UCF’s backfield got a major jolt this offseason, and Landen Chambers is arriving in Orlando with the kind of résumé that demands attention.
The Central Arkansas transfer was handed an 85.0 grade by PFF, which puts him inside the Big 12’s top 10 at running back. That mark slots him ahead of Utah’s Wayshawn Parker and Steve Chavez-Soto, both at 81.0, and just behind West Virginia’s Cam Cook at 85.9.
Chambers is coming off a massive year at the FCS level, where he piled up 1,273 rushing yards, averaged 5.3 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns. At 5-foot-11, he gives UCF a different kind of presence in the run game, and the Knights are clearly betting he can bring that production with him to the FBS.
That matters because UCF has been searching for stability on the ground. The Knights landed their first 1,000-yard rusher since RJ Harvey, who ran for a league-best 1,577 yards in 2024 and finished with 22 rushing touchdowns, third-most in the league.
After that, the offense still had talent in Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon, but the results were uneven. Montgomery handled the tough yards and finished at 4.9 yards per carry, while Nixon provided the burst with a long run of 87 yards.
Even with that pair, the two combined for fewer total yards than Chambers’ 1,259 and only one more touchdown. Once their eligibility ran out, the concern was obvious: UCF was losing production and didn’t have much youth ready to step in.
The answer came through the portal, with Chambers and Louisville transfer Duke Watson giving the Knights a fresh look at the position. Scott Frost said Chambers immediately stood out during January evaluations.
"It really got my attention because of his size, his balance and his ability to stay on his feet through contact," Frost told reporters on Jan 29."We didn't really have a big back last year, and I think he's going to be a little different than the rest of the guys we have."
Chambers has already drawn notice elsewhere, too. Pro Football Sports Network ranked him as a top-10 transfer running back with an 88.0 grade.
For UCF, the hope is simple: a stronger ground game can help the offense become more varied and give the Knights a better chance to make noise in a Big 12 race where they’ve usually been picked near the bottom. UCF was slotted 11th in June’s preseason ranking, a reflection of a 7-20 conference record over the past three seasons.
Now the Knights are leaning on a player who dominated at the FCS level and is trying to carry that form into a bigger stage. Chambers, a Keller, Texas native, said he’s ready to do whatever the coaches ask to help UCF win.
In Other News...
UCF Fans Just Got An Unexpected Twist In The Stillwell Saga
Jamichael Stillwells UCF future has taken another turn, and the timing matters with the Knights still sorting out their frontcourt plans for next season. The forward is in the middle of a legal fight over an additional year of eligibility, with a hearing set for July 30, and earlier signs had pointed toward a possible return to Orlando if he won that case.
Instead, Stillwells latest decision changes the equation for UCF even before the ruling arrives. His choice could reshape the roster and the financial picture around it, since the Knights may have room to redirect resources elsewhere if he moves on, while still trying to balance a frontcourt that already has multiple bodies competing for minutes. [Read more 🡒]
How Fulks And Kugel May Have Helped Their UCF Pro Hopes In Vegas
Former UCF guards Themus Fulks and Riley Kugel got a useful stage in the Los Angeles Clippers 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League, where both spent time off the bench and put themselves in front of NBA decision-makers. For players trying to keep a pro path alive, even limited summer minutes can matter, especially when the setting is as crowded with opportunity as Vegas.
Fulks and Kugel are both unrestricted free agents, still searching for the kind of Exhibit 10 deal that can open a door into camp, with the G League or overseas as possible fallback routes. The Clippers strong run through the event only sharpened the spotlight around the roster, and for two former Knights, the bigger question now is whether the work they put in over the week turns into the next contract. [Read more 🡒]