Orlando's own Mujahid Jefferson commits to UCF, bolstering the defensive line with a powerful 2026 prospect ready to make an immediate impact.
Recruitment doesn't stop for the UCF Knights, as they received a commitment from Mujahid Jefferson, a class of 2026 defensive tackle, on Wednesday evening.
Jefferson is a backyard prospect for coach Scott Frost and defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin. The 6-foot-3, 285 lb recruit attends Evans High School in Orlando.
He has no stars as a recruit, according to 247Sports, but he's received multiple offers. Western Kentucky, Marshall, Rhode Island and Warner are a few programs that extended an offer to Jefferson.
The 2026 recruit also took an unofficial visit to Florida State in April 2024 and recently visited Florida A&M on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.
Jefferson accumulated 42 tackles (20 solo), 11 tackles for a loss and five sacks in his senior season as a Trojan. He was a significant piece of Evans' dominant 8-2 record on the season, with an average win margin of 37 points.
Although UCF's involvement with Jefferson was later than most, it's clear why the program went after Evans' star defensive player.
"You know, if we're going to invest some of our resources from a money standpoint in high school kids, then we expect those kids to come in and play," Frost said. "And there's a few of those that I think have a chance to come in and help the team right away. Some others that we're really excited about, not just where they are only, but where they can grow and how much they can improve and how far they can go. So it's a combination of all those things."
Jefferson becomes the 8th recruit from the state of Florida, and the third defensive tackle commit, joining Noah Mercer and Isaiah McNish.
UCF's defensive tackle room took some blows with the losses of John Walker (Ohio State), Andrew Rumph (Jacksonville State), Rodney Lora (Purdue) and Derrick LeBlanc (Maryland).
The additions of Jefferson, Mercer and McNish bolster the Knights' depth in the defensive tackle room. It also provides Martin with young, talented players he can develop to succeed their upperclassmen when they graduate or transfer to another program.
Jefferson joins his hometown college football team, staying close to family, who can quickly travel to attend his games. Frost said he understands what playing for UCF means for Florida kids.
"I think UCF sells itself, particularly being in a bigger league now," Frost said. "Guys know that they can, Florida kids in particular, can stay close to home and play big-time football, near their family. This university kind of speaks for itself, and the city of Orlando speaks for itself."