UCF’s injury list keeps growing at exactly the wrong time, and the Knights are heading into Saturday’s trip to No. 20 Houston with some real holes on both sides of the ball.
The biggest absence remains Duane Thomas Jr., who was expected to be one of UCF’s top pass-catching options this season. He has yet to make his debut after suffering an undisclosed injury late in offseason camp, and he has been ruled out again for the matchup with Houston.
There is at least some good news for the Knights’ offense. Jonathan “Slim Jim” Bibbs should be back after missing the last two games, giving backup quarterback Keyone Jenkins another target as he settles into the starting job. The Louisiana-Monroe transfer had 383 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 26 catches last season as a redshirt freshman, and he scored in UCF’s season-opening win over Bethune-Cookman before sitting out against Georgia State and TCU.
Jenkins enters his second start with some momentum after a sharp outing against the Horned Frogs. He completed 19 of 20 passes, good for 95%, and set a program record for completion percentage. That mark passed the previous standard set by his current mentor and quarterbacks coach, McKenzie Milton, who hit 92% in a single game in 2017.
UCF also added another offensive concern to the report in tight end Dylan Wade, who suffered an upper body injury late in Saturday’s win. Wade, coming off the most productive tight end season in program history, has had a quiet start to his senior year with 53 yards on eight catches through four games. His injury stings even more because he and Jenkins connected for five receptions in the Knights’ Big 12 opener.
On defense, linebacker Lewis Carter is the most significant name unavailable. He remains out after missing Saturday’s win and will not play against Houston. Carter has been a key piece of the unit, and he and Tackett Curtis had been playing well under defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.
The timing is rough for UCF, which is 3-1 and now moves into a demanding three-game stretch against ranked opponents. Saturday’s first test comes against Connor Weigman, who has been rolling in his final college season with 11 passing touchdowns and only one interception.
In Other News...
UCF May Have An Offensive Problem Heading Into Houston
UCFs offense heads into a tough road test at No. 20 Houston with a few familiar concerns, and one of the biggest involves tight end Dylan Wade. Wade has become an important part of the passing game after setting single-season records for a UCF tight end last year, giving the Knights a reliable target in the middle of the field and another layer to an offense that can ill afford to lose efficiency against a ranked opponent.
His availability is now in question after he picked up an upper-body injury in the previous game, leaving UCF to sort through its options at a time when the receiving group is already dealing with other injury-related uncertainty. The Knights do not just need bodies on the field in Houston, they need players who can help keep the offense from becoming too thin in a game where every dependable target matters. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Heads To Houston With A Lineup Problem Fans Know Too Well
UCF is headed to Houston still trying to patch together a lineup that has been missing key pieces for weeks, and the availability picture does not look much friendlier this time around. Scott Frost said in his weekly update that several players remain in the usual gray area of day-to-day and questionable, but the Knights will again have to plan without a few starters as they prepare for the Cougars.
The contrast across the sideline only sharpens the concern, with Houston dealing with a much smaller list of absences heading into Saturday. For UCF, the uncertainty is the more frustrating part, especially with multiple contributors still not cleared and a couple more players sitting in the questionable category after taking bumps in recent games. [Read more 🡒]
Antione Jackson Is Turning Into A Huge X Factor For UCF
UCFs defense has gotten its season off to a strong start through the first four weeks, and cornerback Antione Jackson has been right in the middle of it. The Knights have leaned on him in coverage and in run support, and his play has helped set the tone for a unit that has looked much steadier than it did a year ago.
Jacksons biggest moment so far came in the conference opener against TCU, when his interception helped swing a game UCF badly wanted. With a tougher stretch ahead and ranked opponents on the schedule, the Knights are going to need that kind of impact again, especially with Houston next and a quarterback-receiver combo that figures to test every layer of the secondary. [Read more 🡒]