A quick portal detour led Horace Lockett back home. Discover the family and football reasons behind his heartfelt return to the Knights.
Horace Lockett entered the transfer portal searching for greener pastures, but it didn't feel right. He felt a bit empty leaving Orlando and the UCF Knights, so he returned to the team days after his announcement.
In RISE, a UCF football YouTube series, Lockett explained his decision to enter the transfer portal and withdraw his name several days later.
"My decision was family-based," Lockett said. "My mom was going through a lot of complications with her health, and I just panicked. [I] Didn't know if I needed to be closer to her. But I'm glad to be back. I'm glad that the staff welcomed me back with open arms — and the players and everybody."
Lockett's season ended early after suffering a torn pectoral muscle against Kansas State in September. The Georgia Tech transfer trended towards a breakout season with the Knights.
He totaled 13 tackles (eight solo), three tackles for a loss (career-high), a sack (first of his career), a forced fumble, two pass breakups and two passes defended in four games.
Trent Mossbrucker, UCF football's general manager, emphasized honest communication with the Knights who entered the transfer portal. Seeing Lockett's production in four games, Mossbrucker said he felt UCF was where the 6-foot-6 defensive tackle would thrive.
"When a young man decides to enter the portal for us, it's about open lines of communication, being able to communicate with them at a high level and efficiently," Mossbrucker said. "Understand where their thought process is, why they're going in this direction. But for Horus, we truly felt like this was the best place for him to be able to get to where he wants to go as a player."
Mossbrucker's comments align with how Lockett feels about UCF, who said it's his home and a part of him left when he entered the portal.
"I found happiness back into football with UCF," Lockett said. "Like, I just love being out here. So, it was really like when I hit it, a part of me felt like it just left."
Lockett's early-season-ending injury set him up for a return in the spring when the Knights started preparing for spring football. Whether it's in the weight room or out on the practice fields, Lockett is ready to work with his returning teammates and new transfers.
"I feel like knowing that you got 11 killers, 22 killers, however many you want to count it, you got 11 killers on that field that's going to be with you the ride or die," Lockett said.
