The Knights bolster their front court with a versatile 6-foot-8 playmaker. Averaging a double-double in prep play, Mann brings defensive toughness to Johnny Dawkins’ evolving Big 12 roster.
The UCF Knights 2026 men's basketball roster added another incoming freshman, Dylan Mann, after announcing his signing on Tuesday evening.
Mann is a 6-foot-8 forward who played at public high school Oak Forest High School and prep school IV Greatness Academy. He is arriving from IV Greatness Academy, a basketball club in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he trained to become ready at the college level.
The incoming freshman dominated the high school scene at both schools. He averaged 23 points and 11 rebounds at Oak Forest and 22.5 points and 12 rebounds at IV Greatness Academy.
Mann is bringing size, rebounding, scoring and defensive versatility as a part of the Knights' 2026 signing class.
He joins Ladarius Givan, a four-star 6-foot-9 forward, adding more depth to coach Johnny Dawkins' front court. The talented freshman will fight for minutes against transfer forwards Jason Asemota (Boston College), Isaiah Malone (FGCU) and Lewis Walker (NC A&T).
Adding young talent is valuable for UCF. The program saw two former recruits, Christian Gibson and Donovan Williams Jr., de-commit and sign with other schools.
Matthew Feldman of the UCFRoundtable reported Williams Jr. flipping to Georgia, while there has been no recent update on where Gibson will commit.
Losing high school recruits is a tough blow to future depth, but the Knights recouped some talent with the additions of Mann and Givan.
Mann could make a strong impact under Dawkins, as his coach values defensive versatility and toughness. His philosophy is the foundation of UCF basketball.
Zach Johnson, a former Knight who transferred to USC Upstate, also attended IV Greatness Academy. He averaged 30 points, six rebounds and five assists during his tenure.
Comparing the production between Johnson and Mann, there could be some promise for the incoming freshman to become a contributor to the Knights' squad.
John Bol, a sophomore last season, was the only underclassman to play heavy minutes. While upperclassmen typically have more polished skill sets, developing younger players is crucial to maintain talent and build on their foundation through the transfer portal, as Dawkins did last month.
UCF adds another young talent to its 2026 signing class to strengthen front-court depth and develop long-time contributors in a stacked Big 12 conference.
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