UCF will be short-handed again when it faces No. 2 BYU on Saturday, with running back Taevion Swint ruled out for the homecoming game, according to the Big 12 player availability report released Wednesday night.
Swint has been a meaningful piece of the Knights’ offense and return game. The redshirt freshman has run for 162 yards on 32 carries and has scored two touchdowns, while also averaging 29.9 yards per kickoff return this season.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound back has shared much of the workload behind Duke Watson, who has started every game at running back. Swint and Landen Chambers have handled most of the backup snaps.
There was at least some movement in a few other injury cases. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who has missed the past four games while coming back from a hamstring injury, was bumped from out to questionable on the report. ESPN previously reported that the senior would not start against the Cougars, though coach Scott Frost declined to give a timetable for Barnett’s return.
Receiver Duane Thomas Jr. also moved from out to questionable after dealing with an undisclosed injury that has kept him sidelined for the first half of the season.
Center Jacob Maiava is listed as questionable after sitting out the game against Oklahoma State two weeks ago. He was carted off the sidelines during the first half of the Houston game and did not come back.
UCF will also be without linebacker Lewis Carter, who remains out with a lower-body injury. Carter has already missed three games this season, with Jayden Jennings and Jahleel Culbreath filling in for him in the lineup.
Cornerback DJ Bell could be another absence. Bell suffered an injury in practice this week, according to a source, and was listed as doubtful. He has played in all six games this season and has 10 tackles.
Guard Owen Spell will miss another game as he continues to deal with plantar fasciitis. Spell has already been out for three games.
In Other News...
UCF Keeps Showing Enough To Believe Until The Second Half
UCF keeps giving itself a chance against ranked opponents, and then watching those chances slip away after halftime. The Knights have been competitive early in back-to-back games against Houston and Oklahoma State, with Keyone Jenkins helping the offense move the ball and keep the pressure on higher-ranked teams, but the better stretches have not been enough to sustain a full 60 minutes.
Now the challenge only gets bigger with No. 2 BYU coming to town after its upset of then-No. 2 Notre Dame. Bear Bachmeier has been a key part of that breakthrough, and it leaves UCF trying to do something it has not done in the last couple of weeks: carry its first-half momentum all the way through against an elite opponent. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Gets A Huge Opportunity In A Top-10 Road Test At UCF
BYU heads into Saturdays Top-10 road test at UCF with a chance to keep its unbeaten Big 12 run intact, but the matchup comes with plenty of uncertainty on the Knights side. UCFs injury report is crowded, with a significant number of players listed as questionable or probable, and the availability of starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III is still a major storyline heading into the game.
If Barnett cannot go, backup Keyone Jenkins is in line for his fifth straight start, adding another layer to a game already carrying high stakes for both teams. UCF is dealing with injuries across the roster, including a heavy presence up front, while BYU arrives as a 6.5-point favorite despite being without its starting running back, LJ Martin. [Read more 🡒]
Dior Johnson Gives UCF The Scoring Threat Fans Have Wanted
Dior Johnson is back in Orlando and already giving UCF something it has been looking for: a proven scoring threat with real pedigree. The former blue-chip recruit returned to the program after a productive season at Tarleton State, and his presence at Big 12 Media Day alongside Johnny Dawkins and the Knights' players underscored how quickly he has become part of the conversation again.
Johnsons fit was on display in UCFs exhibition against LSU, where he led the Knights in scoring even in a loss. For a team trying to sharpen its offense and find more reliable shot creation, his return gives Dawkins a different kind of option, one that could change the way defenses have to guard UCF once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]