UCF QB Alonza Barnett III Will Start in Week 10 Against Kansas

Alonza Barnett III's long-awaited return as the starting quarterback for the UCF Knights is over, as coach Scott Frost said he will start against the Kansas Jayhawks.

Frost said Barnett is healthy and would love to see him finish the season strong. The star transfer returned last Friday in the 10th annual Space Game against the Baylor Bears.

He relieved Keyone Jenkins, who trainers helped off the field, right before halftime. UCF's coach knighted him as the starter after he led the program to a historic upset over the then-No. 2 BYU Cougars on Oct. 24, throwing for 293 yards and four total touchdowns.

Barnett struggled against Baylor, as the offensive line lost one-on-ones against pass rushers who pressured him. He completed 8-for-16 passes for 133 yards and rushed for -23 yards on six carries.

The Knights may go through another adjustment period with the redshirt senior. Jenkins started for six weeks, and Frost and offensive coordinator Steve Cooper tailored their playcalling to his strengths: short and intermediate passes.

They'll likely have to do the same for Barnett, but the original plan was to play through the James Madison transfer at the beginning of the season. Frost said the program will go as far as Barnett would take them.

Saturday's game is a crucial matchup.

UCF is facing its toughest demons: road games. The team hasn't broken a 12-game road losing streak since 2024, and collapsed in back-to-back weeks against the then-No. 20 Houston Cougars and then-No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys.

A winless road record last season extended a bowl drought to two seasons. Conquering road demons would be a step in the right direction, inching one step closer to breaking that horrendous streak and bowl drought.

Frost sported a 4-4 record after eight games last season and finished the season 1-3. He cannot repeat history, especially after pulling off a historic upset against BYU, who dashed their hopes last year.

Barnett will be thrown into the fire, playing his first full game against a Big 12 defense. He saw Baylor's front seven terrorize his offensive linemen and will face a top-3 Big 12 passing defense.

Kansas allows 117.9 yards per game, 3.3 more than TCU. No quarterback has thrown over 300 yards against them, a tough challenge for Barnett in his return.

The Knights' bowl dream is in the star transfer's hands for the rest of the season. Jenkins held the fort while he was sidelined, and it's his turn to repay the favor.