The Daytona News-Journal’s 105-man roster of all-time UCF greats includes a strong showing from the interior of the defensive line: 10 defensive tackles from Knights history made the All-FBS team since the program moved to the FBS 30 years ago.
That group stretches across eras, from players who helped put UCF on the map to transfers who arrived later and still left a mark. The list also includes NFL draft picks and others who moved on without finishing their careers in Orlando, since the News-Journal’s roster was not limited to players who ended their college days at UCF.
Torell Troup stands out as one of the early anchors. He became a regular starter in his sophomore year, opening 11 of 14 games and setting up the dominant junior and senior seasons that followed. As a junior, the two-time All-Conference USA Second Team defensive tackle posted 52 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks, finishing second on the team in TFLs and helping make UCF an overwhelming run defense.
Jamiyus Pittman built a long, productive run in Orlando as well. He started 33 of the 49 games he played, piling up 138 tackles, 13 sacks, four passes defensed, one forced fumble, and one blocked kick. His production earned him All-AAC Second Team recognition in 2016 and All-AAC First Team honors during the undefeated 2017 season.
The transfer pipeline shows up on the list too. Ricky Barber came to UCF from Western Kentucky after the 2020 season, then earned All-AAC First Team honors in 2022, one year before the program moved to the Big 12. In 2024, he recorded 34 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks, and he was invited to the 2025 Hula Bowl.
Lee Hunter followed a similar path, transferring from Auburn after the 2021 season and developing into a starting defensive tackle for the Knights. He picked up honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in 2023 and then moved up to Second Team All-Big 12 in 2024.
Keith Shologan earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors after a senior season that included 33 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He was selected in the first round of the 2008 CFL Draft, though he signed with the San Diego Chargers.
Leger Douzable closed his UCF career in 2007 with 102 tackles and 14 sacks. He was named Third Team All-Conference USA after leading the team with seven sacks and 10½ tackles for loss while splitting time between defensive end and tackle.
Josh McKibben’s name still sits near the top of the UCF record book. He ranks 10th all-time in tackles for loss with 34 and added three forced fumbles in 1999.
Justen Moore brought a different kind of production from the defensive front. From 1997 to 1999, he intercepted four passes for the Knights, including a career-high two in 1999, and returned those picks for 31 total yards.
Trysten Hill made an immediate impact as a true freshman, starting 13 games. One of his biggest performances came in the AAC Championship Game against Memphis, when he delivered six tackles and two sacks as UCF claimed the conference title. He finished his career with 71 tackles and six sacks.
Kalia Davis rounds out the group. He ended his UCF career with 61 tackles, including 32 solo stops, along with two passes defended, four sacks, and one forced fumble. The San Francisco 49ers selected him with the 220th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
In Other News...
UCF Finally Has The Quarterback Clarity Scott Frost Desperately Needed
Scott Frost spent much of last season searching for stability at quarterback, and UCF appears to have found it in Alonza Barnett III. The James Madison transfer arrives with real credibility, coming off a run that helped push the Dukes to the College Football Playoff and earned him Sun Belt Conference player of the year honors, the kind of rsum that gives a staff something it has lacked at the position.
For the Knights, the appeal goes beyond production. Barnett is a redshirt senior with the experience and leadership to step into a room that has been turned over, with last seasons quarterbacks gone and only a few familiar options left in the mix. If UCF is going to make a meaningful jump, it needs the quarterback spot to stop being a weekly question, and Barnett is the clearest sign yet that Frost believes that problem is finally close to being solved. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Frost Just Gave UCF Fans The Quarterback Clarity They Needed
UCF spent much of last season sorting through quarterback uncertainty, and that kind of week-to-week guesswork can wear on an offense in a hurry. This time, Scott Frost has taken the question off the table by settling on James Madison transfer Alonza Barnett as the Knights' starter, giving the program a defined direction heading into the new season.
Barnett arrives with real credibility after being named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, and Frost has pointed to his leadership and competitiveness as traits that can steady the offense. For a Knights team that finished 5-7, the hope is that a clearer pecking order under center can help the rest of the roster settle in, even if the bigger test still waits once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]