With Belfort's exit, Knights face a critical backup QB void. Will incoming recruits rise, or must the portal deliver?
Davi Belfort entered his name in the transfer portal on Monday, becoming the fourth quarterback to leave UCF, and his decision to take his talents elsewhere creates a hole at the backup position.
A backup quarterback is valuable for stability and emergency play when an injury sidelines a starter. The Knights witnessed Cam Fancher and Tayven Jackson step up when the other went down.
Fancher exited the season opener against Jacksonville State with a back and leg injury in the second quarter. Jackson led the charge in his teammate's absence, throwing for 282 yards, two touchdowns and completing 17 of 24 passes.
"It was obviously a weird situation," Jackson said. "Cam did a good job in the beginning of the game, but he got banged up, and it was always, 'Stay ready, your opportunity will always come.' I was ready, and I just went in there and played like how I played. My team did an amazing job, and everyone did an amazing job — offensive line, receivers, defense on stops, like this team is going to be great. We just got to clean up a little bit of stuff."
Jackson's performance cemented him as the starter for the rest of the season, but even he had his fair share of injuries. He suffered a left AC joint sprain against the Kansas Jayhawks, sidelining him for his team's next game against Cincinnati.
Fancher started against the Bearcats and had his best performance of the year. He threw for 222 yards and rushed for a season-high 108 yards on 20 carries for one touchdown.
The two quarterbacks provided experience, stability and emergency play when needed. Coach Scott Frost praised Fancher's personality on Early Signing Day when asked about the possibility of him receiving a medical redshirt.
"I would love to have Cam back in the program," Frost said. "Just the toughness that he plays with and the commitment to football and who he is as a person make him somebody that you want to have around."
UCF does not have veteran, experienced backups after Jackson, Belfort, Fancher and Jacurri Brown entered the transfer portal. Incoming 2026 recruits Rocco Marriott and Dante Carr could back up Alonza Barnett III, but they need to be developed, especially considering Frost's comments about Carr.
"We have some work to do with him on his stroke, and I think he knows that, but he's a fantastic athlete and fantastic kid," Frost said. "Dante's a guy that I'm really excited to work with, work on his mechanics a little bit, and I think if we get that ironed out, he's got the athletic ability and just the approach to the game that can make him really good."
Marriott and Carr possess immense dual-threat potential for Frost and his offense, but the Knights will need a proven backup like Jackson or Fancher, who could keep the team stable during a time of need.
Frost will have three days to peruse the portal and find another quarterback to back up Barnett III in case of an injury.