UCF’s countdown to kickoff keeps rolling, and the Knights have a clear name to watch at long snapper: Kyle Hicks.
Hicks arrives in Orlando with real college experience already on his résumé. He played both long snapper and tight end in high school and started all four years before launching his career at Tennessee State, the first Division I program to offer him in 2023, according to a post he made on Twitter/X at the time.
At Tennessee State, he majored in Human Performance and Sports Science and picked up an Ohio Valley Conference Academic Medal of Honor after posting a 4.0 GPA. He redshirted as a true freshman in 2024, then got onto the field for the first time in 2025.
That first season of action turned into a strong one. Hicks was named to Phil Steele’s FCS Freshman All-American Third Team after appearing in all 12 games for the Tigers last season.
His UCF Athletics profile lists a 90.3 grade from Pro Football Focus, which was the best mark among all FCS long snappers and the second-highest across all of Division I. He also finished with nine tackles, including five solo stops.
For UCF, that background matters because Hicks is the only long snapper on the roster with game experience heading into 2026. The Knights also have redshirt freshman Rocklyn Kelly at the position, but Hicks looks like the most likely candidate to handle the starting job.
UCF special teams coordinator Pete Alamar gave Hicks a strong endorsement after an April 7 practice, pointing to both his throwing ability and his precision.
"He's going to give you 12 o'clock laces over the spot consistently all the time," Alamar said.
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