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 28 days to go, let's meet UCF defensive back Matt Irwin:Who is Matt Irwin?What did he do last season?What role is he going to have in 2026?1. Who is Matt Irwin?Welcome to UCF, @MattIrwin_4 ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/L1E6FEdRgV— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) January 9, 2026Position: Defensive Back Class: JuniorHeight/Weight: 5-foot-11 / 180 poundsHometown: Meridian, IdahoHigh School: Owyhee High SchoolMatt Irwin arrives in Orlando after at least six years of playing football for teams based in his native Idaho. In fact, he is the only Idahoan on the Knights' roster this season.After serving as a starting quarterback for Owyhee High School for three seasons, he stayed in western Idaho and played his first two seasons of college football for the Idaho Vandals, where he managed to start in one of the eight games he played in as a true freshman.2. What did he do last season?Irwin played in all 12 of the Vandals' games last season, and started in three of them. He recorded 45 tackles, 29 of them solo, a tackle for loss and two pass breakups.3. What role is he going to have in 2026?Irwin is one of three additions from the transfer portal to what was already a deep UCF defensive back room. With returners like Braeden Marshall, Antoine Jackson, Jayden Bellamy, Demari Henderson, DJ Bell and Jayden Williams, and fellow FCS transfers like Ty Bartrum and Jailen Duffie in the mix, Irwin has his work cut out for him when it comes to earning playing time.Thanks to his experience with Idaho, Irwin has a leg up over some of the younger members of the defensive back room, but he is still going to have to compete with several returning players for playing time. Luckily for him, he is entering his junior year, and thanks to the NCAA's new age-based eligibility, he could have another two years of college football ahead of him after 2026. So, even if Irwin ends up getting a relatively small slice of the playing time pie with the Knights this season, his work this season can help lay the groundwork for the position group later down the line.Catch up on the rest of the list below:No. 29 Tyce PorcherNo. 30 Otis HardyNo. 31 Noah McGoughNo. 32 Matthew OcchipintiNo. 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