TCU is about to get a familiar playmaker back just as Big 12 play begins, while UCF is bracing to move forward without the quarterback it planned to build around.
Horned Frogs wide receiver Jordan Dwyer is expected to return Saturday against UCF after missing the first three games of the season with a foot injury, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said after the win over Arkansas State. It would be Dwyer’s 2026 debut, and it gives a 3-0 TCU offense another dangerous option as conference play opens in Orlando.
Dwyer was one of the Big 12’s most productive receivers in 2025, finishing with 54 catches for 730 yards and seven touchdowns. Those seven scores led TCU, while he ranked second on the team in receptions and receiving yards.
In his absence, Ed Small has carried much of the load at receiver. He broke out for 164 receiving yards in TCU’s latest win, and the Horned Frogs as a group threw for 337 yards.
UCF, though, is dealing with the opposite kind of news. Starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III will miss Saturday’s game against TCU because of a hamstring injury and is also expected to sit out the Knights’ next game against Houston, according to CBS Sports. There is optimism that Barnett could be back in the weeks that follow.
Barnett transferred to UCF after a breakout season at James Madison, where he earned Sun Belt Player of the Year honors. His absence leaves the Knights without one of the biggest additions they made this offseason as Scott Frost’s offense heads into Big 12 play.
UCF is expected to turn to Keyone Jenkins at quarterback in Barnett’s place. Jenkins joined the Knights after previously playing at FIU.
So while TCU is preparing to add a receiver who topped 700 yards and scored seven times last season, UCF will be trying to navigate its conference opener without the quarterback it brought in to lead the way.
In Other News...
UCFs Offense Faces A New Test With Barnett Suddenly Out
UCF is heading into Saturday nights home matchup with Georgia State with a major question at quarterback, as Alonza Barnett III is expected to sit out because of a hamstring injury. The Knights have built plenty of their offensive identity around Barnetts presence, so even one week without him changes the feel of the game plan before an ESPN+ kickoff at 7 p.m. ET.
Georgia State coach Dell McGee is already treating the Knights like the same threat, which says plenty about the depth of options UCF still brings to the field. Even with Barnett out, the Panthers are preparing for a unit that can stress a defense in multiple ways, and the challenge for UCF now is finding enough rhythm to keep that pressure on without its starting quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
UCF's Second Half Response Changed Everything Against Georgia State
For a half, UCF looked like a team still searching for its footing. Georgia State had enough success early to keep the Knights chasing, but the response after halftime turned the game into something else entirely, with the offense finding rhythm and the defense helping flip the field in a 44-30 win that steadied an uneven start.
Duke Watson became the centerpiece of that surge, pounding out a career-best day on the ground while Keyone Jenkins added his own layer of pressure as a dual-threat quarterback. Just as important, UCFs defense kept the momentum from slipping away by creating turnovers in the second half, the kind of hidden edge that can turn a close, uneasy afternoon into a result a team can build on. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Hands Keyone Jenkins A Pressure-Filled First Test
Keyone Jenkins is stepping into the spotlight at just the right time for UCF, with the Knights set to open a nonconference tune-up against Georgia State before the real grind of Big 12 play begins. The Florida International transfer won the starting quarterback job over Kaleb Annett, giving Scott Frost a new signal-caller to lean on while Alonza Barnett III remains sidelined.
For Jenkins, the assignment comes with immediate pressure and little margin for a slow start. Frost has made clear how important the quarterback position is to the offense, and the protection up front will matter just as much as Jenkins settles into the role and tries to steady UCF heading into the league portion of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]