UCF football signing day updates, latest news, recruiting rankings
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ORLANDO — The future is now for the UCF Knights. Their 2026 recruits are set to put pen to paper and confirm their commitments on the opening day of the early signing period Wednesday, Dec. 3.
As of Tuesday, the Knights are expected to celebrate 13 signings. Their class ranks 14th among Big 12 teams, per 247Sports and Rivals/On3 Sports — ahead of Colorado and Oklahoma State.
Follow The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s coverage of the opening day of the early signing period below as the Knights celebrate their 2026 class. This tracker will be updated as signings are made official.
Dante Carr (signed 7:29 a.m.)
Position: Quarterback
Hometown/High school: Minersville, Pa./Minersville Area
Height/Weight: 6-4, 225
Rank: 3 stars, No. 600 in nation, No. 17 in Pennsylvania, No. 34 at position
A record-setting, three-sport athlete at Minersville Area, Carr committed to UCF on June 3 with goals of playing quarterback at the college level. Rutgers and Coastal Carolina wanted him to play tight end, among other schools.
During his senior year, Carr completed 64.1% of his passes for 1,822 yards with 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He added 1,396 rushing yards (116.3 per game) and another 19 scores on the ground.
As for his four-year totals, Carr accumulated 9,426 yards of total offense with 136 touchdowns.
Kasiyah Charlton (signed 7:25 a.m.)
Position: Offensive tackle
Hometown/High school: Brunswick, Ga./Brunswick
Height/Weight: 6-6, 292
Rank: 3 stars, No. 1,309 in nation, No. 127 in Georgia, No. 112 at position
UCF made its move for Charlton in February, landed his commitment on March 27 and the 6-foot-6, 292-pound tackle effectively shut down his recruitment immediately thereafter. Charlton was a regular visitor during the fall for home games, making the drive down from Southeast Georgia.
He earned all-region, first-team honors during his career at Brunswick, which averaged 551.8 yards of total offense per game in 2025.
Matthew Occhipinti (signed 7:18 a.m.)
Position: Linebacker
Hometown/High school: Ramsey, N.J./Don Bosco Prep
Height/Weight: 6-3, 230
Rank: 3 stars, No. 1,409 in nation, No. 30 in New Jersey, No. 117 at position
A captain for one of New Jersey’s best teams, Occhipinti has registered 64 tackles, eight TFLs, two sacks and an interception during his senior year.
UCF beat out fellow Big 12 programs Cincinnati and West Virginia for Occhipinti in the summer, as well as Connecticut.
Arthur Lewis (signed 7:08 a.m)
Position: Running back
Hometown/High school: Palatka, Fla./Bartram Trail
Height/Weight: 5-9, 190
Rank: 3 stars, No. 1,448 in nation, No. 155 in Florida, No. 95 at position
The Knights flipped Lewis, an All-First Coast running back, from Liberty on the final day of June. Lewis wanted to stay closer to home, and UCF was the first Power Four program to issue him an offer.
Lewis rushed for 2,530 yards and 36 touchdowns across his final two years at Bartram Trail. As a junior, he added three touchdowns as a receiver and four in the return game.
Amahn Williams (signed 7:04 a.m.)
Position: Interior offensive lineman
Hometown/High School: Randolph, Mass./Tabor Academy
Height/Weight: 6-4, 280
Rank: 3 stars, No. 1,309 in nation, No. 10 in Massachusetts, No. 112 at position
Williams is the last verbal commit recruited by late offensive line coach Shawn Clark, announcing his pledge with the Knights at the conclusion of his official visit on June 15.
Amahn Williams, roll the tape🎥🏈 https://t.co/TEulfskDZSpic.twitter.com/2aFqqeDhau
— UCF Football Recruiting (@UCF_Recruiting) December 3, 2025
He played left guard for Tabor Academy, and returned to UCF for the Oklahoma State game with 2027 teammates Dominic Maser and Botond Varga.
UCF football recruiting rankings entering early signing day
247Sports
- Overall ranking: 88th
- Big 12 ranking: 14th
Rivals/On3
- Overall ranking: 72nd
- Big 12 ranking: 14th
When is college football early signing period?
- Dates: Dec. 3-5
Division I football recruits have 72 hours in early December to sign with their teams before National Signing Day.
When is National Signing Day in college football?
- Date: Feb. 4, 2026
Though the vast majority of signings now occur in December, National Signing Day for Division I and II college football recruits is Feb. 4, 2026.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football signing day live updates, latest recruiting news
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