UCF’s 2026 roster countdown hits two players wearing No. 6, and both come with real storylines attached. One is ready to step into a starting role that has been waiting for him. The other is trying to finally turn a lost season into a meaningful one on the field.
For Isaiah Nixon, the path has been building for a while. After spending multiple seasons behind Malachi Lawrence and Nyjalik Kelly, the EDGE rusher now has a clear shot at his first collegiate start in 2026.
The St. Petersburg native, a Lakewood High School graduate, played in 11 of UCF’s 12 games in 2025 and made the most of his snaps off the bench with 24 tackles, 11 solo stops, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
That role is expected to change fast. Following an April 21 practice, EDGE coach Mike Dawson said he was looking forward to seeing Nixon "come off the edge" this season, noting that Nixon just "happened to be playing against two guys that were going into the 2025 NFL Draft." With Lawrence and Kelly now gone to the NFL, Nixon no longer has those veterans blocking the way.
For Nixon, that opening has been a long time coming.
"I feel it's gonna be a big year for me and for all of us; and the main goal is to win a Big 12, so that's what I want to do," Nixon said.
Farmer’s situation is different, but just as interesting. Ric'Darious "DayDay" Farmer arrived back in his home state ahead of the 2025 season after spending his true freshman year at West Virginia, where he appeared in 11 games and caught six passes for 54 yards.
Before that, he had a stop at Cocoa High School, where former UCF quarterback Ryan Schneider was the coach. Farmer later transferred to Melbourne Central Catholic High School for his senior year.
Farmer’s name has been on evaluators’ radar for a while. Andrew Ivins, Director of Scouting for 247Sports, described him as a "productive inside receiver that excels in catch-and-run situations" and said he "should be viewed as a potential difference maker in the slot." In a separate January 2023 evaluation, Ivins added that Farmer would "find most success in a scheme that utilizes a lot of three and four-receiver formations."
That kind of setup could fit UCF’s receiver room in 2026. Even so, Farmer missed all of the 2025 season because of a knee injury suffered during spring practice. After an April 18 practice, wide receivers coach Sean Beckton said Farmer "probably could have came back," but he remained sidelined.
The Knights do have plenty of bodies in the passing game, with Duane Thomas Jr., Waden Charles and tight end Dylan Wade returning, while Josh Derry brings experience from the transfer portal and true freshman Tyren Hornes has stood out in fall camp. Beckton said Farmer needed to provide depth behind Thomas, and that may be where he begins.
He may not be the obvious top target in the room, and he may not be the one piling up the most snaps. But Beckton made it clear what Farmer can bring when the ball finds him.
"At the top of routes, when he does it correctly, you can see the difference, the separation he creates," Beckton said. "Ball in hand, he's able to separate and make plays for us, you know."
So while 2026 may not make Farmer a regular starter, it does look like the year he finally gets a steady role in the offense. And if that role grows the way UCF hopes, he has the kind of skill set that could produce a splash play or two along the way.
In Other News...
UCFs Rebuilt Roster Already Faces A Chemistry Test Before Opening Night
UCFs exhibition stretch already offered Johnny Dawkins a quick read on how his rebuilt roster is coming together, and the early returns were mixed. The Knights played SEC foes LSU and Kentucky, using the games to sort through chemistry and rotations after a roster overhaul that brought several transfers into the mix. Against LSU, UCF showed it could stretch the floor and get going from deep, but the result still turned sour as the Knights couldnt hold the edge.
Those tune-ups were never just about the scoreboard, though. For Dawkins, the value was in seeing which combinations worked, how the new pieces fit and where the team still needs time before opening night. The challenge now is familiar for any revamped group: turning flashes in exhibition play into something more stable once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Suddenly Has A Real Shot To Bring Back Two Former Standouts
A Dallas courts temporary restraining order has suddenly reopened the door for a pair of former UCF standouts, giving the program a possible path to bring back players who had appeared headed elsewhere. Safety Phillip Dunnam and guard Riley Kugel were both notable performers last season, and the ruling has created a real possibility that each could regain college eligibility after disputes had clouded their next steps.
For UCF, the timing makes the situation especially intriguing because both athletes are positioned to return to college sports, and the Knights now have a chance to be part of that next chapter. Dunnam has already entered the transfer portal, while Kugel had been there since early August, so the legal development has changed the conversation around two familiar names whose futures had been uncertain only days ago. [Read more 🡒]
UCFs First Opponent Is Carrying More Momentum Than Usual
Bethune-Cookman is heading into its fourth season under Raymond Woodie Jr. with a bit more buzz than the Knights may be used to seeing from an opening opponent. After finishing 6-6 a year ago, the Wildcats have been trending upward, and the programs preseason recognition reflects it, with offensive lineman Christian Loving and linebacker Stephen Sparrow among the players drawing attention before the first snap.
The early schedule gives Bethune-Cookman a chance to show whether that momentum is real right away, with a Sept. 3 trip to UCF setting the tone before a later date with Florida A&M in the Florida Classic on Nov. 21. For the Knights, it is the kind of opener that can look routine on paper but comes with a little more substance than the average first-week tune-up. [Read more 🡒]