UCF heads into the 2026 college basketball season with a roster that looks very different again, and Johnny Dawkins is once more trying to turn that makeover into something bigger than the preseason buzz suggests.
The early read from around the Big 12 isn’t especially flattering. Demetrius Montero of UCFRoundtable pointed out that most media outlets are not giving the Knights much respect, even though some co-hosts on an in-depth YouTube power rankings video said they would have placed UCF a little higher. Goodman called that a “fair” assessment.
There are real questions around the starting lineup, too. Junior big man John Bol is the only player expected to return from last year’s first five, which leaves Dawkins leaning on a group that has to prove itself quickly.
The most obvious name to watch is North Carolina A&T transfer Lewis Walker. The 6-foot-6 combo guard arrives after a breakout season in which he averaged 18.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, while earning All-CAA Third Team and All-Rookie Team honors. He also finished second in the CAA in free throws made with 187 and field goal percentage at 50.8.
Walker’s production didn’t come out of nowhere. After redshirting at Massachusetts in the 2024-2025 season, he opened at North Carolina A&T with five straight games of at least 16 points. From there, the scoring really took off, including two 33-point outings.
UCF also has a couple of backcourt additions with plenty of intrigue in Arturo Dean and Cayden Vasko. Both bring experience and some playmaking to the roster.
Dean arrived last December, but he was too late to play last season. After redshirting, he now gives Dawkins a veteran point guard with Big 12 experience.
Dean spent two years at Florida International and one at Oklahoma State, and during his 2023-24 season at FIU he led all of Division I in steals at 3.35 per game. He then served as a key rotational guard for the Cowboys two seasons ago.
Dean is also back together with his brother, Mister Dean, who transferred to UCF this offseason. Mister is a young forward who has flashed real scoring ability at the mid-major level.
The outside skepticism is clear, but Dawkins has already shown he can get more out of a roster than people expect. The question now is whether he can do it again.
In Other News...
Former UCF Star Keyshawn Hall Is Suddenly Back In An Eligibility Fight
Keyshawn Halls path since leaving UCF has been anything but ordinary. After starring for the Knights and finishing as the Big 12s leading scorer during his time in Orlando, he moved on to Auburn, drew interest from other programs and even spent time in the 2026 NBA Summer League with the Miami Heat. Now he is back in the college conversation, with his camp pursuing another season after he initially entered the NBA Draft and then chose to return to school.
For UCF fans, the twist is less about where Hall has been than where he might still go. He has already played for multiple college programs and is trying to line up a fifth collegiate season, which would keep alive a career that has already taken him from a dominant run with the Knights to the SEC and into the pro ranks for a brief summer look. The only question now is whether the latest turn opens the door for one more college stop, and if so, where that path leads next. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Finally Gets A Big 2026 Test Fans Will Take Personally
UCF is getting a late-November measuring stick in 2026, when the Knights head into the ESPN Events Invitational with a chance to see how far the roster has come under the kind of spotlight that tends to linger with fans. The event will bring a familiar edge, too, because the Knights have history with both teams on the schedule, and neither matchup has gone their way before.
Boston College and Georgia each own a win over UCF in their only previous meetings, which gives this showcase a little more bite than a typical nonconference stop. The Knights have already started reshaping the roster through the transfer portal, adding Lewis Walker and Isaiah Malone, and those moves should matter when the calendar turns to late November and UCF gets another shot at two opponents that have already left a mark. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Added An Intriguing EDGE Piece At The Perfect Time
Bruno Dall arrived at UCF after three seasons at Akron, where the EDGE rusher earned All-MAC Third Team honors in 2025 and built a reputation as a player who could help right away. Originally from Hamburg, Germany, and developed through a winding path that included high school football in Mississippi, Dall gives the Knights another experienced body up front at a position where production and depth matter.
UCF needs that help after losing previous EDGE players to the NFL, and Dall is in the mix for a starting role as the staff sorts out the next wave. EDGE coach Mike Dawson has been encouraged by what he has seen so far, pointing to Dalls size, intelligence and upside as reasons he could fit quickly into the room, even if the full picture of how he settles in is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]