After shadowing NFL-bound stars for two seasons, edge rusher Isaiah Nixon is ready to anchor the Knights' defense and transform his increased snap count into elite production.
Isaiah Nixon has waited his entire career to become a lynchpin for the UCF Knights' defense, and his time is coming after Malachi Lawrence became the highest-drafted defensive player in the school's history.
Nixon patiently waited behind Lawrence — the Dallas Cowboys' 23rd pick — and Nyjalik Kelly, who signed with the Green Bay Packers, for the past two seasons.
He learned from Lawrence first, who played at UCF for all five years, and then Kelly, who transferred from Miami in 2024. Their guidance helped Nixon develop into a rotational player for the Knights.
The St. Petersburg, Florida native, played 12 games in 2024. He tallied 11 tackles (five solo) and one sack. His snap count more than doubled last season, setting a career-high for Nixon at 289 snaps.
With Lawrence and Kelly competing at the next level, there are more opportunities for their successor to maximize in a starting role. Nixon said he's inspired by his teammates making the NFL.
"Seeing them guys get drafted this week, Thursday, like seeing them motivates me just to work harder and follow behind their footsteps," Nixon said on April 21.
Alongside his career-high 289 snaps, the 6-foot-4 edge recorded another career-high in tackles at 24 (11 solo) and added a sack to his performance in his redshirt sophomore campaign.
It is tough for UCF to replace the production and leadership of Lawrence and Kelly, but Nixon said he is ready for the challenges ahead of him in his redshirt junior season.
"I've been waiting for this moment my whole life, to be honest with you," Nixon said. "These past three years being behind Malachi, Nyjalik, this gives me an opportunity to like soak all this in and just go out there and just play hard my last year."
Nixon will become a lynchpin of the Knights' defense and is blossoming into a new leadership role. He is transforming his game with the advice he learned from Lawrence and Kelly during their tenure at UCF.
The young edge rusher has two seasons remaining under his belt and will make the most of his opportunities to lead the Knights' defense, just like his former upperclassmen did and hopefully, hear his name called on draft night in the future.
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