UCF may finally be close to getting one of its most dependable pass catchers back.
Duane Thomas Jr. was upgraded to questionable on the Knights’ Week 6 injury report, putting him in line to possibly make his season debut Saturday against No. 18 Oklahoma State. Thomas has been working back from a hamstring injury he suffered before UCF’s home opener against Bethune-Cookman, and coach Scott Frost had previously described him as “day-to-day” when asked about his status.
If Thomas is cleared, UCF gets more than another receiver. It gets a piece who can stretch the field, work the slot and give the offense a little more juice during a tough run of Top 25 opponents.
That matters because the Knights are already leaning on a receiver group that has had to carry plenty of the load. Josh Derry leads the room with 220 yards after posting a season-best 101 yards against then-No.
20 Houston last Saturday, while Waden Charles tops the position with three touchdowns. Through the season, UCF has spread the ball around: eight Knights have at least five catches, and Derry and Charles are the only players with double-digit receptions at 17 and 14, respectively.
Thomas was UCF’s steadiest receiver a year ago. He finished with a team-high 53 catches, 10 more than tight end Dylan Wade, and led the Knights with 528 receiving yards.
Frost found ways to use Thomas all over the formation, including jet sweeps and slot work, making him a natural fit for short and intermediate throws. That could pair well with what UCF has been asking from Keyone Jenkins, who has been the starter until star transfer Alonza Barnett III returns from injury.
Frost and offensive coordinator Steve Cooper leaned into Jenkins’ strengths in Week 4’s win over TCU, and Jenkins delivered a program-record 19-for-20 performance through the air, a 95% completion rate that edged McKenzie Milton’s 92.3% mark against Austin Peay on Oct. 28, 2017.
UCF could use every bit of help right now. Injuries have thinned the roster, but the depth has held up.
The schedule only gets heavier from here, with Oklahoma State on Saturday, then No. 8 BYU on Oct. 24 after the bye week.
Thomas also had one of his better games before the season got away from UCF, catching four passes for 74 yards before the Cougars sealed the Knights’ bowl hopes shut. He said in the offseason that he worked to become a sharper route runner, noting that he used to rush his routes and wanted to get more detailed, read defenses better and find openings to get over the top.
If he’s ready, UCF would be getting back a receiver whose game is built on timing, precision and dependable hands - and that could make him the ninth Knight to break through in the passing game pretty quickly.
In Other News...
UCF Heads Into Oklahoma State Test With Depth Under Pressure
UCFs trip to Oklahoma State is arriving at a difficult moment for the Knights, who are trying to sort through an injury list that keeps trimming their margin for error. Wide receiver Duane Thomas Jr. is doubtful and likely to miss his sixth straight game, leaving another void in an offense that already has had to adjust around the absences of several key contributors.
Three starters, Alonza Barnett III, Lewis Carter and Owen Spell, have been ruled out, along with offensive linemen Jacob Maiava and Tyler Gibson and reserve receiver Caleb Rollerson. That leaves UCF trying to hold up against an Oklahoma State team ranked No. 18 nationally and powered by quarterback Drew Mestemaker, plus receivers Wyatt Young and Justin Bowick, in a matchup where depth may matter as much as execution. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Let Another Road Game Slip Away In The Second Half
UCF had the kind of road trip that keeps leaving a familiar sting behind. The Knights went into Stillwater and took a halftime lead on No. 18 Oklahoma State, only to watch the game turn in the second half in a 42-28 loss that pushed their road skid to 12 straight. For a team trying to prove it can travel better and finish stronger, the night once again turned into a story of missed chances and a game that got away.
Scott Frost pointed to the second-half errors as the difference, and there were plenty of them to circle. A missed field goal erased one chance to tighten things up, and a turnover later helped Oklahoma State create more breathing room. UCF had the pieces to make it a much different finish, but the margin for mistakes on the road keeps shrinking fast. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Defense Faces A Pressure Test After Last Weeks Letdown
UCFs defense heads into this week with a clear mandate: get back to disrupting the pocket the way it did early in the season. The Knights have leaned on a strong four-man pass rush, and that approach was a big part of their early success before the recent loss to Houston exposed how much harder life can get when the pressure dries up. Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch made it clear the group needs more sacks and more consistent heat on the quarterback as it prepares for Oklahoma State.
That challenge gets tougher with Drew Mestemaker coming in hot for the Cowboys, having topped 300 passing yards with multiple touchdowns in consecutive games. UCF will also keep leaning on Demari Henderson, whose versatility has given the secondary some flexibility and allowed him to move closer to the line of scrimmage at times. The Knights do not need to completely reinvent their defense this week, but they do need their front to look far more like itself if they want to make Mestemaker uncomfortable early. [Read more 🡒]