UCF could be getting some much-needed help back at just the right time.
After last week’s bye, Scott Frost said the Knights are “really close” to getting “a lot of guys back” for Saturday’s matchup with undefeated No. 2 BYU, and that group may include quarterback Alonza Barnett III, wide receiver Duane Thomas Jr. and linebacker Lewis Carter.
Barnett and Thomas have been dealing with hamstring injuries that have kept them out for most of the season, while Carter has missed all three conference games. The break gave all three extra recovery time, and Frost said he kept the team’s workload light with just one practice during the bye.
Barnett is the biggest offensive question mark, but Frost sounded optimistic. He said the quarterback is making “really good progress,” though he stopped short of saying whether the transfer would start against BYU. That would matter plenty for UCF’s passing game, where Keyone Jenkins has steadied things in Barnett’s absence.
Jenkins has gotten better each week and delivered his best outing against Oklahoma State, throwing for 265 yards and four touchdowns. Even so, UCF has missed Barnett’s ability to push the ball downfield. The James Madison transfer completed five passes of over 60 yards last season, the kind of vertical threat that could open up Frost’s offense in a hurry.
Thomas, meanwhile, looks close after being listed as questionable against the Cowboys. He hasn’t played yet this season because of the hamstring issue, and that absence has limited the Knights’ depth and flexibility at receiver.
Last year, Thomas was UCF’s most dependable target. The senior led the team with 53 catches, finishing 10 ahead of tight end Dylan Wade, and piled up 528 receiving yards. Frost used the 5-foot-8 speedster all over the formation, including jet sweeps and work from the slot, where he became the top option on short and intermediate throws.
On defense, Carter would be the biggest return of all. He emerged as a star after transferring from Oklahoma, where he had been mainly a reserve linebacker and special teams contributor. Last season, he led UCF with 92 tackles and posted career highs in tackles for loss, sacks and fumbles.
UCF has shown it can hang with ranked teams, but the Knights still haven’t put together a full game. With BYU coming in unbeaten, getting key pieces back would go a long way toward changing that.
In Other News...
BYU Faces A Dangerous UCF Test With Unbeaten Start On The Line
BYUs win over Notre Dame sent the Cougars soaring in the AP Poll and set up one of the more intriguing games on the Week 8 slate against UCF. The matchup has plenty of appeal beyond the rankings, with Bear Bachmeiers play at quarterback drawing attention and BYUs overall profile getting a fresh round of scrutiny as the unbeaten start continues to gather momentum.
From UCFs side, there is at least a reasonable path to making this a much tougher night than the national perception suggests. The Knights have shown enough in the underlying numbers to make people around the betting market take notice, and the question now is whether they can turn that into a result that would shake up the top end of the college football conversation. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Heads Into Huge BYU Test With One Big Offensive Reality
Alonza Barnett III will remain out when UCF takes on No. 2 BYU at home, leaving the Knights to lean once again on Keyone Jenkins under center in one of their biggest games of the season. Barnetts hamstring injury has kept him sidelined for weeks, and with UCF staring at a top-tier opponent, the quarterback situation is no longer a side note but one of the defining realities of the matchup.
Jenkins has steadied himself recently and given the offense a chance to stay competitive against quality competition, which matters even more now with BYU coming in ranked second. The Knights need that continued progress to translate into a cleaner, more efficient performance if they want to make the home setting count, and the pressure around his role only grows with Barnett still unavailable. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Is Handing Its Backcourt To Two New Faces
UCF is leaning on two new guards to help steer its season, with Johnny Dawkins naming Arturo Dean and Cayden Vasko as captains for the year ahead. Both arrived through the transfer portal with different resumes and similar expectations: Dean brings backcourt experience from stops at Florida International and Oklahoma State, while Vasko comes over from Wofford with a reputation for running an offense cleanly and fitting into different roles.
The pairing gives the Knights a fresh leadership structure in a backcourt that also includes returners Riley Kugel, Carmelo Pacheco and John Bol. For a roster trying to blend new faces with holdovers, the captaincy choice says plenty about where Dawkins wants the tone set, even if the real test will come once the guards start having to prove it on the floor. [Read more 🡒]