Knights land a championship-winning Bison DB. Jailen Duffie reunites with his former coach, bringing proven talent and defensive prowess to UCF's secondary.
The UCF Knights have been active in the transfer portal, acquiring 11 players and North Dakota State defensive back transfer Jailen Duffie has reunited with defensive backs coach Will Johnson.
Duffie entered the transfer portal on Dec. 30 and committed to UCF on Wednesday. The 5-foot-11 defensive back has two years of eligibility remaining and is a valuable pick-up for his position group.
He is a promising talent, grading out as a top-5 defensive back in the Missouri Valley Football Conference for forced incompletion percentage (20%), lowest catch rate allowed (43.3%) and fewest yards allowed per coverage (0.55), according to Cam Mellor of Pro Football Sports Network.
"He is an all-conference type performer, and we've kind of known that, but Jailen's battling this thing: can he stay healthy and consistently do it?" NDSU coach Tim Polasek said. "I think once we see that happen, you're really talking about a kid that I really appreciate, I mean, his smile on his face this morning, talking to him. He's very appreciative. I think I haven't seen him or Jaquise [Alexander] attack each day as good as they are right now. They're in a really good spot mentally. It was really good to find out Duff went down to the Twin Cities to see some of his cousins for the break. He was excited about that. Jailen's a good football player, an aggressive football player."
Duffie started his career with the Bison in 2023 and learned under Johnson's tutelage in the last two years. He made the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Second Team and recorded 15 tackles (12 solo), a tackle for loss, two passes defended and a forced fumble.
The former Bison was part of the 2024 squad, winning the NCAA Division I FCS national title, and accumulated 26 tackles (18 solo) and had two tackles in 10 of 12 games. Duffie brings championship experience to Orlando and Coach Scott Frost's program.
He can continue to develop under Johnson and potentially become an integral part of UCF's defense for years to come, especially with multiple seniors returning.
Defensive backs Braeden Marshall, Antione Jackson, Demari Henderson and Jayden Bellamy are upcoming seniors. Those four players returning for their final seasons means Duffie could become a lead defensive back for Frost in 2027.
Duffie's commitment to UCF highlights the importance of connections in college football. He entered the portal when the Knights announced Johnson's hire as the defensive backs coach and joined him a little over a week later.
Johnson's resume with the Bison and Duffie's potential bolster a UCF pass defense consistently ranked in the upper echelon of the Big 12 this past season.