Fresh off a monumental upset, the Knights’ defensive unit seeks to ignite a dormant pass rush and avenge last season’s blowout loss during Friday’s highly anticipated Space Game.

Tackett Curtis has thrived since leaving the Wisconsin Badgers

UCF defensive tackle Thomas Collins speaks with the media following the Knights' upset win over No. 2 BYU, 39-31.

Demari Henderson’s career-high performance and a relentless linebacking duo anchored a ball-hawking secondary, stifling Georgia State to secure momentum ahead of the Knights’ Big 12 opener against TCU.

UCF linebacker Tackett Curtis speaks with the media following the Knights' win over Georgia State. 44-30.

UCF’s Alex Grinch has known Tackett Curtis since he was a 16-year-old in Many, a small town of about 2,500 people in Louisiana’s Sabine Parish. Football was the common connection, with Grinch recruiting the former four-star linebacker while serving as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma under coach Lincoln Riley. When Riley took the USC job in 2023, Grinch followed and it wasn’t long before ...

UCF linebacker Tackett Curtis speaks with the media ahead of the Knights' matchup against Georgia State.

With 24 days to go until the 2026 UCF football season kicks off, learn more about the players wearing the Knights' No. 24 jerseys: linebacker Tackett Curtis and running back Arthur Lewis IV.