north of Stockholm and is on the opposite side of the country from Gothenburg. Collins was one of 30 students there, with 10 students per class.

After graduating from high school, Collins began his college football journey at Oregon State in 2023.

2. What did he do last season?

Collins started in all 12 of Oregon State's games last season as a redshirt sophomore, recording 30 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.

UCF defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin described Collins as going "sideline to sideline, chasing it down" in his film with the Beavers.

3. What role is he going to gave this season?

Martin called Collins "tenacious" and a "phenomenal natural pass rusher."

"He's a different type of D-tackle that we'll see here at UCF that I haven't had here since I've been here," Martin said.

Collins has to contend with a crowded defensive tackle group for playing time, whether it is the pair of returners, Horace Lockett and RJ Jackson Jr., or fellow transfers Brad Gurley from Eastern Kentucky and Josh Schell from Tennessee. While Collins' experience starting at the FBS level does give him an edge over his fellow transfers, Martin said he has a "great rotation," so even if Collins is not listed as a starter, he is still going to get some meaningful snaps.

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

Catch up on more UCF news below:

UCF Knights Region Breakdown: Opponents, Schedule, How to Watch, Bracket Breakdown

UCF Forward Vows To Return To Knights If Granted Extra Year

Meeting the Moment: How UCF Softball Advanced To Its Second Ever Super Regional

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