ORLANDO — Few expected much from Scott Frost's second UCF season last time around. Then, the Knights caught lightning in a bottle, beat every team in their path and claimed a national ***** le when the NCAA's Colley Matrix rating system crowned them as champions.
As it opens training camp Aug. 3, UCF faces incredibly long odds to repeat that feat in 2026, projected to finish in the bottom half of the Big 12 for a fourth consecutive year. The Knights are 7-20 against league opponents, including a 2-12 mark away from the Acrisure Bounce House.
Frost and four players addressed local and national reporters July 7 at the Big 12's media days in Frisco, Texas. However, many of the questions asked then will not have an answer until the Knights take the field — for practice and beyond.
Here are three important queries that could define whether UCF can push toward the conference's upper echelon, or whether it will be another battle to scrape a bowl game come November.
On paper, the Knights should have gotten significantly better behind center with the addition of Alonza Barnett III from James Madison. He earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year honors with 2,806 passing yards, 589 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns, leading the Dukes to an unlikely appearance in the College Football Playoff.
#scott
As it opens training camp Aug. 3, UCF faces incredibly long odds to repeat that feat in 2026, projected to finish in the bottom half of the Big 12 for a fourth consecutive year. The Knights are 7-20 against league opponents, including a 2-12 mark away from the Acrisure Bounce House.
Frost and four players addressed local and national reporters July 7 at the Big 12's media days in Frisco, Texas. However, many of the questions asked then will not have an answer until the Knights take the field — for practice and beyond.
Here are three important queries that could define whether UCF can push toward the conference's upper echelon, or whether it will be another battle to scrape a bowl game come November.
On paper, the Knights should have gotten significantly better behind center with the addition of Alonza Barnett III from James Madison. He earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year honors with 2,806 passing yards, 589 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns, leading the Dukes to an unlikely appearance in the College Football Playoff.
#scott
12 days ago
