UCF’s preseason camp opens Monday, and the first few weeks will tell the story of a roster that looks very different from the one that stumbled to a 5-7 finish last season.
The Knights bring back nine starters and have added 57 newcomers to a 108-man roster, giving Scott Frost a group that is older and more experienced than the one he inherited in his return to the program after an eight-year absence. That makeover puts a handful of spots front and center as camp begins and the Sept. 3 opener against Bethune-Cookman draws closer.
At quarterback, the job belongs to Alonza Barnett III. The transfer is coming off a career year at James Madison, where he earned Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year honors after helping the Dukes reach the College Football Playoff. Barnett missed most of spring camp, but he enters fall as the clear starter.
The real question is behind him.
UCF wants to avoid a repeat of last season, when injuries forced four different quarterbacks into action. The backup race includes former FIU starter Keyone Jenkins, Boise State backup Kaleb Annett and freshmen Rocco Marriott and Dante Carr.
Jenkins, who has 33 career starts, looks like the leading candidate to be the next man up if Barnett gets hurt, with Annett currently in line as the third-string option. Still, camp could reshape that order if somebody makes a strong push.
The defensive end spots are another major battle. Malachi Lawrence and Nyjalik Kelly are gone to the NFL, leaving a pair of openings that could be filled by returnees Isaiah Nixon and Sincere Edwards. Transfers Bruno Dall and Ken Talley are also in the mix, along with second-year player Aymeric Koumba.
Up front on offense, the overhaul is just as real. Preston Cushman is the only returning starter on the offensive line, and UCF brought in several new faces to stabilize the group.
Henry Tabansi, Cooper Terpstra, Brady Wayburn and Tyler Gibson are among the additions. Tabansi and Wayburn both arrive with multi-year starting experience and are expected to settle into the tackle and guard positions.
Terpstra has been battling Connor Meadows and Jacob Maiava for the center job.
LaParka Langston, Owen Spell and Justin Royes also figure into the rotation as new offensive line coach AJ Blazek pieces together the front.
At receiver, Duane Thomas Jr., Waden Charles and Josh Derry are set at the top of the depth chart, but the competition underneath them is wide open. DayDay Farmer is back after missing all of last season with an injury, and Caleb Rollerson and Jordyn Bridgewater return as well. They’ll be challenged by transfer Jonathan Bibbs and freshmen Tyren Hornes and Jordan Nunuha.
Beyond the individual battles, Frost wants to see a different personality from his team. Before spring camp, he said UCF needed more toughness after a season in which the Knights went 0-5 on the road and dropped their last nine away from home, the sixth-longest road losing streak in the country.
“We didn’t play well on the road last year. We were inconsistent and in some games we started fast and didn’t finish well,” said Frost.
“Some games we started slowly and didn’t have enough at the end. But playing well on the road and playing consistently largely have to do with being tough and competitive.
“If you have tough, competitive guys that want to do everything right and are capable of doing everything right, it makes it a lot easier.”
That message lines up with the roster construction. More than half of UCF’s newcomers are upperclassmen, and the staff made a point of getting older and more experienced in the offseason.
“We’re going to be a lot more mature group this year. We made a conscious effort to get older and more experienced, and I think that helps in a lot of areas.”
In Other News...
Jahda Swann Is Forcing A Real UCF Backcourt Debate
Jahda Swann has already started to look like the kind of freshman who can change the shape of a rotation before the games even count. The New York guard brought the size and scoring touch that made him a highly ranked recruit, and his preseason work has given UCF a legitimate reason to think about how quickly he can factor into the mix as the Knights rebuild their backcourt.
The timing matters, too, because UCF is trying to stay competitive in its fourth Big 12 season while replacing key pieces from last years guard group. With roster turnover opening the door, Swanns early push has created a real conversation in practice about playing time and roles, and it is one the Knights may have to answer sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Could Get A Late Defensive Return That Changes Camp Plans
A late roster wrinkle has emerged for UCF as a court injunction opened the door for athletes who used up their fourth year of eligibility to return for a fifth season. For the Knights, that keeps the possibility alive for a pair of familiar defensive names from recent seasons, even as camp is already taking shape and the depth chart looks mostly settled.
Cole Kozlowski had previously pushed for another season before being denied, only to see a later ruling revive the chance of coming back. Phillip Dunnam has also hinted at a return after moving on to the NFL side of things, but the timing makes any comeback complicated at this stage. With UCFs roster largely set, any late addition would have to fit into a camp plan that was already built without them. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Just Got A New Roster Twist Johnny Dawkins Must Navigate
A court ruling that could reshape the NCAA eligibility landscape has landed right in Johnny Dawkins lap, and UCF suddenly has reason to monitor the ripple effects closely. Judge Charlotte Sweeney approved an injunction that gives 2022 high school graduates an extra year under a new five-year plan, opening the door for players who were on the cusp of eligibility decisions to potentially revisit their plans.
For the Knights, the development could matter in a real way because multiple players may now have another option in front of them. Jamichael Stillwell had once seemed headed back to UCF before moving on, while Riley Kugel, last seasons leading scorer for the Knights, stands out as another name whose future may now be affected by the ruling as Dawkins sorts through a roster situation that just got a lot more complicated. [Read more 🡒]