Welcome to the 2026 UCF Knights countdown to kickoff, where the roster comes into focus one player at a time. With 22 days left until UCF opens the season on Sep. 3 at 7 p.m. against Bethune-Cookman, the spotlight lands on a newcomer with upside: defensive back and kicker Amarion Queen.
Queen arrived in Orlando as a three-star recruit, but his path to UCF took a turn from the rival side first. The Martin County native was committed to South Florida from April to June 2025 before backing off that pledge and landing with the Knights less than two weeks later. UCF beat out Arkansas, Florida, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Purdue and Florida Atlantic for his commitment.
At Martin County High School, Queen did damage on both sides of the ball. Defensively, he finished his senior year with 16 tackles, including 14 solo stops, along with two interceptions and two passes defended. Offensively, he added 30 catches for 688 yards and 10 touchdowns.
For now, though, the depth chart points to a limited role. UCF brings back a large chunk of its secondary production, including Braeden Marshall, Antione Jackson and Jayden Bellamy, and also added transfers Ty Bartrum, Jailen Duffie, Caleb Flagg and Matt Irwin. That leaves little room for true freshmen like Queen to carve out snaps in 2026.
Still, Queen has a chance to start building toward the future. With several of the returning defensive backs entering their senior seasons, he could begin establishing himself as part of the next wave alongside TJ Branch, Elijah Keys and Kahmel Johnson.
As for this season, Queen’s clearest chances to see the field figure to come in the opener against Bethune-Cookman and later in garbage time during lopsided games.
In Other News...
UCF's New Backfield Could Decide How Far Scott Frost's Offense Goes
A new look in the backfield could end up telling the story of how far Scott Frosts offense can go at UCF. The Knights went into the transfer portal to patch a rushing attack that lost production from its previous running backs, bringing in Duke Watson from Louisville and Landen Chambers to compete with Taevion Swint for the starting job.
Watson has leaned into the battle, saying he welcomes the competition and sees a fit in Frosts wide zone scheme because of his versatile running style. With multiple options now in the mix, UCFs challenge is less about finding bodies and more about finding the right combination to lift a ground game that needs to take a step forward. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Defense Has A Reason For Real Hope This Season
Alex Grinch spent this offseason looking for the kind of stability UCFs defense has often lacked, and the clearest place to find it may be right up the middle. The Knights are trying to toughen the defensive interior with veteran edge and a linebacker group that now has more continuity, thanks in part to the return of familiar faces such as Lewis Carter and Jayden Bellamy. For a unit that wants to play with more consistency snap to snap, keeping experienced pieces in place matters almost as much as any schematic tweak.
Cole Kozlowski could be the biggest reason that optimism feels real. The linebacker made an immediate impact after arriving from a mid-major program and earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors last season, and his pending return gives UCF another proven presence in the middle of the defense. If the Knights are going to turn that offseason hope into actual improvement, the interior is where it likely starts, and Kozlowskis availability is the detail that could shape how far this group can go. [Read more 🡒]
UCFs Big 12 Path Looks Tougher With One Contender Setting The Pace
Texas Tech enters the Big 12 race looking like the team to beat again, and that matters for UCF because the path through the league already appears crowded at the top. The Red Raiders are favored to repeat as conference champions at -105, a reflection of a roster that returns 65% of its production and should again bring the league's best defense into the fall.
Houston is part of the reason the middle of the Big 12 could be so unforgiving for everyone else. The Cougars bring back the conference's second-highest share of production and have shown real growth recently, giving the league another team with the pieces to push for the title chase while Texas Tech remains the standard. [Read more 🡒]