UCF’s NFL pipeline is already getting another early look.
The Knights landed 11 players on Monday’s 2027 Shriner’s Bowl watch list, giving the program a sizable presence on a stage that has helped elevate draft stock for decades. The East West Shrine Bowl has been around since 1925, and UCF has had multiple recent participants - none more notable than Malachi Lawrence, who turned a strong showing there into a first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Lawrence’s week in the event drew praise from John Blair, quarterbacks coach and author of NFL Draft Notebook, who wrote: "UCF DE Malachi Lawrence flashed strong burst in 1-on-1s today at the East-West Shrine Bowl. He posted 11 TFLs and 7 sacks last season and is clearly boosting his NFL Draft Stock this week."
Now the attention shifts to a new group of Knights with pro ambitions. The watch list includes Alonza Barnett III, Ty Bartrum, Jayden Bellamy, Lewis Carter, Thomas Collins, Preston Cushman, Josh Derry, Demari Henderson, RJ Jackson Jr., Horace Lockett, and Dylan Wade.
Wade and Barnett stand out right away. Wade put together a record-setting 2025 season for a UCF tight end, finishing with 43 catches for 523 yards and five touchdowns.
That production made him one of the Big 12’s top returning tight ends, and he was a steady presence for quarterback Tayven Jackson. Jackson summed up that trust in late November: "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," Jackson said.
"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."
Barnett arrives at UCF after helping James Madison reach the College Football Playoff. In that run, he put up more than 310 total yards and three touchdowns against Oregon, showing off the arm strength and mobility that let him extend plays and attack downfield.
Bellamy gives the list its defensive edge. The former Syracuse defensive back finished with 27 total tackles, broke up eight passes and added an interception while working in Alex Grinch’s scheme.
Lockett is also on the watch list despite missing most of last season because of injury. Even with that setback, he remains one of the most experienced players on UCF’s defense.
In Other News...
Paul Carrington Is Bringing Back A UCF Postgame Favorite
A familiar postgame voice is coming back around for Knights fans in 2026, with Paul Carrington set to revive his Five Point Stance analysis for UCF football. The former Knights player, assistant coach and NFL veteran will once again help break down the biggest moments from each game, offering a sharper look at what went right, what went wrong and what needs to change moving forward.
Carrington will team with Knights247 senior writer John Weis on the feature, which will run exclusively on Knights247. For a fan base that has long appreciated the added layer of football detail after the final whistle, the return of that kind of inside-the-game perspective should be a welcome addition, even if the full rollout still leaves one thing to be watched closely once the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Why UCF Fans Should Watch Freshman Linebacker Dylan Bennett
Freshman linebacker Dylan Bennett is one of the more intriguing new names on UCFs 2026 roster, especially for fans who like to keep an eye on the future of the defense. Bennett spent his final two high school seasons at American Heritage and arrives as part of a young linebacker group that gives the Knights some developmental depth at a position where size, speed and instinct tend to matter quickly.
The immediate path to snaps, though, is not especially clear. Bennett is one of four true freshmen at linebacker, and he will be trying to work his way past more experienced options already in the program, including Matthew Occhipinti and Preston Hall, who were active in spring practice. Even with the roster spot secured, his first season could be more about learning and waiting for an opening than jumping straight into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Former UCF Guard George Beale Jr. Just Made His Next Move
George Beale Jr. is wasting no time getting his pro career underway after his run at UCF, where the former Knights guard carved out a role with his shooting and made the jump to Orlando after starting at Hampton. His college path included some memorable three-point flashes, the kind that made him a useful backcourt piece and helped him leave with a rsum that was always going to keep him on the radar overseas.
Now Beale has landed his next stop with Enosis Neon Paralimni in Cyprus, a move that also makes him the first player from last seasons UCF roster to turn pro. He will step into a locker room with Brandon McKissic, Aaron Cook Jr. and Stephen Ugochukwu, giving him an immediate American presence as he begins the adjustment to his first season in the professional game. [Read more 🡒]