UCF’s linebacker room has been forced into survival mode, and the Knights are leaning on Tackett Curtis and Jahleel Culbreath to hold things together while the injuries pile up.
Lewis Carter has now missed the past two games, and Jayden Jennings went down with an upper-body injury in last Saturday’s loss to the No. 22 Houston Cougars.
Jennings had stepped in with Carter sidelined, but he was injured in the second quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the game. He was later seen on the sideline in an arm sling.
Carter’s absence has been felt all season. He first walked to the medical tent in Week 2’s loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers, apparently dealing with a knee injury.
He returned the next week, but the UCF injury report for its Big 12 home opener later listed the senior as out. Losing the team’s leader and top tackler forced the defense to adjust, and UCF did get a response against the TCU Horned Frogs when Curtis, a Wisconsin transfer, picked off his first career pass and helped set up a Knights score on the next drive.
Now the focus shifts to keeping the group afloat against another major test. UCF faces No.
18 Oklahoma State on Saturday, and the challenge is a big one: quarterback Drew Mestemaker has thrown for 1,271 yards and has strung together three straight 300-yard, multi-touchdown games. He was nearly perfect in Oklahoma State’s 59-point win over the Murray State Racers on Sept. 19, completing 90.9% of his 22 passes.
The Cowboys also bring a dangerous run game with Caleb Hawkins, who leads the team with 441 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He’s coming off a season-high 180 yards against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
For UCF, the issue isn’t just talent - it’s availability. Continuity was supposed to be one of the Knights’ quiet strengths, but the linebacker injuries have knocked that off track.
Curtis has become the team’s leading tackler since Carter went out, posting 33 tackles, one interception and one sack. Culbreath, an Old Dominion transfer, follows with 19 tackles and 0.5 sacks.
Culbreath said linebackers coach Mike D’Onofrio keeps the room locked into a “next man up” approach. The group, he said, is staying ready through the weekly grind.
"So, we're going to keep our heads down, keep grinding," Culbreath said during Monday's media availability. "Next man up, um, we're going to take care of it. We'll be good."
Carter and Jennings will get another update on Wednesday night’s injury report, but for now, Curtis and Culbreath are carrying the load in the middle of a battered defense.
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UCF Defense Suddenly Has A Familiar Linebacker Question To Solve
Cole Kozlowskis path back onto the UCF defense has opened up at a useful moment for a linebacker group already dealing with injuries. A Florida court granted him an additional year of eligibility, giving the veteran a chance to rejoin the Knights if he is ready to go, and the timing adds another layer to a position already under strain.
UCF coaches have already acknowledged the ruling and are preparing for the possibility of folding Kozlowski back into the mix. With Lewis Carter and Jayden Jennings sidelined, the Knights suddenly have a familiar depth question to answer, and Kozlowskis status now hangs over how quickly that room can stabilize. [Read more 🡒]
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The pressure now falls on the players up front to turn Grinchs message into production, especially in the one-on-one battles that can change a drive. Horace Lockett and Sincere Edwards are among the names UCF needs to see make more of those individual matchups matter, because the Knights defensive ceiling will keep coming back to whether the front can consistently disrupt the pocket. [Read more 🡒]
Demari Henderson Is Giving UCF A Defensive Star Fans Can Believe In
Demari Henderson has quickly become one of the most reliable pieces on UCFs defense this season, giving the Knights a veteran presence in the back end at a time when every turnover and every stop matters. The senior defensive back has been active all over the field, stacking interceptions, tackles, a sack and passes defensed through the early going, the kind of production that has made him hard to ignore in the Big 12.
Hendersons recent stretch has only sharpened the spotlight, especially after a game against Georgia State in which he came away with multiple interceptions and helped set the tone for the secondary. For UCF, the bigger question now is not whether he has been important, but how high this defense can climb if he keeps playing at this level. [Read more 🡒]