UCF is heading into Saturday’s game at Kansas with the quarterback picture still cloudy, and that’s nothing new for the Knights.
After a 41-9 loss to Baylor on Friday night, UCF had to pivot again when starter Keyone Jenkins left early in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Jenkins had been managing that issue for several weeks, according to coach Scott Frost, and the Knights were left scrambling to finish the game.
Alonza Barnett III handled most of the rest of the night after returning from a hamstring injury that had kept him out of the previous five games. Barnett opened the season as the starter before getting hurt late in UCF’s 12-7 loss at Pittsburgh on Sept.
- True freshman Rocco Marriott also got into the mix on the final series, using a quarterback scramble to pick up 56 yards before losing the ball on the goal line three plays later and ending a potential scoring chance.
Now the question is which direction UCF goes against the Jayhawks. Frost said Monday that Barnett could be in line for action this weekend, while Jenkins’ status remains uncertain.
“I think Alonza’s healthy. I don’t know about Lyghtz (Jenkins) right now,” Frost said on Monday.
“It’s trending toward Alonza playing (this weekend). The update I got after the game was that Lyghtz might not be at full speed this week and whether he’s able to go.
We’ll see all the guys tonight and get a better idea.”
Jenkins finished the Baylor game 14 of 21 for 82 yards with an interception and was sacked three times. Barnett went 8 of 16 for 133 yards and took four sacks.
For the season, Jenkins has completed 68% of his passes for 1,181 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also run for 61 yards on 46 carries and scored four times on the ground.
His QBR of 60.9 ranks ninth among Big 12 quarterbacks, ahead of seven others, including Iowa State’s Jalen Raynor (59.9), Baylor’s DJ Lagway (59.6) and Kansas’ Isaiah Marshall (57.4). Pro Football Focus also lists Jenkins as the 10th-highest-graded offensive quarterback in the conference.
Barnett’s path back has been slower. UCF made him its top transfer target in the offseason, and he arrived after four seasons at James Madison.
He missed most of spring camp, came back in the fall and started the year by leading the Knights to a 73-6 win over Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 3.
He then started against Pittsburgh before the hamstring injury knocked him out.
In limited action, Barnett has thrown 65 passes for 477 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He has also been sacked eight times in 129 offensive snaps.
“We brought Alonso in here for a reason and it’s unfortunate he got hurt,” said Frost. “We would love to see him finish it out well. So, if that’s the direction we have to go, we’re going to go that way and be confident about it.”
Frost said Barnett has done a solid job staying engaged while recovering, even without the benefit of full reps.
“The good thing is I think he’s healthy again,” Frost said. “The tough thing is he’s missed a lot of reps over a lot of time, but he’s done a good job staying involved with game planning and knowing what to do. So, I think a full week of reps, if we have to go that direction, will help.”
The instability at quarterback has been a recurring issue for UCF. Over the past three seasons, the Knights have started eight different quarterbacks, including four in the two seasons since Frost returned to the program in 2025.
Kansas is dealing with its own uncertainty at the position. Isaiah Marshall, who started the first seven games, missed last Saturday’s 22-16 loss at TCU with an apparent lower leg injury. Cole Ballard stepped in and threw for 285 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the defeat.
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