2026 LB Michael McClenton decommits from UCF

Orlando Ocoee three-star linebacker Michael McClenton has decommitted from UCF, he announced on Wednesday.

He was pledged to the in-state Knights since Jan. 14. McClenton was the first member of UCF’s 2026 class.

“First and foremost I wanna say thank you to the man above for putting me in a situation to commit and I wanna say thank you to UCF for the opportunity of a lifetime, but with that being said I will no longer be committed to UCF. My recruitment is open,” McClenton wrote on X announcing his decision.

The 6-foot, 225-pounder is the No. 986 overall prospect and No. 79 LB in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 130 player in Florida.

McClenton is coming off a second consecutive stellar season at the high school level. As a junior for Ocoee, he racked up a whopping 219 tackles and 19 sacks, per MaxPreps. He has over 500 total tackles for his prep career.

UCF loses member of 2026 class

With McClenton no longer in the mix, UCF now has eight commits in its 2026 class. Of those pledges, five hail from the Sunshine State.

Sarasota (Fla.) Booker four-star wide receiver Tyren Wortham is the top-ranked commit in the mix, checking in as the No. 344 recruit and No. 52 WR nationally. Wortham pledged last month and also ranks as a top-300 recruit in the On300.

Greenwood (Ark.) three-star quarterback Kane Archer also joined the class last month. The 6-foot-0.5, 200-pounder is now On3’s No. 29 signal-caller and No. 2 player in Arkansas this cycle.

Other commits in the class include: West Palm Beach (Fla.) Palm Beach Central three-star linebacker Antoine Sharp, Brunswick (Ga.) three-star offensive tackle Kasiyah Charlton, Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage three-star linebacker Kymani Morales, Portage (Mich.) Central three-star athlete Charlie Jilek, Neptune Beach (Fla.) Duncan U. Fletcher cornerback Elijah Keys and Orlando Olympia athlete Ja’Cari Jackson.

The class ranks No. 52 in the nation and No. 10 in the Big 12, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.