Spring Ball Spotlight: Ty BartrumSpring Ball Spotlight: Ty Bartrum

Spring Ball Spotlight: Ty Bartrum

by Ava Jessum

ORLANDO - Ty Bartrum’s journey from the Friday‑night fields of Pomeroy, Ohio, to college football prominence began on the sideline, as a waterboy for his father’s high school team. 

Bartrum grew up surrounded by football. His father, Mike Batrum, spent 13 years in the NFL before turning to coaching, and both of Bartrum's older brothers played football through college.

Eager to get involved in any way possible, Bartrum spent his Friday nights running players their waters while absorbing the game’s lessons up close.

Bartrum credits this early hands-on experience with building the foundation of the player he is today.

“I would say my dad is my biggest mentor and my biggest role model. He's the best man and best coach I've ever, ever seen or been around”

Ty BartrumSafety

Bartrum went on to play four years of high-school ball across three different schools. It was during this time he found his stride on the field, displaying a resilience and precision on the field he would carry into his collegiate career. Bartrum committed to Harvard University in 2021.

The safety earned a redshirt in his first season with the Crimson and went on to excel as a stand out leader on the field throughout the following three seasons, which culminated in being elected team captain for the 2025 season. Throughout the season, Bartrum recorded an impressive 83 tackles (second most on the team) and was named to the All-Ivy League First Team, for the second straight year.

Bartrum received several honors in his time with Harvard, being named to the FCS Football Central All-America Third Team and the Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America. He wrapped up his time in the FCS by being awarded the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston's Bulger Lowe Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year).

Ty 2

“There isn’t one sole captain at Harvard. We had many captains. There's always more than one leader on the team. Same thing here (UCF), there’s a lot of captains, a lot of great guys on this team to build off of.”

Ty BartrumOn Being a Team Leader

In his final year of eligibility, Bartrum makes the journey to the sunshine state to join the Knights defensive efforts. Last year the Knights pass defense had one of their strongest outings in its FBS history. 

In the 2025 season the squad allowed just 185.1 passing yards per game, the third‑lowest allowed since UCF joined FBS in 1996. Following the conference championships, the Black and Gold ranked third in the Big 12 and 25th nationally in passing yards allowed, and fourth in the conference in total defense.

Bartrum framed the move to UCF as a challenge he is prepared to conquer —“the jump between FCS and FBS is only as big as you make it”—and his work since winter workouts suggests he intends to make it meaningful.

“I think we’re a hungry group, and by that I mean we have a lot of guys that have played ball and want to show that they can play at the highest level. A lot of selfless guys, they know what it takes to win. It's not a lot of ‘I’s but more ‘we’s. How can we do this? How can we turn this thing around? How can we get back to where we're winning championships every year.”

Ty BartrumOn The Team Dynamic

As the season approaches, Bartrum’s presence is more than just an exciting new player on the roster, his discipline on the field paired with his loyalty to his teammates has given the Knights a reinvigorated sense of unity. 

Bartrum’s journey to UCF reads less like a transfer and more like the next chapter in a career defined by growth, with one ultimate goal: to bring a Big 12 championship to UCF.