UCF Gains Commitment From Pair Of Orlando-Area Defensive Players
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The UCF Knights' high school freshman class expanded by two more on Wednesday afternoon at Maynard Evans High School.
Both defensive lineman Mujahid Jefferson and defensive back Otis Hardy were a part of the school's signing day recognition of its football players on Wednesday.
Jefferson transferred to Evans from Wekiva High School for his final two seasons of his high school career. He totaled 42 tackles, 20 of which were solo, with 11 tackles for loss during his senior season. He was also third on the team with five sacks.
Locked in ⚔️ @EHSTrojanFTBL @UCF_Football #ucf @Coach_Martin95 @CoachHand407 @trenchmenAC @247recruiting pic.twitter.com/EoUdY7OiOX
— Mujahid Jefferson (@407MJ) February 18, 2026
Jefferson, who also had offers from Marshall and Western Kentucky, adds another new face to a pair of defensive line rooms that were hit with several losses from both graduation and the transfer portal last season. His profile page on hudl lists him as a defensive tackle, a position group that lost six players to the transfer portal. The addition of Jefferson would make him the third freshman addition to the room, joining Noah Mercer and Isaiah McNish.
Standing at 6’3”, according to 247Sports, Jefferson would be the shortest of the Knights’ three freshman defensive tackles. With returners in rising senior RJ Jackson Jr. and rising redshirt senior Horace Lockett likely to start, Jefferson is going to need to contend with not just his fellow freshman, but other defensive lineman transfers like Thomas Collins and Josh Schell for a shot at playing time.
Hardy also transferred into Evans, doing so for his senior season after three years at Dr. Phillips High School. During his lone season as a Trojan, he totaled 27 tackles, 15 of which were solo, and one tackle for loss.
With the addition of Hardy, a crowded defensive back room gains its third true freshman, joining Amarion Queen and Elijah Keys. With the position group also returning many of its major players from last season, such as rising seniors Braeden Marshall and Antione Jackson, plus rising redshirt seniors Demari Henderson and Jayden Bellamy, the prospect of Hardy redshirting his freshman season looks likely.
Both players come from a Trojan team that went 8-3 in 2025 and were eliminated in their first playoff game against Pace High School, 20-6.
Spring practice gets underway for the Knights in March.
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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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