Scott Frost is making one thing clear to his UCF roster: preseason buzz doesn’t mean much if it isn’t backed up when the games are played.
At Big 12 Media Day, Frost said he’d rather see his Knights earn postseason All-Big 12 recognition than collect preseason praise. His point was simple - the real proof comes after the season, when a player’s body of work has already been put on tape.
UCF had three players land on All-Big 12 teams: EDGE Malachi Lawrence, linebacker Cole Kozlowski and kicker Noe Ruelas.
Lawrence headlined the group with a First Team selection after a breakout year that put him on NFL radars. The 6-foot-4 EDGE posted career highs with 28 tackles, including 17 solo stops, and 11 tackles for loss, with seven sacks among them.
He wrapped up his five-year run in Orlando ranked 10th in program history in sacks with 20, then earned an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine. That momentum carried into the draft, where he made more program history by going 23rd overall to the Dallas Cowboys, the highest-drafted defensive player in UCF history.
Kozlowski earned Third Team honors after a strong lone season with the Knights. The Colgate transfer finished second on the team with 82 tackles, 48 of them solo, and added 7.5 tackles for loss. His college career ended after he sought an injunction for an extra year of eligibility, but it was denied.
Ruelas also landed on the All-Big 12 Third Team. The James Madison transfer was the conference’s most accurate kicker, hitting 88.2 percent of his field goals, going 15-for-17.
He also picked up Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week after drilling the game-winner against Oklahoma State. His season included three 50-plus yard field goals, the only kicker in UCF history to do that in a single year.
Those kicks came from 53 yards against Kansas State, 51 against West Virginia and 54 against Houston.
There’s also reason to think more UCF defenders could show up on postseason lists. Wisconsin transfer linebacker Tackett Curtis told Sons of UCF reporter Andrew Cherico at a UCF players event that he was hopeful the defense would have some players recognized.
That optimism lines up with Phil Steele’s preseason team. Steele placed linebacker Lewis Carter and defensive backs Jayden Bellamy and Antione Jackson on his preseason All-Big 12 squad.
Carter, a senior, led UCF with a career-best 92 tackles. Bellamy has repeatedly been graded by Pro Football Sports Network as one of the Big 12’s top cornerbacks, and Jackson was named a preseason Fourth Team return specialist.
In Other News...
UCFs New QB Is Already Chasing The Standard Fans Crave
Alonza Barnett III arrived at UCF with a rsum that already includes the kind of stage most quarterbacks only dream about, and the former James Madison starter is leaning into the opportunity that comes with being the Knights new leader. He has talked about what it meant to play in the College Football Playoff and about making the most of his final college season, while Scott Frost and the coaching staff have pointed to Barnetts leadership and dual-threat ability as a strong match for what they want to run.
For UCF, the appeal is obvious: a quarterback who has been tested in big moments and still sounds hungry for more. Barnett is aiming to help the Knights chase the standard their fans expect, with Big 12 contention and a playoff berth part of the conversation from the start, and the early tone around him suggests the offense could have a different edge this fall. [Read more 🡒]
Why Jayden Jennings Means More To UCF Than Fans Realize
Jayden Jennings arrived at UCF with the kind of background that can make a roster better even before the season starts. The former Virginia Tech transfer settled in quickly after his move to Orlando, and the Knights saw enough in his first year to believe he can be a real factor in the middle of the defense. His first season in black and gold was interrupted by injury, but not before he showed the sort of versatility that makes coaches keep finding ways to use him.
Now heading into 2026, Jennings is back in the mix for a linebacker job and should be part of a crowded competition for snaps. If he stays healthy, he has a path to start, and if not, UCF still views him as the kind of dependable rotational piece that can help stabilize a defense over the course of a long season. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Gets A Shot At Redemption In Frosts Biggest Early Test
Scott Frosts second year back at UCF is bringing an early measuring-stick game, and it comes with a familiar opponent across the field. The Knights are headed into a tough non-conference matchup with Pittsburgh in the 2026 season, a program that has already played a major role in one of the most memorable chapters of UCFs recent history. This time, the Knights will lean on Alonza Barnett III, while Pitt brings Mason Heintschel into a game that should tell a lot about both quarterbacks and both teams.
For UCF, the trip carries more than just the usual early-season pressure. It is the kind of game that can sharpen a young team quickly, especially with Frost still building momentum in his second stint and looking for proof that the Knights can handle a high-end opponent away from home. Pitt has been a thorn in UCFs side before, and with two intriguing quarterbacks involved, this one feels like more than a September tune-up. [Read more 🡒]