Get to know the key faces on both sides of the ball

Photo Courtesy: Aryah Britt

The UCF Football roster will feature 30 new players in 2026, filling holes left behind by graduation and transfer portal entries. Scott Frost and his staff prioritized bringing in players with proven production, particularly in key positions across both lines of scrimmage and skill positions.

The headliner of the 2026 roster makeover is QB Alonza Barnett III. The reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year is the frontrunner to lead a Knights offense that sputtered far too often last season. He won’t be expected to do it alone, as the Knights will also rely on several new faces and a few returners to make an impact:

Taevion Swint

The local product was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, but an injury in preseason camp caused him to miss the entire season. Now fully healthy, Swint dedicated himself to the weight room this offseason and will push newcomers Duke Watson and Landen Chambers for carries.

Henry Tabansi

The 6’5′ 300-pound left tackle won’t make a lot of splash plays on Saturday, but the Knights are counting on his experience and explosiveness to solidify the offensive line and give Barnett time to orchestrate the system.

Dylan Wade

The Orlando area product had a productive first season for the Knights, setting tight end records for receptions and touchdowns. With defenses focused on limiting his production, can Wade amass similar production in 2026?

On the defensive side of the ball, the Knights lost several key pieces across the defensive line, including Edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, who figures to hear his name called early in the 2026 NFL Draft. The secondary, however, is a different story, as the Knights will return four starters who played at a high level in 2025.

Here are some names to watch in Alex Grinch’s defensive unit:

RJ Jackson

Entering his second year with the Knights, Jackson’s size and familiarity with the defensive scheme will be crucial in helping anchor a rebuilt defensive line. With increased playing time, the hope is that Jackson can improve on his 33-tackle, 2.5-tackle-for-loss performance in 2025.

Ty Bartrum

The 6’1″ senior joins the Knights from Harvard, where he was an All-Ivy League first team safety. Bartrum’s 2025 season of 83 tackles and 1 INT will fit nicely into a UCF secondary looking to replace Phillip Dunnam’s role from last seasons’ squad.

Jahleel Culbreath

The Old Dominion linebacker transfer has played a lot of productive football, amassing 149 tackles in three playing seasons for the Monarchs. The Knights need to replace the production of Cole Kozlowski, and Culbreath could be an interesting fit to slide into a linebacker spot next to Lewis Carter

With so many changes and new faces, get to know the entire roster courtesy of Adam Eaton and Christian Simmons, who broke down each position group for a recent YouTube series: