Ranking UCF's NFL Departures from Least to Most Impactful for 2026
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The UCF Knights have, at the time of writing, have lost eight players to the NFL.
One was selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, two were invited to rookie minicamps, and five signed undrafted free agency contracts. However, which of their departures have the biggest impact on the Knights as they head into the 2026 season?
Find out below:
#8: Myles Montgomery
While Montgomery’s leadership as a team captain is certainly going to be missed, his production on the field might not be as much.
Thanks to getting his turn as the starting and primary rusher, Montgomery led the team in rushing yards and finished 12th in the Big 12 in rushing attempts and rushing yards per game. However, he ended up finishing 22nd in rushing yards per carry and only scored four touchdowns.
The running back group is also going to be much deeper next season, sporting not just a new pair of transfers in Landen Chambers and Duke Watson, but also a returning Agyeman "AG" Addae and Taevion Swint.
#7: Jaden Nixon
Jaden Nixon has a slight edge over his fellow running back in terms of the impact of his absence, thanks to his ability to break out for big plays.
The Western Michigan transfer finished second in the Big 12 with 7.8 yards per carry despite getting just 71 carries all season, and scored seven touchdowns. He also earned an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention nod as a kick returner after finishing fourth in the league with a 23.1-yard average per return and pulling off a kick return for a touchdown.
The Knights may have a new change-of-pace back next season, but it does not guarentee that they can break out for big plays the same way Nixon could last season or simultaneously be a kick returner.
#6 Paul Rubelt
Paul Rubelt has been a presence on the offensive line for six years, even if he only served as a starter in his last two.
The Knights were not perfect up front. Pre-snap penalties were an issue, and they were 11th in the Big 12 in rushing offense. However, they did finish 51st in the nation and seventh in the Big 12 in fewest sacks allowed and his leadership, especially after being a program mainstay since the start of the decade, is nothing to sneeze at.
UCF might end up improving at the offensive line next season, but there is only one Paul Rubelt.
#5 Phillip Dunnam
The Knights might be retaining most of their secondary that finished 48th in the nation in passing efficiency defense last season, but not Phillip Dunnam.
Dunnam finished fourth on the team with 60 total tackles, just one off from Demari Henserson, and broke up two passes. However, his claim to fame in UCF lore is going to be for the first-ever three-interception game in program history during the Space Game against Houston.
There are plenty of returning defensive backs like Jayden Bellamy, Antione Jackson, Braeden Marshall, Jayden Williams, etc., that can pick up Dunnam’s production, but he was still a standout amongst a standout unit.
#4: Keli Lawson
Linebacker Keli Lawson may not have been a regular starter thanks to Lewis Carter and Cole Kozlowski, but he ended up being one of the Knights' most impactful players off the bench in 2025.
Lawson’s 34 tackles are the most of any UCF bench defender last season. He also made two sacks, broke up a pass, hurried the quarterback twice, recovered a fumble and blocked a field goal. The blocked field goal is not exactly a common occurrence, with the Knights’ last one before Lawson coming in September 2022.
Lewis Carter and Jayden Jennings (formerly McDonald) may return to the Knights at linebacker this season, but it remains to be seen if their additions from the transfer portal, like Tackett Curtis, Rashad Henry and Jahleel Culbreath, are going to hit, leaving depth to be a potential concern.
Now, it's possible these transfers do end up hitting, which is why Lawson is this low on the list, but while it might be a more thankless role than a starter, it is no less important to a team's success.
#3: Nyjalik Kelly
Malachi Lawrence may be getting a lot of the attention between UCF’s two starting EDGEs thanks to his rise through the NFL Draft process and subsequent first-round selection, but it was Nyjalik Kelly who actually had the most tackles between the two last season.
Kelly tallied 46 total tackles, the fifth-most on the team, 7.5 tackles for loss, tied for the second-most on the team, three sacks and a team-leading eight quarterback hurries. He also recorded an interception, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups.
Even if Isaiah Nixon were to rise to become the Knights' new leading EDGE next season, the uncertainty of Sincere Edwards' recovery and the uncertainty about the success of new transfer additions like Bruno Dall and Ken Talley leave the other starting EDGE spot as an unknown quantity. Perhaps they could step up to Kelly's impact, or perhaps not.
Lawrence might have been a first-round talent, but there are two sides to every defense, and Kelly made for an impactful 1B.
#2: Malachi Lawrence
Malachi Lawrence is the highest-picked non-quarterback in the NFL Draft in UCF history. He was going to be high on this list.
While Kelly hurried the quarterback eight times, Lawrence got to him to finish the job seven times last season, tying for the fifth-most sacks in the Big 12 and helping him reach the Top 10 in program history in career sacks. He also led the team with 11 tackles for loss, tying for the seventh-most in the Big 12, broke up three passes, hurried the quarterback three times and forced two fumbles.
These on-field contributions earned him an All-Big 12 First Team honor and an honorable mention for the Big 12's Defensive Lineman of the Year award.
These do not even mention that Lawrence has been with the program since 2021, and the impact that brings from a team dynamics and culture standpoint. However, even as large as his impact was, Isaiah Nixon returns next season to take over as a lead EDGE, so there is at least an experienced player taking over his position.
#1: Noe Ruelas
The same cannot be said for the kicker position.
Noe Ruelas was the most accurate kicker in the Big 12 last season, going 15 of 17 on field goals for an 88.2% conversion rate, which also tied him for the third-highest single-season field goal percentage in program history. His 54-yard field goal against Houston was also ranked the sixth-longest season-best in the conference, and he went 32 of 33 on extra points.
Following Ruelas’ historic season, the next Knights’ starting kicker is going to be one who has never attempted a field goal in a college football game before. The two options, senior Will Stone and redshirt freshman Noah McGough, are also a combined three for three on extra points for their entire careers.
This is not to say that either Stone or McGough is going to do a bad job. However, going from a historic season from an experienced field goal kicker to a brand new kicker in the most literal sense of the words is still a sharp transition, so much so that the impact of Ruelas’ NFL departure looms the largest on the 2026 UCF squad.
Catch up on more UCF news below:
UCF Knights Undrafted Free Agency Tracker
How UCF EDGE Malachi Lawrence Fits With The Dallas Cowboys
Projected UCF EDGE Depth Chart After Malachi Lawrence Drafted in First Round
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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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