New offensive firepower arrives as UCF aims to revitalize its scoring, while a battle for defensive dominance heats up on the field.
Spring football is around the corner for the UCF Knights, who brought in over 40 players through recruiting and the transfer portal.
ESPN writers collaborated to write an article analyzing and previewing spring football for all Big 12 teams. Tim Connelly wrote the UCF portion of the story.
Connelly’s focus for the Knights’ storyline was their offense. The team averaged 24.9 points, which is the lowest average since their 0-15 season in 2015.
“As is customary for this era, Scott Frost brought in a new batch of contributors,” Connelly wrote. “From quarterbacks Alonza Barnett III (James Madison) and Keyone Jenkins (Florida International), to running back Duke Watson (Louisville), to receivers Josh Derry (Monmouth) and Jonathan Bibbs (UL Monroe), to four offensive linemen who started at least once elsewhere in FBS last season.”
These key additions to Frost’s offense allow UCF to improve the potency of its offense. Barnett III led JMU to its first College Football Playoff appearance, throwing for over 2,500 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Watson fills the void of the missing Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon when their eligibility expired. The Louisville transfer led the nation in yards per attempt with 8.9 in 2024.
Connelly noted the defensive end group as the most intriguing position. Nyjalk Kelly and Malachi Lawrence, who recently performed in the NFL scouting combine, were UCF’s best players at pressuring opposing quarterbacks.
However, their departures — like Montgomery and Nixon — created another position for the Knights to focus on rebuilding in the offseason.
“Frost focused a lot of his portal effort on making sure he had the right players there,” Connelly added. “Adding a couple of successful Group of 5 ends (Akron's Bruno Dall, Old Dominion's Jahleel Culbreath) and a couple of unproven former blue-chippers (Arkansas' Ken Talley, Florida State's Jesse Harrold).”
Culbreath was the fourth-leading tackler for Old Dominion with 71 tackles. He also had nine tackles for a loss and three sacks, which were the second most on the team.
Dall, who has two years of eligibility left, had a stellar 2025 season, making Third Team All-MAC. He had 44 tackles (18 solo), 8.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks.
Connelly named Barnett III as the player to watch for UCF.
“The hope has to be that he can immediately come in and provide both a lift and an identity for a UCF attack that needed both a season ago,” Connelly added. “The Knights weren't efficient enough to generate any sort of sustained tempo, and they didn't make enough big plays to make up the difference. Barnett has certainly been a difference-maker in the big plays department.”
Connelly’s UCF portion of the story highlighted the team’s promising future with their new additions. However, the pieces must come together for Frost and the program to earn a bid to a bowl game.
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