UCF football’s defensive line earned Big 12 Conference Defensive Line of the Week honors after the team’s 21-13 win over TCU, UCF Athletics announced Sept. 28, 2026. The unit recorded six of UCF’s eight tackles for loss and three of the team’s four sacks in the conference-opening victory. The defensive line also accounted for 19 tackles.
UCF defensive line leads effort against TCU
Jeffson Lafontant and Isaiah Nixon each recorded 2.5 tackles for loss. Nixon added 1.5 sacks, while Lafontant recorded one sack. Aymeric Koumba and Thomas Collins each recorded half a sack.
Collins also recovered a fumble on the final play as TCU attempted to lateral the ball. The UCF defense held TCU to 33 rushing yards on 27 attempts. That was TCU’s lowest rushing total against UCF since Nov. 2, 2024, and the 14th fewest by an opponent in UCF’s Football Bowl Subdivision history when that opponent rushed at least 25 times.
Second Big 12 honor for UCF
The recognition is UCF’s second Big 12 Conference Defensive Line of the Week honor. The previous award followed the defensive line’s performance against West Virginia on Oct. 18, 2025. UCF has also earned back-to-back weekly defensive honors after Demari Henderson was named Defensive Player of the Week for recording two interceptions against Georgia State.
UCF football heads to Houston
UCF will begin a two-game road trip Oct. 3 at noon Eastern against No. 20 Houston. The game will air on ESPN2. UCF 2026 season tickets are on sale.
FSB Take
UCF football’s defensive line supplied the key production in the win over TCU, combining pressure plays, tackles for loss and the final-play fumble recovery. The group now carries a Big 12 weekly honor into UCF’s road matchup with No. 20 Houston.
Source: Original report