← the board · drewhoover.com · 2024–2026
UCF's best defenders since 2024
Lewis Carter leads with 116 tackles in 14 games at UCF; Nyjalik Kelly had 99.
Every defender with 5 or more games at UCF since 2024, ranked by tackles; the lines are each player's tackles game by game, the top 8 drawn. A link opens the player's page, where he has one, or his row on the board.
81 defenders with 5+ games at UCFtackles
| # | player | seasons | games | tackles | sacks | tackles for loss | interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Carter | 2025–2026 | 14 | 116 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | Nyjalik Kelly | 2024–2025 | 24 | 99 | 8.5 | 20 | 1 |
| 3 | Cole Kozlowski | 2025–2026 | 13 | 83 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| 4 | Ethan Barr | 2024 | 12 | 72 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | Xe'ree Alexander | 2024 | 12 | 68 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 6 | Antione Jackson | 2024–2026 | 24 | 65 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 7 | Deshawn Pace | 2024 | 12 | 61 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| 8 | Phillip Dunnam | 2025 | 12 | 60 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 9 | Isaiah Nixon | 2024–2026 | 23 | 57 | 4.5 | 10 | 0 |
| 10 | Sheldon Arnold | 2024 | 12 | 52 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 11 | Jayden Bellamy | 2025–2026 | 17 | 43 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 12 | Tackett Curtis | 2026 | 6 | 39 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 13 | Keli Lawson | 2025 | 11 | 34 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | Jayden Williams | 2025–2026 | 8 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Mac McWilliams | 2024 | 11 | 32 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| 16 | Ladarius Tennison | 2024 | 9 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | RJ Jackson Jr. | 2025–2026 | 13 | 31 | 1.5 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | Daylan Dotson | 2024 | 11 | 31 | 4 | 11 | 0 |
| 19 | Jahleel Culbreath | 2026 | 6 | 30 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | Jeffson Lafontant | 2025–2026 | 12 | 29 | 3.5 | 9 | 0 |
| 21 | Jayden Jennings | 2025–2026 | 13 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 22 | Jesiah Pierre | 2024 | 9 | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 23 | DJ Bell | 2025–2026 | 13 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | Horace Lockett | 2025–2026 | 10 | 27 | 1.5 | 6 | 0 |
| 25 | Sincere Edwards | 2025–2026 | 10 | 26 | 2.5 | 8 | 0 |
| 26 | Rodney Lora | 2025 | 11 | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | Chasen Johnson | 2024 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | Ty Bartrum | 2026 | 6 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Ken Talley | 2026 | 5 | 13 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 |
| 30 | Aymeric Koumba | 2025–2026 | 7 | 11 | 1.5 | 4 | 0 |
| 31 | Thomas Collins | 2026 | 5 | 10 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 |
| 32 | Brad Gurley Jr. | 2026 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 33 | Jyaire Brown | 2025 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 34 | Jaeden Gould | 2025 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Kahmel Johnson | 2026 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Braeden Marshall | 2023–2026 | 29 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 37 | Demari Henderson | 2022–2026 | 28 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 38 | Malachi Lawrence | 2023–2025 | 27 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 39 | Quadric Bullard | 2021–2024 | 23 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 40 | Lee Hunter | 2022–2024 | 19 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 41 | John Walker | 2023–2025 | 17 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 42 | Ricky Barber | 2021–2024 | 17 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 43 | Matthew Alexander | 2023–2024 | 16 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 44 | Chris Johnson | 2016–2017 | 15 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 45 | Jamaal Johnson | 2023–2025 | 15 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 46 | Richie Grant | 2017–2020 | 15 | — | — | — | 10 |
| 47 | BJ Adams | 2021–2024 | 14 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 48 | Ja'Cari Henderson | 2023–2025 | 12 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 49 | Mike Hughes | 2017 | 12 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 50 | Tre'Mon Morris-Brash | 2019–2023 | 12 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 51 | Josh Celiscar | 2020–2023 | 11 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 52 | Corey Thornton | 2020–2023 | 10 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 53 | Kam Moore | 2023–2025 | 10 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 54 | Kyle Gibson | 2016–2018 | 10 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 55 | Antwan Collier | 2017–2020 | 9 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 56 | Divaad Wilson | 2021–2022 | 9 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 57 | Jacoby Glenn | 2013–2014 | 9 | — | — | — | 9 |
| 58 | Jason Johnson | 2022–2023 | 9 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 59 | Nikai Martinez | 2022–2023 | 9 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 60 | Derrick LeBlanc | 2023–2025 | 8 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 61 | Nevelle Clarke | 2016–2019 | 8 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 62 | Walter Yates III | 2022–2023 | 8 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 63 | Brandon Alexander | 2012–2014 | 7 | — | — | — | 7 |
| 64 | Nate Evans | 2016–2019 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 65 | Tre Neal | 2015–2017 | 7 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 66 | Andrew Harris | 2023–2024 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 67 | Chequan Burkett | 2015–2017 | 6 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 68 | Eriq Gilyard | 2018–2020 | 6 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 69 | Jordan Ozerities | 2010–2014 | 6 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 70 | Pat Jasinski | 2016–2018 | 6 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 71 | Shaquem Griffin | 2016–2017 | 6 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 72 | Shaquill Griffin | 2014–2016 | 6 | — | — | — | 7 |
| 73 | William Wells | 2023–2024 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 74 | Aaron Cochran | 2015–2018 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 75 | D.J. Killings | 2014–2016 | 5 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 76 | Davonte Brown | 2021–2022 | 5 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 77 | Dyllon Lester | 2019–2021 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 78 | Jireh Wilson | 2023 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 79 | Justin Hodges | 2021–2022 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 80 | Seyvon Lowry | 2016–2017 | 5 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 81 | Tatum Bethune | 2019–2021 | 5 | — | — | — | 3 |
Also at UCF: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, punters. Every school and conference: schools, conferences. The games are ESPN's box scores since 2004 (the Method says where they fall short); a position is the roster's, else read off the box score, so a tight end from before 2014 may be listed with the wide receivers.