Henry Nowak, 18, had been on a night out with friends when he died from stab wounds in an incident at Belmont Road in Portswood, on Wednesday, December 3.
Vickrum Singh Digwa, 23, of St Denys Road, is accused of the murder and possession of a blade, namely a kirpan, and appeared at Southampton Crown Court today, where he denied the charges.
His mother, Kiran Kaur, 52, also of St Denys Road, appeared in the dock beside her son.
She is accused of assisting an offender by removing a knife from the scene of the incident, for which she also pleaded not guilty.
Neil King, prosecuting, told the court that a pathologist and an expert in Sikhism will be among those giving evidence for the trial.
Judge William Mousley KC adjourned the case for trial at Southampton Crown Court on May 13, which he will also be overseeing.
Both defendants have been remanded in custody. The trial is expected to take ten days.
Henry Nowak, of Chafford Hundred, Essex, was a student at the University of Southampton, where he was studying Accountancy and Finance.
The teenager – said to be “adored by everyone” – had been out celebrating the end of the semester with his friends and teammates.
He was a member of two football teams – Southampton University Football Club and the maths football team Villarrealgorithm CF.