Demari Henderson turned a big night into a weekly honor.
After coming up with two fourth-quarter interceptions in UCF’s win over Georgia State, the Knights defensive back was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Monday afternoon, the conference announced.
Henderson’s first takeaway came after UCF had pushed ahead 34-27 late in the third quarter. Georgia State’s next drive carried into the opening moments of the fourth, and on the fifth play, a pass over the middle was tipped downfield.
Henderson closed fast, laid out, and secured the interception - his first of the game and fifth of his career. UCF then turned that turnover into points, converting a field goal to stretch the lead to 37-27 with 8:42 left.
He wasn’t done.
With Georgia State throwing a final heave toward the end zone at the end of the game, Henderson came down with his second interception of the night, and sixth overall, to lock up UCF’s final non-conference game of 2026. It was the second two-interception game of his career, matching what he did against then-No.
15 Oklahoma State on Nov. 11, 2023.
That kind of production puts Henderson in a very small club. He became one of four Knights to post two multi-interception games, joining Sha’reff Rashad, who did it in 2008, Joe Burnett, who turned the trick in 2005 and 2007, and Keith Evans, the first UCF player to do it, with those games coming in 1986 and 1988.
Henderson is also one of only two UCF players to win Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week since the Knights joined the conference. He previously earned the award in 2023 after his first career two-interception game.
Phillip Dunnam is the other Knight to take home the defensive weekly honor, doing so after his three-interception performance on Nov. 7, 2025.
The only other UCF player with multiple Big 12 weekly awards is RJ Harvey, who was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week twice, once in 2023 and again in 2024.
UCF now turns the page to conference play. The Knights open Big 12 action on Saturday, Sept. 26, when they host TCU at the Bounce House for the first time. It will also be UCF’s first Big 12 opener in Orlando as the program begins its fourth trip through a power conference schedule.
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UCF Faces A Huge Test Against A Quarterback Who Can Change Everything
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For the Knights, the timing makes this one even trickier. UCF is still sorting through offensive line injuries while trying to steady its protection up front, and the offense is also chasing better results on third down. Against a TCU attack led by a quarterback with the ability to change the game in a hurry, that combination turns this into more than just another Big 12 matchup. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Secondary Gets Its Real Test After Eye-Opening Start
Through the first three weeks, UCFs defense has looked far sharper than many expected, and the secondary has been a big reason why. Antione Jackson and Demari Henderson have both drawn strong marks from Pro Football Network, giving the Knights a back end that has helped set the tone while the rest of the defense settles in.
Now comes a different kind of exam. UCF is heading into a matchup with TCU, and quarterback Jaden Craig is coming off a slow start that has turned into a much more productive stretch, with multiple touchdowns and plenty of yards in recent games. For a defense that has already shown it can capitalize on mistakes, this is the kind of passing game that will tell UCF how much of its fast start really holds up. [Read more 🡒]