UCF has plenty of turnover to sort through after last season’s breakthrough, and that makes Dior Johnson one of the most important pieces in the mix for 2026-27.
Johnny Dawkins just finished year 10 in charge of the Knights, and year 3 in the Big 12 brought the program back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. But carrying that momentum forward won’t be simple in a league like this, especially with so much production walking out the door.
All four double-digit scorers from that team are gone. Jordan Burks transferred to Oklahoma State, while Themus Fulks, Riley Kugel, and Jamichael Stillwell may have exhausted their eligibility. That leaves only a small core of returners, with 7-2 big man John Bol and rising senior guard Carmelo Pacheco standing out most.
So the pressure shifts to the newcomers. UCF brought in a few 3-star freshmen and a heavy dose of transfer help.
Former Oklahoma State guard Arturo Dean, though not a fresh addition this season, is expected to be a major piece after redshirting last year, and his brother Mister Dean is now in the same backcourt. Lewis Walker arrives after being a major scorer at North Carolina A&T, while Jason Asemota comes over from Boston College and Isaiah Malone from Florida Gulf Coast.
Even with all of that movement, Johnson is the name that jumps out.
The 6-3 guard from New York has taken a winding road to get here. He went to six high schools, redshirted after being arrested before he could play at Pittsburgh, then rebuilt his game at the JUCO level before landing at UCF. He was a reserve in Orlando, but his next stop showed a different version of him.
At Tarleton State last season, Johnson came off the bench and delivered 24.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for the Texans. No one is penciling him in for anything close to that kind of output back in the Big 12, but he returns to a system he already knows and should be far more dependable than when he first arrived in Orlando two years ago. He also developed into a dynamic shooter at Tarleton State, and that part of his game will be worth tracking now that he’s back at UCF.
Johnson is not being asked to be the program’s leading scorer or its headline act. But in a backcourt that needs depth, familiarity matters, and his experience in Dawkins’ system gives him real value. He was once a Top 40 prospect, and this may be the chance for him to finally put the pieces together while competing for a relevant program.
In Other News...
UCF Is Putting A Major Orlando Brand At The Heart Of Game Day
UCF Athletics is adding a familiar Orlando name to the center of its football presentation, announcing a multi-year partnership with Westgate Resorts that makes the company the programs Official Vacation Resort Partner. The deal is another sign of how tightly the Knights continue to tie their game-day brand to the Central Florida business community, while giving Westgate a more visible platform tied to one of the regions most recognizable sports settings.
The most noticeable part of the agreement will come at midfield inside the Acrisure Bounce House beginning with the 2026 season, where the Westgate Resorts logo will be prominent on the field. For UCF, it is a sponsorship move with local roots and national reach, the kind of partnership that can shape the look and feel of home Saturdays while reinforcing the programs place in the Orlando market. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Still Has One Big Question Behind Alonza Barnett III
Alonza Barnett III is set to open the season as UCFs clear No. 1 quarterback, giving Scott Frost and Steve Cooper the kind of stability they wanted as camp winds down. The transfer has already been installed as the leader of the offense, and the Knights are treating the rest of the room as a true competition rather than a formality.
The bigger question now is what comes after Barnett, with the backup spot still unsettled as UCF moves toward its season opener. Frost is expected to sort out the depth chart next week, and the battle behind the starter has given the staff something to evaluate even as Barnett settles into the role of guiding the offense. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Gets One More Shot With A Defensive Leader Fans Know Well
Braeden Marshall has already been part of the UCF story for a while, which is part of what makes his decision stand out. The veteran cornerback and hometown product has been a steady presence for the Knights since his freshman year, and he was again in the middle of things in the recent win over Oklahoma State. Off the field, he has kept that local connection strong too, hosting a youth football camp back in his hometown and staying visible in the community that knows him best.
For UCF, getting another season from a player like Marshall matters because it keeps a familiar defensive leader in the room and on the field. For Marshall, it also extends a run that has already made him one of the more recognizable faces in the program, with the chance to add one more chapter to a career that already carries some meaning in Central Florida. The only real question now is how much more he can still give the Knights with one last year ahead. [Read more 🡒]