Can the Knights take big strides this season?

As the 2026 college football season creeps a bit closer, UCF finds itself in a spot that feels… very familiar?  Not bad.  Not irrelevant.  Not exactly where we want them either.  Somewhere right in the middle where you keep telling yourself, “this could be the year,” while also mentally preparing for at least a few losses that will make you question your life choices.

But before we even get into football, can we all just take a collective deep breath and agree on something?  The whole Sorsby saga is over.  Done.  Finished.  As far as I’m concerned, anyway. And somehow all of college football agreed (correctly) that Texas Tech was completely wrong!?  I’m frankly rather shocked and elated.  That aside, can we please get back to real football, outside of a courtroom or conference table?  Thank you. I appreciate your cooperation.

If you’ve read anything I’ve written before, you already know where I’m coming from.  I live, breathe, and occasionally stress-eat (a lot of Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwiches) because of UCF football.  I also happen to be wired like a former auditor (because I am one), which means I don’t just drink the Kool-Aid…  I read the label, check the ingredients, and assume it’s expired.  “Trust but verify.”  It’s not negativity.  It’s self-preservation.  If I expect chaos and disappointment, I’m never surprised when either shows up, right on schedule.  Honestly, it’s cheaper than therapy.  And as a UCF fan for over 20 years now, I really could use some therapy.

Alright, let’s start with Scott Frost.  The feel-good return story phase is over.  That was fun.  We all smiled.  We all reminisced.  Now it’s time to actually win some football games. Nobody is saying he needs to roll through the Big 12 like it’s 2017 again, but at some point, we need to see a UCF team that looks like it knows what it’s doing for four quarters, not just stretches of a game.  Right now, UCF still feels like a team that is ideating success more than consistently achieving it.

That being said, there are reasons to believe this could work in 2026.

Offensively, the Knights should be good.  Like, legitimately good, outside of the questionable offensive line (but what else is new?).  I’m anticipating Alonza Barnett III should be good for around 2,800 passing yards and 20+ touchdowns, and he’ll add some rushing yards because, of course, he will in a Scott Frost offense.  That’s just how this offense works. That’s assuming we can keep him upright with our questionable offensive line (did I mention that already?).  The running game should be solid again, if not better. We’ve gotten so used to productive running backs at UCF that it barely registers anymore, which is kind of wild when you think about it.  Taveion Swint is my pick to watch, but Watson and Chambers bring experience.

At receiver, it’s the same story every year: speed.  Lots of it.  I’m hoping for one to break the 1,000-yard mark, and there will be a couple others who randomly pop off for huge plays just when you need them.  Duane Thomas Jr. and Waden Charles return, and we should finally get to see “DayDay” Farmer catch some passes.  And we can’t forget the cleverly named “Scary” Derry, who has wow’d plenty of folks this offseason.

So, offense should be in good shape… outside of the questionable offensive line (okay, I’m done).

And that brings us to the defense.

Look, I’m not asking for a top five unit.  I’m not even asking for dominance.  I’m just asking for something that doesn’t turn every fourth quarter into a live stress test.  If UCF can hold teams to around 24 to 27 points per game, get a few stops on third down, and maybe force a turnover or two at a key moment, that alone could swing a couple of games.  Right now, the defense feels capable, but it also seems like it’s still trying to figure itself out… in real time… with all of us watching.

Which is exciting.  And not always in a good way.

Off the field, though, nobody does it like UCF.  The Space Game is still elite.  The branding is cool without feeling forced.  Hopefully, we see the return of more helmet decals and a little of the razzle dazzle we missed last year.  The newly updated uniforms looked great last season, but we seemed to forget how to use anything other than the UCF stack logo on our lids.  That needs to be rectified in 2026.  It’s a small touch that makes a big impact for us sicko uniform lovers, like myself.

And yes, I know what you’re thinking…

The gold jerseys.

They’re not coming back.

At this point, gold uniforms are basically folklore.  Honestly, if they ever do come back, half the fan base won’t know how to act, and the other half will immediately complain that the shade of gold is wrong.  Maybe one day, but not in 2026.

Now, let’s talk about reality.  The Big 12 isn’t forgiving.  You don’t get a week off.  You don’t get to sleepwalk through a game and survive.  If UCF and Scott Frost are going to take a step forward, it’s pretty simple… they need to win the games they’re supposed to win and steal one or two they probably shouldn’t.

That’s why I’m landing on a 7-5 regular season for 2026.  A respectable record for a team still finding its identity in the P4 world, with a coach who’s only back at UCF for his fourth season, non-consecutively, speaking.  Let that sentence sink in for a moment.

The Knights should be okay.  Not glamorous.  Not terrible.  Just…honest.

Seven wins probably means a couple of solid performances where everything clicks, and you start thinking, “okay, here we go.”  It also probably means a couple of losses where you sit there afterward thinking, “how did that just happen?”  If we’re being truthful, there’s almost definitely one game in there that UCF has no business losing… and loses anyway. It’s kind of part of the experience at this point.

But here’s the thing: 7-5 doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

If those seven wins show progress, better execution, and a team that looks more disciplined than what we’ve seen recently, then you can build on that.  This program isn’t broken. It’s just not finished yet.  The talent is there.  The brand is there.  The opportunity is there.

Now, it’s about putting it all together in a way that feels sustainable, not just exciting in short bursts.

So yeah, maybe 2026 isn’t the year UCF takes over the Big 12.  Maybe it’s not the breakout everyone keeps hoping about every offseason.  But if it’s a step forward, a real step, then it matters.

And if nothing else, we’ll still have the Space Game, a few explosive plays, at least one completely unnecessary stress-filled loss, and all the emotional ups and downs that come with being a UCF fan.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Charge On!