UCF WR Duane Thomas Jr. Says Offense Will Be Explosive

UCF football is entering the program's second year under head coach Scott Frost since his return and expectations have risen.

With the recent return of Cole Kozlowski to the defense, UCF has done a great job of bringing in new players and reuniting with key contributors from last year's squad.

One of the biggest new additions is at quarterback, as the Knights brought in Alonza Barnett III from James Madison.

After leading the Dukes to a College Football Playoff berth last season, Barnett is looking to repeat the success he had with UCF.

One of his main weapons on the outside, Duane Thomas Jr., had strong things to say about his QB1 following practice on Tuesday.

"AB, I heard Cush [Preston Cushman] call him a point guard, and that's exactly what he is," Thomas said. "Today, he dished out to a couple different guys in one drive and that's what you want to see from a quarterback."

Thomas went on to reference a recent post from UCF's X account, which showed Barnett completing passes to multiple different receivers, spreading the wealth in practice.

With Barnett at the helm and plenty of weapons at his disposal, UCF's offense should be much more consistent and explosive.

"Explosive" was exactly how Thomas predicted the Knights' offensive production to be on Tuesday, saying that having a bonafide starter in the room definitely helps.

Thomas praised the coaching staff for continuing to push him to improve, while saying that he was able to raise his level of intensity and focus from last year to the current offseason.

Last season, the speedy Thomas was the team leader in receptions (53) and receiving yards (528), showing the ability to make people miss in space.

In early May, Thomas was hailed as a top-10 lead receiver in the Big 12 according to CFBudge, coming in at the No. 9 spot.

Alongside talented newcomers like Tyren Hornes and Josh Derry, UCF's wide receiving room is versatile and explosive.

Having Dylan Wade, who posted the best season from a tight end in program history last year, also adds to the attack, giving Barnett a vertical deep threat to target.

With Barnett's mobility and willingness to spread the ball around to different targets, UCF's offense should be difficult to account for.

With the combination of depth and Frost's motion-heavy scheme, the Knights' recent quarterbacking woes should cease and give UCF a real chance to compete for a conference championship.