Veterans clash with explosive freshmen as the Knights seek a reliable backup signal-caller to fortify a roster previously plagued by injuries under center this fall.
The UCF Knights have their starting quarterback in Alonza Barnett III, but there is no confirmed backup, leading to one of the more interesting position battles during fall camp.
It's been an ongoing competition dating back to spring camp. It's a four-way battle between Keyone Jenkins, Kaleb Annett, and freshmen Dante Carr and Rocco Marriott.
Jenkins could be an early favorite to win the backup role because of his experience. He was a three-year starter at FIU, starting 33 games for the Panthers.
FIU's signal-caller ended his illustrious career second all-time in career touchdowns (42) and third in passing yards (6,713) and passing completions (546).
His experience is what UCF needs if Barnett goes down for an extended period due to injury. The Knights saw four different quarterbacks take the field throughout last season because injuries plagued the position.
Jenkins may have the edge over his competitors, but he sung their praises during the spring. He told reporters this year's quarterback room was the best he's been around, citing everybody's dual-threat abilities.
"A lot of guys can do a lot of things differently, but I feel like the whole room is able to scramble and make plays and extend plays as a group," Jenkins said on May 2.
Carr dominated the Pennsylvania high school scene at Minersville High School, throwing and rushing for over 1,000 yards in his senior campaign. He enrolled early at UCF to participate in spring camp and acclimate to college football sooner rather than later.
Coach Scott Frost said he was excited to help Carr iron out his mechanics, as he sees the freshman's potential to become a talented quarterback with his athletic ability.
Marriott is bringing his championship experience from Missouri to Orlando. He won back-to-back state titles with Platte County High School and etched his name in the state football record books.
The former four-star recruit ended his storied high school career with over 10,000 yards and 160 touchdowns. He became one of UCF's biggest recruiting steals after flipping his commitment from James Madison.
UCF's highest-ranked quarterback commit noted the difference in speed between college and high school football. He said quarterbacks don't have time to sit in the pocket, run around and make plays.
The freshmen are talented, but they could redshirt this season and learn under Barnett and Jenkins, sharpening their skills for 2027.
Annett is a bit of a wild card for the Knights. The Boise State transfer is three years removed from elite play after two seasons of no game action at his previous program.
He was a three-star recruit in high school in 2023, helping lead Corona del Mar to the Southern Section Division 4 championship game. Annett finished his career throwing for 4,163 yards and 41 touchdowns, recording nine games with three or more touchdown passes.
Fall camp starts next week for UCF, and the backup quarterback competition may be an interesting battle to watch. Jenkins' proven production as a veteran is a rarity and could help him win the spot behind Barnett.
