QB Alonza Barnett headlines the new Knights

This article appears in the January 7th edition of the 365Sports Newsletter, which you can find here

UCF solidifies QB1 with Alonza Barnett II

The UCF Knights wasted very little time locking down the QB position with the signing of Alonza Barnett III from James Madison University. With the portal opening on January 2^nd, Scott Frost and staff made the redshirt senior Barnett a priority, hosting him on January 3^rd before ultimately getting his commitment on January 4^th. His signing gives UCF some immediate stability at the QB position, something the Knights did not have in 2025 when they were forced to play four quarterbacks. He also brings a dynamic skill set, evidenced by his 23 touchdown passes and 15 touchdown runs for a Dukes’ team that made it to the college football playoff in 2025.

Barnett will walk into the building on Day 1 as the starter, a far departure from the past few seasons at UCF, where quarterback controversies and battles have run well into the preseason. This will allow him will have a full spring and fall camp to learn the offensive system and take first-team reps to acclimate with his new teammates.

Help Wanted: Big People and Fast People

Now that UCF has Barnett in the fold, they need to surround him with a competent offensive line and playmakers in the backfield and out wide. The Knights began addressing both of these areas in their first portal signees, inking lineman Cooper Terpstra (Michigan State) and Brady Wayburn (UConn), along with running back Landen Chambers (Arkansas State).

These signings came a day after UCF solidified a recruiting commitment from four-star wide receiver Tyren Hornes, who quietly committed on early signing day but held his announcement until this past weekend. Hornes is expected to enroll in January with a goal of earning some early playing time.

All told, based on graduations and portal additions, the Knights will likely need to have a portal signing class of around 30 players, which means they will be busy trying to plug holes on their roster right up until the January 16^th closing date.

Staying Put

UCF also received a shot in the arm from several key players announcing their intention to return to the Knights in 2026. Four starters from the secondary, Jayden Bellamy, Antoine Jackson, Demari Henderson, and Braeden Marshall, are all set to return to the backend of the defense. Up front, defensive tackle RJ Jackson announced his return, and his fellow linemate Horace Lockett shocked everyone by removing his name from the portal and announcing a return to Orlando in 2026.

On the offensive side, UCF has received notable return announcements from WR Duane Thomas, Jr, WR Waden Charles, RB Taevion Swint, and TE Dylan Wade.

New members of the coaching staff announced

Scott Frost recently announced two new members of his coaching staff to fill vacant roles leading the offensive line and defensive backs.

AJ Blazek was named offensive line coach, replacing Shawn Clark, who tragically passed away in September. Blazek comes to UCF from his most recent stop at Wisconsin, with stints at Vanderbilt and Iowa prior. As mentioned above, Blazek will likely be tasked with rebuilding a line impacted by graduations and transfer portal additions.

Will Johnson was named defensive backs coach, replacing Brandon Harris, who took a position with Florida. Johnson comes to UCF from North Dakota State, where he coached defensive backs this past season. Before that, Johnson coached as a graduate assistant under Alex Grinch at Oklahoma and USC.

Quote Me On That

“The ability to win.”

Alonza Barnett III, when asked what he brings to UCF