Scott Frost likes what he sees in UCF’s 2026 roster, and he’s not shy about why.
The transfer portal has given the Knights a real boost in depth, especially at quarterback, but it has also handed Frost a familiar problem: figuring out how to turn a group of newcomers into a team that actually clicks.
At Big 12 media day last week, Frost pointed to the same two sides of the roster-building coin. The talent level is up, and the depth is better than it was a year ago. The catch is that all that new blood comes with a chemistry tax.
“I love our depth and our overall talent compared to last year,” Frost told reporters. “So, I'm just fired up to work with this team. I think every team's weakness right now is, you know, you got a bunch of guys that are new to the team, and that's going to be the case every year.”
UCF’s portal work has been especially important in the quarterback room. The Knights brought in starter Alonza Barnett III, along with backups Keyone Jenkins and Kaleb Annett, giving the position a much sturdier look than it had a season ago.
That matters because injuries hit the quarterback group hard last year and exposed how thin the depth really was. This time around, even if Barnett III goes down, UCF can turn to Jenkins, an experienced three-year starter, as the next man up.
Jenkins, who came over from FIU, has already made it clear he likes what he’s seen in that room, saying it’s the best group he’s worked with in his career.
The bigger picture for Frost is clear enough. UCF has used the portal to reshape the roster in line with his vision for competing in the Big 12, but that same movement means the program has to keep rebuilding its relationships and its identity almost every year.
That’s the reality of college football now. Players move for NIL, for opportunity, for a fresh start, and the old model of keeping a roster together for four years is gone.
Former UCF quarterbacks Tayven Jackson and Cam Fancher are examples of how fast that churn can happen. Both transferred to UCF for one season before moving on to another program.
Frost knows the job has changed with the sport. Building a team is still the mission, but now it takes a lot more intentional work to get there.
“It’s hard to build back in the day when you had four years with kids,” Frost said. “It's even harder now when you have some kids for one year. But just like every coach that sat up here has said, you got to be really intentional with that.”
For Frost, the portal is both the engine and the obstacle. It has given UCF championship-level depth on paper. Now comes the harder part: making it all come together.
In Other News...
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UCF History Fans Know Has A Forgotten Offensive Line Chapter
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Josh Sitton is the familiar anchor of that story, but he is hardly alone. The list also points to players such as Jordan McCray and Cole Schneider, whose careers stretched beyond college into the pro game and, in some cases, into alternative leagues where they kept winning. It is the kind of forgotten chapter that suggests UCFs rise was built not just on flash and skill talent, but on a steady run of interior linemen who gave the program a foundation worth revisiting. [Read more 🡒]