UCF Kicker Accepts Invitation To Hula Bowl
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UCF Knights kicker Noe Ruelas accepted an invitation to the 2026 Hula Bowl, the event's X account announced on Friday morning.
Next stop: Hula Bowl!!! @noeruelas11 has officially accepted his invite to the 2026 Altrua HealthShare Hula Bowl All-Star Game!! @ucf.football pic.twitter.com/SA3EvibrRe
— Hula Bowl (@Hula_Bowl) December 26, 2025
Ruelas, who declared for the 2026 NFL Draft back on Dec. 9, is the fourth UCF player to accept an invitation to the game, joining defensive back Phillip Dunnam and running backs Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon. He is the sixth Knights player overall to accept an invitation to a college all-star game, which gives professional football hopefuls the opportunity to showcase their skills to scouts, since EDGEs Malachi Lawrence and Nyjalik Kelly are heading to the Shrine Bowl.
As for the Hula Bowl, it has historically been played in Hawai'i, though Acrisure Bounce House has been its host since the 2022 edition. However, due to the stadium's Roth Tower construction project, 2026's edition is set to be played at Spec Martin Stadium, the home of the Stetson Hatters football team, in DeLand, Florida. This edition also boasts a coaching matchup between brothers, with Jay Gruden leading Team Aina and Jon Gruden leading Team Kai.
Ruleas went 15/17 on field goals in his lone season with UCF, tying 2019 Dylan Barnas for the third-highest single-season field goal percentage in program history. He also converted 11 of those field goals consecutively, tying Matt Prater for the fourth-longest streak in program history, and made three of his four attempts from 50 yards or further, which is the most 50-yard field goals made by a Knights kicker in their FBS history, and tied for the second-most overall.
As for extra points, Ruelas went 32/33, joining the likes of 2019 Dylan Barnas and 2021 Daniel Obarski in the UCF "made all but one extra-point attempts in a single season" club.
For his efforts, Ruelas earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors, was an honorable mention for the Big 12's Special Teams Player of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which honors college football's best kicker. He was the first UCF kicker to earn an annual conference honor higher than honorable mention since Matthew Wright in 2018.
UCF players have participated in every edition of the Hula Bowl since its move to the U.S. mainland in 2022. It's current quarterbacks coach McKenzie Milton played in the 2022 edition, for instance. Other Knights who have played in the game include running back Isaiah Bowser, defensive lineman Ricky Barber, quarterback John Rhys Plumlee and wide receiver Kobe Hudson.
The Hula Bowl kicks off at noon on Jan. 10 at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand, Florida.
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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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