Isaiah Nixon has spent his time at UCF waiting for the right opening. With his redshirt junior season here, that opening is finally in front of him.
The edge rusher is now positioned to help lead UCF’s edge room alongside Ken Talley and Sincere Edwards after the unofficial depth chart was released. And with that comes real expectations from head coach Scott Frost.
"We're going to expect a lot out of Isaiah Nixon," Frost said. "He needs to be the next one of those guys.
And then we got a bunch of guys that I think are really good playmakers at that position and they're all going to have to play well for us. Sincere's been getting healthier and has looked his best I think in the last week.
Ken Talley's been a pleasant surprise. We thought we were getting a good player, but he's been really solid for us."
Nixon’s production last season gave UCF a preview of what he can do. He played in 11 games in 2025 and finished with career highs of 24 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. Eleven of those stops were solo tackles.
He showed up early, too. Nixon opened the year with a tackle for loss in back-to-back games against Jacksonville State and North Carolina A&T. In the Sept. 6 game against North Carolina A&T, he put together a season- and career-best six tackles.
He added his first sack of the season in UCF’s final home game against Oklahoma State on Nov. 22, and he was part of the Knights’ Big 12 Defensive Line of the Week recognition after the 45-13 win over West Virginia on Oct. 18. In that game, UCF’s defensive line piled up seven of the team’s eight sacks.
Now Nixon gets the chance to turn that kind of production into a bigger role.
At media day, he sounded like a player who knows exactly what this season means.
"It's amazing. The excitement level is through the roof.
I can't wait to be a part of the season as the top guy in the room. I can't wait for the season, man.
This level of excitement is through the roof, so I can't wait."
He also pointed to the path laid down by former UCF edge rushers, including Malachi Lawrence, and said staying loyal to the program mattered to him.
"Yes, sir. Following Malachi Lawrence's footsteps-me and him taking that same path, staying loyal to UCF, being home, and being loyal to the coaches-things like that play a big part and can help you throughout your career. I'm really grateful to be here at UCF and spend all my years here."
Nixon said he feels ready for this moment after years of waiting behind others who helped shape his approach.
"I'm super ready. I've been ready for this my whole life, building up to this moment.
I had mentors like Malachi Lawrence and Tre'mon Morris-Brash helping me out to be in this position. So I can't wait.
I've been waiting for this moment my whole life."
What he wants to prove is straightforward: that he can affect games in a lot of different ways.
"I hope to prove my ability on the field-what I can do in pass rush, stopping the run, and things like that. Bringing a lot of sacks to the D-line. That's what I'm really hoping to prove to everybody: that I can ball out and be that dog that they want me to be."
He also credited Tre'mon Morris-Brash and Malachi Lawrence for showing him what patience and loyalty could lead to.
"For sure. For example, Tre'mon Morris-Brash-when I was a freshman, he was here all four years and was loyal to UCF.
Malachi Lawrence was loyal to UCF. That gave me a spark and encouraged me to stay here at UCF and wait my turn like they did.
I saw the outcome with Tre'mon going to the Chargers in the first round, and seeing them stay here all four years without going anywhere else. It really opened my eyes to realize, 'Okay, this is really where I belong, and this is where I can reach the league out of UCF.'"
As for how he plays, Nixon sees himself as a pure edge threat with a power element.
"I feel like I'm a speed guy, a speed-to-power guy. That's really my game-speed to power. Coaches look for speed and power as our position advances, so that's a great tool to have in your toolbox."
And he likes what UCF has coming back around him. Horace Lockett, RJ Jackson and Sincere Edwards are all part of a defensive line Nixon believes can create real problems.
"We have dogs on the D-line. With Sincere and Horace Lockett coming back, and RJ Jackson coming back, collectively as a D-line, I feel we're going to get after it this season.
We're going to have a lot of sacks and a lot of production to help the team win. I just can't wait to play with them this season."
He said the group’s flexibility is a major strength.
"The versatility is off the charts. Horace is a huge guy, but he can get off the ball quick.
As big as he is, he has fast movement-he can stuff the run and break double teams. Sincere is a dog, too; his power is off the charts.
And RJ Jackson's movement, ability, and power-when all that comes together, I feel like we'll be a dominant D-line."
Nixon even put a Big 12 title in the conversation.
"I feel this team can win a Big 12 championship, for sure. That's the main goal and that's always been a goal since I've been here. I feel like this season and this year, we're going to win the Big 12."
And when he looks at his own pairing with Edwards, he sees a duo that could make life miserable for opposing offenses.
"Oh my god, we could be a dynamic duo. Sincere and I-I feel like we're going to have double-digit sacks each. I'm really confident in Sincere and what we can bring to the table, and I can't wait."
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Scott Frost and the players around Barnett have pointed to his leadership and steady play as central pieces of what could make the offense look different this fall. The optimism is real, but so are the stakes, because UCF is not just trying to feel better about itself - it is trying to build toward a Big 12 Championship conversation, and Barnett is the one being counted on to help make that case. [Read more 🡒]