UCF’s tight end room has produced more than its share of impact players, and the Daytona News-Journal’s all-time FBS roster reflects that. Six Knights tight ends landed on the publication’s 105-man list, a group that spans early contributors, NFL draft picks and one active player still adding to the program’s story.
Jordan Akins is the headliner among the bunch. He arrived as a true freshman and made an immediate dent, finishing that first season with 12 catches for 135 yards while also handling 15 kickoff returns for 363 yards over 13 games.
By the time UCF rolled through its undefeated 2017 season, Akins had earned a spot on the John Mackey award watch list and posted 32 receptions for 515 yards and four touchdowns. He later entered the 2018 NFL Draft and went to the Houston Texans with the 98th pick in the third round.
Darcy Johnson also carved out a substantial run in Orlando. He started 35 of the 48 games he played for the Knights and closed his career with 81 catches for 919 yards and six touchdowns.
His all-around value showed up beyond the passing game too, with 14 tackles and an eight-yard kick return on special teams. Before his senior year in 2005, Johnson picked up All-C-USA second team honors after ranking third on the team with 36 receptions, 436 yards and two touchdowns.
The list also includes a pair of tight ends who reached the NFL after their UCF stops. Michael Gaines played 23 games and made four starts for the Knights, finishing with 22 receptions for 306 yards and three touchdowns.
His work against Toledo caught the eye of scouts, and the Carolina Panthers took him 232nd overall in the seventh round of the 2004 draft. Joe Merritt, meanwhile, became a starter in his junior season and appeared in all 12 games that year, finishing with three catches for 20 yards.
As a senior, he delivered a career-best outing against Tulsa with three receptions for 51 yards before the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him 238th overall in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
More recently, Alec Holler gave UCF a steady presence in 2023. He started 12 of 13 games, served as one of six team captains and finished with 24 catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns.
The fifth-year senior was also a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, awarded to a player who began as a walk-on. His best game came against Houston, where he matched his career high with five catches for 44 yards.
Then there’s Dylan Wade, the lone active player on the list and the one still writing his own chapter. The hometown hero put together a historic season for a UCF tight end, catching 43 passes for 523 yards and five touchdowns. All three marks were career highs, and they also set the single-season record for a UCF tight end in the program’s FBS history since 1996.
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