UCF has another player earning national attention, and this time it’s Owen Spell. The senior offensive lineman was named Tuesday afternoon to the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, adding his name to a growing group of Knights drawing notice before the season.
The award honors players who stand out in the classroom, in the community and on the field. It takes its name from Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy winner and former Florida quarterback.
Spell’s case starts well beyond football. He leads all returning Knights in community service hours as he heads into his second season with the program, and his work in the Orlando area has included food drives and teach-ins at local elementary schools.
The recognition also reflects what he has done away from game day. Spell earned CSC Academic All-District honors and was named to the 2025 Big 12 All-Academic Team.
On the field, the 6-foot-8 senior provided steady depth across the line last season. He played in all 12 games, made two starts at left tackle and also moved over to the right side during the year.
His role mattered in one of UCF’s cleaner performances up front. The Knights’ offensive line won the Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week Award after the team allowed zero sacks in a blowout win over the West Virginia Mountaineers, with coach Scott Frost naming Spell the starter for that game.
Spell’s return gives UCF another experienced piece in the trenches, and he brings flexibility at both tackle spots after logging starts at each. That experience is part of a larger group Frost kept together, retaining 61% of the team’s 2025 production, which ranks 29th in the FBS, while losing 14 players to the portal.
He’ll also be working under new offensive line coach AJ Blazek, who has made it clear he wants the group to become a program staple. Blazek is pushing competition and asking his linemen to be physical at the line of scrimmage and overwhelm pass rushers.
That approach has worked before. Blazek previously coached lines at Wisconsin and North Dakota State, and the Badgers were one of the best offensive lines in the Big Ten. Wisconsin gave up 13 sacks in 2024, the fewest in the Big Ten and 10th in the FBS, while the Badgers’ rushing game ranked eighth in the conference at 153.7 yards per game.
Spell is one of three Knights currently on award watch lists, joining quarterback Alonza Barnett III on the Maxwell Award list and tight end Dylan Wade on the Mackey Award list.
In Other News...
UCF Freshman WR Is Forcing His Way Into A Tough Battle
Tyren Hornes has already become one of the more interesting names in UCF fall camp, and not just because he arrived with plenty of recruiting buzz. The freshman wide receiver has drawn attention for his route running and speed, two traits that tend to show up quickly when a young receiver starts separating himself in shorts and helmets. ESPN even listed him among the top freshmen poised to make an immediate impact, which says plenty about the expectations surrounding him before he has played a snap for the Knights.
What makes Hornes especially notable is the timing. UCF has a deep receiving corps, so there is no easy path to playing time, even for a player who has impressed coaches and teammates alike. Quarterback Alonza Barnett has noticed him in camp, and the challenge now is turning that early buzz into a real role once the competition sharpens and the reps start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
UCF's New Backfield Could Decide How Far Scott Frost's Offense Goes
UCFs backfield is one of the quieter storylines that could end up shaping the season. Duke Watson, the Louisville transfer, has jumped into a competition with Landen Chambers and Taevion Swint for the starting running back job, giving Scott Frost a fresh mix of options as the Knights try to replace the production they lost at the position and get more out of the ground game.
Watson has already settled into the idea that nothing will be handed to him, and that fits the kind of room UCF is trying to build. He says the Knights wide zone rushing attack matches his versatile style, which is why this battle could matter so much for the offense overall. If the fit is as clean as Watson believes, the biggest question may be how quickly the group can turn that competition into consistency. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Added A Harvard Captain Who Could Help In Two Spots
UCFs roster-building for 2026 got a little more interesting with the addition of Ty Bartrum, a former Harvard captain who arrives with the kind of rsum that tends to translate quickly in the college game. He was not only a leader for the Crimson, but also an FCS All-American Honorable Mention, giving the Knights a veteran-style presence as they keep layering in pieces for the future.
What makes Bartrum especially valuable is the versatility. UCF expects him to help as both a defensive back and a personal protector on special teams, a useful combination for a program looking for players who can fill multiple roles without needing a long runway. He also comes from a football family, with input along the way from his father, Mike Bartrum, now the head coach at Rio Grande, so the Knights are getting a player who has been around the game from every angle. [Read more 🡒]