UCF’s Dylan Wade is back in the conversation as one of the Big 12’s better tight ends, and the respect is starting to show up nationally.
Pro Football Focus College ranked the returning tight ends in the conference on Saturday and placed Wade at No. 8 with a 68.5 grade. That may feel light for a player coming off a record-setting debut, but the Big 12 is packed with talent at the position, including Texas Tech’s Terrance Carter Jr., who could make a case for being the best tight end in the country.
Wade’s first season in Orlando was the kind that gets noticed. The 6-foot-2 pass catcher set multiple UCF records for his position, finishing with 43 catches for 523 yards and five touchdowns. He opened the year with a score in the Knights’ season-opening win over Jacksonville State, then added four receptions for 54 yards.
That game turned into a grind once presumed starting quarterback Cam Fancher went down early in the first quarter. UCF and Jacksonville State reached halftime tied 0-0, and the Knights didn’t find the end zone until Jacksonville State had already taken a 10-3 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Backup quarterback Tayven Jackson then hit Wade on a 39-yard touchdown to tie the game at 10. It was Wade’s only catch in the second half, but it gave UCF’s offense a jolt when it needed one.
Wade delivered his biggest burst later in the season on senior night against Oklahoma State, when he essentially carried the offense in the second half. He caught two touchdowns after halftime, including an 83-yard strike on the first play of the second half, and finished with four receptions for 145 yards.
His production wasn’t limited to those two games. Wade also scored against Texas Tech and BYU, showing he could hold his own against top Big 12 competition. That season earned him All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.
After the season, Jackson explained what Wade meant to the offense.
"He's an athletic tight end. He reads the defense well and he plays in space and he plays the grass.
He's not a receiver who will run the route like our install picture tells him too too too too too. "He'll just run to space and I feel I have a connection with him and I know what he is going to do and he gets the job done."
With Kylan Fox entering the portal, Wade is now the clear lead tight end in the room. That makes his role even more important as UCF reshapes its offense.
There’s also a new name coming in. Freshman tight end Brooks Hall recently flipped his commitment from South Dakota to follow his high school quarterback Rocco Marriott. Both Hall and Marriott should lean on Wade as they work to get comfortable in Scott Frost’s offense.
In Other News...
UCFs Backup Quarterback Battle Is Already Taking Shape
The early shape of UCFs quarterback room is starting to come into focus as Scott Frost begins sorting out the depth chart behind clear starter Alonza Barnett III. Boise State transfer Kaleb Annett is getting the second-team reps for now, putting him in the lead position in a group that also includes the experienced Keyone Jenkins and promising freshman Rocco Marriott.
Frost has made it sound like the Knights feel good about the room overall, pointing to the talent and professionalism inside it. Even so, the backup job is one of the more important battles on the roster, and the mix of a transfer, a veteran and a young arm gives UCF more than one way this could play out as camp moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Lewis Carter Is Setting The Tone For UCFs Defensive Turnaround
Lewis Carter has taken on a bigger role in UCFs defensive reset, and the linebacker is treating it like a job that starts long before kickoff. Coach Scott Frost has identified Carter as the leader of that side of the ball, and Carter has responded by leaning into a more professional routine, spending more time on film study and setting a standard for how the Knights prepare.
For a defense that had trouble forcing turnovers and stopping the run on the road last season, that kind of voice matters. UCF does not just need better execution away from home, it needs more accountability from within the room, and Carter is making it clear he wants to be part of the fix. The question now is whether that tone can carry over once the season puts the defense under pressure again. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Camp Injuries Could Reshape A Few Early Depth Chart Battles
Fall camp has opened with Scott Frost saying UCF is mostly in good shape physically, but a few early injury notes are worth tracking as the Knights start sorting out jobs across the roster. Defensive tackle Jackson Jr. is still working back from a toe issue that began in spring practice, while edge rusher Bruno Dall is dealing with a strained hamstring. Even with those bumps, the staff sounds comfortable enough with the overall health of the team to keep camp moving without major disruption.
The secondary got another brief scare when defensive back Jailen Duffie recently picked up a toe injury during plyometric jumps, adding one more name to a list that could affect some of the early depth chart battles. Frost has described the setback as short-term, and UCF believes it has enough depth to absorb a few absences while players get back up to speed. Still, in a camp where every rep matters, even minor injuries can have a way of nudging the competition in a different direction. [Read more 🡒]