Welcome to UCF Knights on SI’s countdown to kickoff!
In this series, we are going to introduce you to every single player on the 2026 UCF football roster so that you can know what to expect from them or even pinpoint the ones you want to follow throughout the coming season. We are going to go through the Knights’ roster in reverse jersey-number order, with the day each player’s entry is published corresponding to the number of days remaining until UCF’s season-opener on Sep. 3 at 7 p.m. against Bethune-Cookman.
So, with 17 days to go, let’s meet UCF kicker defensive back Jailen Duffie:
1. Who is Jailen Duffie?
Position: Defensive Back
Class: Redshirt Junior
Height/Weight: 5-foot-11 / 175 pounds
Hometown: Waukegan, Illinois
High School: Warren Township High School
Jailen Duffie is not just the first member of his family to play college football, but also the first member of his family to go to college at all.
“It just goes to show that all the younger family that I have, it’s capable to do it, especially where I’m coming from,” Duffie said after an Aug. 11 practice session. “Like you can easily get stuck up and all the bad stuff going around, but as long as you have your head down and straight focus, you’re going to be.”
After three seasons at North Dakota State, Duffie transferred to UCF initially following the Bison’s cornerbacks coach, Will Johnson. Despite Johnson being hired away by the Minnesota Vikings a short time later, Duffie said it “doesn’t change anything.”
2. What did he do last season?
Duffie was named an All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Second Teamer in 2025 after recording 15 tackles, 12 of them solo, one tackle for loss, a forced fumble and two pass breakups.
3. What role is he going to have in 2026?
With both Antione Jackson and Jayden Bellamy returning as cornerbacks for the Knights, more likely than not to retain their starting roles, Duffie would need to take up a backup role in 2026.
However, with defensive coordinator Alex Grinch saying on Aug. 11 that he was “building a defense that allows for as many guys as possible to play at a high level,” just because Duffie might not be a starter does not mean he is not going to have a substantial part of the rotation. For example, fellow cornerback DJ Bell, who was listed as the backup to Bellamy last season, played in 11 games for the Knights in 2025.
Plus, with a bulk of UCF’s defensive backs like Bellamy, Jackson, Bell, Braeden Marshall, Ty Bartrum, Jayden Williams and Caleb Flagg likely entering their final seasons of college football, Duffie is in a position to become a central figure of its secondary in 2027.
While Duffie may not end up getting the largest snap count in the defensive back room, his presence in the room is a testament to the depth of its rotation and should likely make some form of impact this season.
Catch up on the rest of the list below:
No. 18 Caleb Flagg and Caden Piening
No. 19 Rashad Henry
No. 20 Lewis Carter and Kaj Baker
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