With 55 days left before UCF opens the 2026 season against Bethune-Cookman on Sep. 3 at 7 p.m., the Knights’ roster countdown turns to two players wearing No. 55: offensive lineman Jacob Maiava and defensive tackle Noah Mercer.
Maiava’s football path started in Hawaii, but he’s been on the mainland for a while. He played at Liberty High School in Las Vegas before moving to Santa Margarita Catholic High School in California ahead of his junior year.
Football runs deep in the Maiava family. Jacob is part of a line that traces back to his great-grandfather, “Prince” Neff Maiava, an American Samoan professional wrestler whose family moved to Hawaii when he was two. His uncle, Kaluka Maiava, played linebacker at USC from 2005 to 2008 and later spent six seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the fourth round.
Jacob’s older brother, quarterback Jayden Maiava, has built his own path. Jayden chose UNLV before the 2022 season, became the Rebels’ starter as a redshirt freshman in 2023, and was named the Mountain West’s Freshman of the Year before transferring to USC.
Last season, he started all 13 games for the Trojans, threw for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns, and helped them finish 9-4. He is set to return in 2026 for his redshirt senior season.
Jacob Maiava played eight snaps across four games as a true freshman, preserving his redshirt and keeping four seasons of eligibility intact. Listed as a true center on his 247Sports profile, he is in the mix for the starting job there this season. He doesn’t bring the same experience as Brady Wayburn or Cooper Terpstra, but offensive line coach AJ Blazek sounded encouraged after an April 9 practice.
"He's way ahead of what I thought he would be from the way the guys described him," Blazek said. "He's athletic.
He is the energy of the old line; I really feel that at times. So, he could be a glue guy that if all's equal and he becomes the guy."
The center battle remains tight coming out of spring, so Maiava’s role is still unsettled. Even so, Blazek’s comments suggest he has made a real impression, and his ability to play guard gives him another path to more snaps in 2026 whether he wins the job or works as a key backup.
Mercer’s road to UCF took a different turn. He initially committed to South Florida on June 22, 2025, but flipped to the Knights on Early Signing Day.
The Key West product also brought track and field credentials with him. In spring 2025, during his junior season, he placed fourth in the discus at the FHSAA State Championship and advanced to regionals in the shot put.
On the football field, Mercer’s 2025 season at Key West High School was productive. According to his UCF Athletics profile page, he led the team with 52 total tackles and set a school record with 14 sacks. The Conchs finished 7-5 and reached the FHSAA 3A regional semifinals.
At 6-foot-5, Mercer already stands as the second-tallest defensive tackle on the roster, and he has added 50 pounds since his commitment, now weighing 285. Defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin pointed first to that frame after an April 30 practice.
"He's somebody that you can really groom up and become what you want," Martin said.
For now, Mercer looks like a developmental piece rather than an immediate contributor. Martin said the freshman still did a lot of "freshman things" and noted that he was still "growing" when talking about his size.
The depth chart ahead of him is crowded, too, with returners Horace Lockett and RJ Jackson Jr. joined by transfers Brad Gurley and Thomas Collins. That leaves Mercer with a tough path to regular playing time unless injuries hit the room. Even so, with four of UCF’s 10 defensive tackles listed as seniors, his chance to step into the spotlight may not be far off, even if it doesn’t come in 2026.
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