With 54 days left before UCF opens the 2026 season against Bethune-Cookman on Sep. 3 at 7 p.m., the Knights’ roster countdown brings two players wearing No. 54: offensive lineman Cooper Terpstra and defensive tackle Trenton Turner.
Terpstra’s path to UCF has already taken a few turns. According to 247Sports, he first committed to Division II Grand Valley State in June 2022. But after the Associated Press named him first-team all-state Division 1-2 and Grand Valley State went through a coaching change, he changed course and walked on at Michigan State for the 2023 season.
He redshirted as a true freshman, then carved out a special-teams role in 2024 and logged 36 snaps at center. Last season, he appeared in 11 of Michigan State’s 12 games and made his only start in the finale at center. In that game, he was also the Spartans’ highest-graded offensive lineman at 74.8.
That background makes him a real candidate to handle the center job for UCF in 2026. The position is open entering spring practice, and offensive line coach AJ Blazek said Terpstra has helped other players he’s tried there "pick up and move faster." Blazek also pointed to Terpstra’s game experience at center for a Power 4 program as proof that he already has the skillset and understanding for the spot.
If Terpstra wins the job, he’d be the one snapping to quarterback Alonza Barnett III. If he doesn’t, he still looks like the kind of reserve who can step in and keep the position steady. Either way, UCF should be seeing plenty of him next season.
Turner arrives with a different kind of resume, but one that still fits a lineman’s body and role. He played his first three seasons of high school football at Lake Wales High School, where he was part of a state title team as a sophomore in 2022, then transferred to Lakeland High School for his senior year in 2024. A Lakeland Ledger report from November 2024 said the move put him closer to home in Auburndale, which is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area.
He was also a two-sport athlete in high school, adding basketball to the mix. MaxPreps listed him at 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as a forward/center.
At UCF, Turner played in two games as a true freshman, preserving his redshirt. He recorded his first collegiate tackle in the first of those appearances. Listed at 320 pounds, he is the second-heaviest player on the roster behind fellow defensive tackle Horace Lockett.
That size gives him a natural fit inside, but the depth chart in front of him is crowded with Lockett, RJ Jackson Jr., Brad Gurley and Thomas Collins. Barring injuries, a major role in 2026 looks unlikely. Still, Turner is only entering his second season of college football, and the year ahead could be valuable as he learns behind the veterans and builds toward a future as a starting defensive tackle option for the Knights.
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