Alonza Barnett III is already giving UCF plenty to be excited about, and Monday brought another sign that the Knights may have landed a quarterback with real national juice.
Barnett was named to the Manning Award Watchlist, adding preseason recognition to a move that has quickly energized UCF’s offense. He had already been listed as a candidate for the Davey O’Brien Award just days earlier, putting him on the radar for two of the sport’s most notable quarterback honors before the season even kicks off.
The Manning Award, of course, is tied to the college football legacy of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. Last season, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza won it before going No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders months later.
For Barnett, that kind of attention matters. He still has work to do if he wants to push himself further onto NFL teams’ boards, but being included on this watchlist is a clear step in that direction.
What makes the buzz around Barnett feel real is what he already did before arriving in Orlando. Last season, he guided the Dukes into the College Football Playoff as one of two at-large mid-major teams. In the first round against Oregon, he handled the moment well, throwing for 273 yards, rushing for 45 more and accounting for three total touchdowns.
That performance carries even more weight when you consider what Oregon did next: the Ducks shut out Big 12 champion Texas Tech in the following round.
Barnett’s game also fits what Scott Frost wants to do on offense. His ability to extend plays and distribute the ball gives UCF a quarterback presence the program has been looking for, and the Knights believe that kind of stability can change the feel of the attack.
There’s optimism around what that means for the season ahead, though Barnett’s own ambitions go beyond simply getting UCF back to bowl contention.
"That's addicting bro," Barnett said about the opportunity to play in the CFP. "It was crazy.
Growing up, playing video games against Oregon, like De'Anthony Thomas, all the different flashy uniforms and all that stuff. It was loud from the first quarter through the fourth.
Nobody left."
He also talked about finishing his college career the right way and chasing another postseason run, this time in a UCF uniform.
In a college football world where quarterback play can tilt everything, the Knights believe they’ve found their answer.
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