Braeden Marshall has spent his college career doing something that’s getting harder to find in the portal era: staying put. As UCF heads toward its 2026 season, the hometown defensive back is back for year four with the Knights, and he says the decision to remain in Orlando came down to wanting to be remembered for the right reasons.
"I always felt like, you know, in life I always want to be remembered, you know, for something in a good way or a positive way," Marshall said. "I feel like, you know, showing my loyalty, especially to my hometown, is one of the reasons why I stayed."
That loyalty has lined up with a clear role on the field. Last season, Marshall started 10 of the 11 games he appeared in and handled the nickelback spot for UCF.
He finished with 22 tackles, including 20 solo stops, along with two tackles for loss, one pass breakup and two interceptions. After an Aug. 24 practice, defensive coordinator Alex Grinch called him "consistent " and said he "looked like a guy that played a lot of football," which points to Marshall sliding right back into that same role in 2026.
Taevion Swint’s path looks different, but the expectation around him is just as real. The four-star recruit from Osceola High School said his decision to come to UCF was about more than simply following the staff.
"I never came to UCF just because people was telling me to come here," Swint said following an April 24 practice session. "I came here because I just felt so much love, you know what I'm saying?
I'm home. So it's like, why should I have to leave the city?"
Swint never got the chance to play as a true freshman in 2025 after a meniscus injury in fall camp ended his season before it started. That setback preserved his redshirt, and now he’s positioned to be part of the Knights’ running back mix in 2026.
Scott Frost said at Big 12 Media Days that he was "excited" about Swint before the injury and later described his spring as "unbelievable." Offensive coordinator Steve Cooper added after an Aug. 12 practice that Swint and Duke Watson are "complementary players, but they do a lot of the same things."
Watson and Landen Chambers may get more of the workload, but Swint has shown enough to put himself in the conversation for snaps right away. When he makes his college debut in 2026, he’ll do it with a real chance to carve out a place in the Knights’ rotation.
In Other News...
Two Former UCF Standouts Suddenly Face A Tense NFL Wait
Jaden Nixon and Nyjalik Kelly put themselves on Green Bays radar with strong preseason showings, giving both former UCF standouts a real case to stick around as roster cuts approached. Kelly flashed on defense with two sacks and an interception, while Nixon provided an offensive spark with 64 rushing yards and a touchdown, the kind of production that can keep a young player in the conversation even when the numbers game tightens.
Now the wait begins, and it is the kind of anxious limbo plenty of undrafted or fringe NFL players know well. Neither Knight made the Packers initial 53-man roster, but there is still a path for both to remain in the organization if they come through waivers and land on the practice squad, where Green Bay can keep developing them and have them ready for a call-up if injuries start to create openings. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Frost Wants UCF Locked In With Opener Questions Looming
UCF has spent the week trying to make the final leap from camp mode to game mode as it gets set to open against Bethune-Cookman at Acrisure Bounce House Stadium. Scott Frost has stressed that part of the challenge now is sharpening the details that matter once the ball is live, and starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III has sounded ready for the first test of the season.
The Knights will, however, have to manage a few personnel questions as kickoff approaches. Edge rusher Bruno Dall is out because of an injury, and a couple of other pieces have been working through camp issues, leaving the staff with some decisions still hanging over the first depth chart of the year. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Alums Just Survived A Tense NFL Roster Cut Week
The NFLs roster-cut deadline was a tense one for former UCF players, but several ex-Knights came through with 53-man roster spots. Mike Hughes is in with the Atlanta Falcons, while Tylan Grable landed on the Buffalo Bills, Alex Ward stuck with the Las Vegas Raiders, Kalia Davis made the Cleveland Browns and Mac McWilliams earned a place with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Not every UCF alum made it through the squeeze, as Nyjalik Kelly, Jaden Nixon and Paul Rubelt were among the names trimmed as teams finalized their squads. Even so, the overall picture was a solid one for the Knights pipeline, with multiple former standouts still in position to contribute at the next level and others left waiting for a possible practice-squad opening. [Read more 🡒]