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 32 days to go, let's meet UCF linebacker Matthew Occhipinti:Who is Matthew Occhipinti?What did he do last season?What role is he going to have in 2026?1. Who is Matthew Occhipinti?Welcome to UCF, @MattOcchipinti1 ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/vJTzoZpXg3— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) December 3, 2025Position: LinebackerClass: FreshmanHeight/Weight: 6-foot-3 / 235 poundsHometown: Saddle Brook, New JerseyHigh School: Don Bosco PrepWith the context of a May 2025 Instagram post, Occhipinti committed to UCF over the likes of Cincinnati, Wake Forest, Coastal Carolina, UConn, West Virginia and Louisville, who also made his top seven schools.2. What did he do last season?Occhipinti finished his high school career at Don Bosco Prep with 64 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception and a blocked punt, according to his UCF Athletics profile page. This helped him earn All-State First Team honors in New Jersey and lead the Ironmen to the NJSIAA Non-Public A championship game.He also served as one of the team's six captains, according to an Instagram post that Occhipinti collaborated on.3. What role is he going to have in 2026?As one of three true freshmen in the linebacker room, Occhipinti is going to have to compete with several experienced players like Lewis Carter, Jayden Jennings, Jahleel Culbreath, Tackett Curtis, Rashad Henry and Arthur Kingdom for playing time. However, he has already caught the attention of Carter, who is not only a leader among the linebackers, but also on the team as a whole. Following a March 31 practice session, Carter said he liked Occhipinti and that, unlike most freshmen who do not talk much during meetings, he was not scared to "really step forward and show what he knew."So, while Occhipinti may have an edge over his fellow freshman linebackers, the fact that he has six more experienced players in his position group and is among the last incoming freshman class that can utilize a redshirt does not bode well for him to get very many snaps on defense in 2026. However, if there was any true freshman in the linebacker room that could see some snaps this season, it may very well be him.Catch up on the rest of the list below:No. 33 Phil PicciottiNo. 34 Jahleel CulbreathNo. 35 Agyeman AddaeNo. 36 Dylan BennettNo. 37 Rocklyn KelleyNo. 38 Jayden JenningsNo. 39 Andrea ParisiNo. 41 Bruno DallNo. 42 Artavius Jones and Chance NixonNo. 43 Kyle HicksNo. 45 Quentin HatchNo. 47 Arthur Kingdom and Sam PowellNo. 49 Atticus Bertrams and Donnell Johnson IIINo. 53 LaParka LangstonNo. 54 Cooper Terpstra and Trenton TurnerNo. 55 Jacob Maiava and Noah MercerNo. 56 Patrick RyanNo. 57 Camp LottNo. 58 Connor MeadowsNo. 61 Owen SpellNo. 66 Brady WayburnNo. 67 Noah SenkaNo. 68 Ethan HigginsNo. 70 RaiShaun McHaneyNo. 71 Amahn WilliamsNo. 72 Dominick CampbellNo. 73 Henry TabansiNo. 74 Matthew PrigmoreNo. 75 Tyler GibsonNo. 76 Justin RoyesNo. 77 Kasiyah CharltonNo. 78 Preston CushmanNo. 79 Daniel MarcellinusNo. 80 Elijah HardyNo. 81 Zack PalmerNo. 82 Jordyn BridgewaterNo. 83 Dylan BurkNo. 84 Thomas WadsworthNo. 85 Carson HinshawNo. 86 Chase HinshawNo. 87 Brooks HallNo. 88 Grayson BrousseauNo. 89 Caleb RollersonNo. 90 Mujahid JeffersonNo. 92 Jeffson LafontantNo. 93 Brad GurleyNo. 94 L A Jesse HarroldNo. 95 RJ Jackson Jr.No. 96 Anthony CoaxumNo. 97 Josh Schell and Mason DenabergNo. 98 Alhassan IddrissuNo. 99 Thomas CollinsAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow