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Tag: UCF Knights

  • Jazz sending ex-Florida, UCF stars to Grizzlies in blockbuster deal for All-Star

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    All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. has been traded to the Utah Jazz in what will be an eight-player, multiple-pick deal with the Grizzlies that results in former Florida Gator and 2025 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Walter Clayton Jr. and former UCF forward Taylor Hendricks also heading to Memphis.

    Utah is also sending Georges Niang and Kyle Anderson and three future first-round picks to the Grizzlies.

    Jackson, Jock Landale, John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. will be going to Utah with Jackson Jr.

    In the offseason, Memphis previously had traded guard Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for multiple draft picks and a pick swap. He apparently was the first shoe to drop.

    Memphis has been engaged in talks about trading star guard Ja Morant as well. For now, the Grizzlies decided to part with Jackson, a former defensive player of the year.

    Jackson averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season for Memphis, the team that drafted him No. 4 overall in 2018. He was a two-time All-Star for the Grizzlies, the 2023 defensive player of the year, a two-time blocked shot champion and a three-time all-defensive team pick.

    Of the four Utah players moving to Memphis in the deal, none averaged more than 7.1 points per game this season. Niang has yet to play because of injury; he was with the Atlanta Hawks last season, got traded to the Boston Celtics in July and then sent to Utah in August.

    Clayton Jr. was selected No. 18 overall by the Jazz in the 2025 NBA Draft. Hendricks, picked No. 9 overall in the 2023 draft, was in his third season with the Jazz, but he missed all but three games last season after fracturing his right fibula and dislocating his ankle.

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    Spectrum Sports Staff, Associated Press

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  • Florida, UCF land new quarterbacks in portal; former USF star heads to Auburn

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    FLORIDA — Florida and Auburn have new quarterbacks to pair with new head coaches, and UCF has added a passer from the 2025-26 College Football Playoff for 2026.

    What You Need To Know

    • Alonza Barnett III, who led James Madison to the College Football Playoff, will play for UCF coach Scott Frost in 2026

    • Former Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo is transferring to Florida

    • Gators running back Jaden Baugh also has signed a new contract to stay with Florida

    • Ex-USF quarterback Byrum Brown will join former Bulls coach Alex Golesh at Auburn next season

    Alonza Barnett III, who led James Madison into the 2025-26 College Football Playoff and was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, will join Scott Frost’s Knights team in 2026. Barnett threw for 2,806 yards with 23 passing touchdowns while adding 589 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground and led the Dukes to the Sun Belt championship this past season. Through his redshirt junior season, he notched 5,433 career passing yards with 49 touchdowns and rushed for 1,075 yards and 23 touchdowns.

    UCF’s starting quarterback for most of last season, Tayven Jackson, entered the transfer portal.

    Georgia Tech’s Aaron Philo announced his commitment to the Gators on Tuesday and will follow former Yellow Jackets offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner from Atlanta to Gainesville. Philo is expected to compete with redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr. for the starting job to replace departed DJ Lagway. Philo, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound junior, worked with Faulkner the past two seasons, serving as backup to Haynes King and appearing in eight games.

    The Gators got more good news from the transfer portal when they won a bidding war with Texas for running back Jadan Baugh, who rushed for 1,170 yards and caught 33 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns at Florida last season. Other high-profile players returning to the Gators include top tackler Myles Graham, leading receiver Vernell Brown III and wide receiver Dallas Wilson.

    Philo joins former Tech teammate Bailey Stockton, a receiver and brother of Georgia quarterback Gunnar Stockton, and Penn State offensive lineman TJ Shanahan as key guys to pick Florida since the transfer portal opened Friday. The Gators are rebuilding under new coach Jon Sumrall.

    South Florida’s Byrum Brown, meanwhile, announced he is following former Bulls coach Alex Golesh to Auburn.

    Brown reposted on his Instagram account an On3 post announcing that the quarterback is making the move. Brown has thrown for 7,690 yards and 61 touchdowns while also rushing for 2,265 yards and 31 scores over the last four seasons at South Florida. 

    He completed 66.3% of his passes for 3,158 yards with 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. He also rushed for 1,008 yards and 14 touchdowns on 175 carries while helping South Florida go 9-3 in the regular season.

    At UCF, other key players who are staying with the Knights are defensive tackles Horace Lockett Jr., who had entered the transfer portal, and RJ Jackson and defensive backs Braeden Marshall and Antione Jackson.

    In addition to Barnett, the transfer portal so far has brought the Knights running back Landen Chambers from Central Arkansas; offensive lineman Cooper Terpstra from Michigan State; offensive lineman Brady Wayburn from UConn, offensive lineman Tyler Gibson from Charlotte; offensive lineman Henry Tabansi from Buffalo; linebacker Tackett Curtis from Wisconsin; and defensive backs Kahmel Johnson from Wayne State and Caleb Flagg from Missouri.

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    Spectrum Sports Staff, Associated Press

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  • Florida’s colleges begin restocking football rosters with early signings

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    FLORIDA — College football programs throughout Florida announced written commitments for 2026 on Wednesday, the first of the three-day early signing period for high school players.

    On his first early signing day since returning to UCF, coach Scott Frost announced 13 commitments, including two quarterbacks, two running backs and six in-state prospects.

    “Today went off without a hitch. I really like the group that we got. It was a no-drama day. Everything was in and done early,” Frost said. “Recruiting high school kids is a really important way to build the foundation of your team and get guys in the program who can help now or be developed into guys that you hope you can keep for a long time.  But it’s not the only way to build and improve a team anymore.”

    Frost said investing in high school players, from a money standpoint, means they need to have a good chance of playing.

    “I want to make sure we have a team that has the best chance possible to compete next year,” Frost said.

    Last year, UCF had to bring in 60-70 new players after the graduation of many seniors and the departure of then-coach Gus Malzahn.

    Frost said that he hopes to bring back a lot of players who they want to build around.

    “That’s going to mean that we can fill in holes rather than build an entire team,” he said. “That’s definitely a better position to be approaching this from.”

    Frost said he and his staff looked at high school players who have the traits that will help them develop soon into players who will improve the team.

    “There’s a lot of size and length,” Frost said. “I think we can get bigger. We certainly need to get a little tougher as a football team. But I really like the size and length of a lot of these guys. I like the elite speed of a lot of guys. And overall, I just like the upside of the class.”

    He said he and his staff are in a better position to know the players already on the roster and the holes that need to be filled.

    Frost said the program should be in an even better recruiting position next season. He said it takes more than a year to recruit a player and he got back to UCF so late last year that it put the team behind in recruiting for this year’s class.

    He said he expects to leave a couple positions open for the late signing period to maybe add some quality players who fell through cracks.

    • Running back Kaj Baker out of Miami and Somerset Academy
    • Quarterback Dante Carr out of Minersville (Pa.) High
    • Offensive lineman Kasiyah Charlton out of Brunswick (Ga.) High
    • Tight end Brooks Hall out of Platte County (Mo.) High
    • Linebacker Preston Hall out of Missouri City, Texas and Ridge Point High
    • Edge rusher Alhassan Iddrissu out of Oakdale, Conn., and St. Thomas More High
    • Defensive back Elijah Keys out of Jacksonville Duncan U. Fletcher High
    • Running back Arthur Lewis IV out of Palatka Bartram Trail High
    • Quarterback Rocco Marriott out of Platte County (Mo.) High
    • Defensive tackle Noah Mercer out of Key West High
    • Linebacker Matthew Occhipinti out of Saddle Brook, N.J., and Don Bosco Prep
    • Defensive back Amarion Queen out of Martin County High
    • Offensive lineman Amahn Williams out of Randolph, Mass., and Tabor Academy

    While Frost has been busy recruiting, he said he has been looking for an offensive line coach, too. Coach Shawn Clark died early in the season. Frost said he doesn’t expect to make any other changes to his staff.

    USF Bulls

    The biggest news out of USF on Wednesday was the hiring of former Ohio State offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline as their new head coach. He replaces Alex Golesh, who was hired as Auburn’s coach after the regular season.

    That did not slow recruiting at USF, which announced 17 players made official commitments on early signing day. Fourteen of those players are from Florida high schools. The Bulls loaded up in the defensive backfield, with four cornerbacks and two safeties. They also signed four defensive linemen.

    • Linebacker Lorenzo Barnes from Marianna
    • Running back Jayson Franklin out of Fayetteville, N.C.      
    • Defensive lineman Iverson Garcia-Ponce out of Knoxville, Tenn.
    • Defensive end Demetrius Geathers Jr. out of Deerfield Beach
    • Kicker Gaston Gramatica from Tampa
    • Offensive lineman Jordan Harrison out of Clinton, Md.
    • Wide receiver Gabe Legrand out of Lake Wales
    • Defensive lineman Sager Quinn out of Cahutta, Ga.
    • Defensive end Peter Ramil out of Binghamton, N.Y.
    • Wide receiver Dmari Roberts out of St. Petersburg
    • Cornerback Derrick Nichols III out of Miami
    • Linebacker Dennis King III out of Daytona Beach
    • Safety CJ Cresser out of Brooksville
    • Cornerback Ja’Kyri Watson out of Kissimmee
    • Cornerback Masiyah Limehouse out of Plant City
    • Cornerback Keyshaun Birks out of St. Petersburg, Fla.

    Florida Gators

    The University of Florida, which earlier this week announced it had hired Jon Sumrall to replace Billy Napier as coach, announced the signings of 16 high school players, including six offensive linemen and two edge rushers. All but seven signees are from Florida.

    • Cornerback CJ Bronaugh out of Orlando Windermere
    • Offensive lineman Corey Brown out of Gainesville and Jones
    • Offensive lineman Chancellor Campbell out of St. Petersburgh Lakewood
    • Offensive lineman G’Nivre out of Ocala and IMG Academy
    • Offensive lineman Tyler Chukuyem out of Douglasville, Ga., and South Paulding High
    • Wide receiver Marquez “Quez” Daniel out of Tuskegee, Ala., and Booker T. Washington High
    • Edge rusher KJ Ford out of Dallas, Texas Duncanville High
    • Offensive lineman Desmond Green out of Alvin, S.C., and Timberland High
    • Quarterback Will Griffin out of Treasure Island and Tampa Jesuit
    • Wide receiver Davian Groce out of Frisco, Texas Lone Star High
    • Defensive lineman Kendall “KG” Guervil out of Fort Myers High
    • Tight end Heze Kent out of Brunswick (Ga.) High
    • Offensive lineman Javarii Luckas out of Belle Glade Glades Central
    • Edge rusher Jareylan “Reylan” McCoy out of Tupelo, Miss., High
    • Inside linebacker Malik Morris out of Lakeland High           
    • Wide receiver Justin Williams out of Gainesville Buchholz  

    Florida State Seminoles

    Florida State signed the largest class of the state programs that Spectrum Sports regularly follows — 30 players, including some from NFL Academy and junior colleges. The class, which has 14 from Florida schools, includes nine defensive linemen, seven offensive linemen and five wide receivers.

    • Defensive lineman Jalen Anderson out of Slidell, La., High School and Pearl River Community College in Mississippi
    • Defensive back Tre Bell III out of Westview, Fla., and Barbara Goleman Senior High
    • Wide receiver Brandon Bennett out of Miramar American Heritage School
    • Defensive lineman Wihtley Cadeau out of Atlanta and Booker T. Washington High
    • Defensive lineman Chris Carbin out of Powder Springs, Ga., and Hillgrove High
    • Wide receiver Devin Carter out of Evans, Ga., and Douglas County High
    • Defensive back Jordan Crutchfield out of Fort Pierce and Vero Beach High
    • Defensive lineman Judah Daniels out of Lehigh Acres and Fort Myers High School
    • Tight end Corbyn Fordham out of Ponte Vedra Beach and The Bolles School
    • Offensive lineman Luke Francis Jr., out of the NFL Academy in London, United Kingdom
    • Linebacker Daylen Green out of Bainbridge, Ga., and Gadsden County High
    • Offensive lineman Jakobe Green out of Quincy, Fla., and Gadsden County High
    • Offensive lineman Nikau Hepi out of Auckland, New Zealand and the NFL Academy
    • Offensive lineman Mike Ionata out of Tarpon Springs and Calvary Christian High
    • Defensive back Chuck Kennon out of Bradenton and Booker High
    • Linebacker Noah Lavallee out of Marietta, Ga., and Walton High School
    • Defensive lineman Damaad Lewis out of Charlotte N.C., Myers Park High School
    • Linebacker Karon Maycock out of Miami Central High School
    • Offensive lineman Steven Moore out of Memphis, Tenn., Barlett High School and Garden City (Kan.) Community College
    • Quarterback Jaden O’Neal out of Mustang, Okla., High School
    • Offensive lineman Steven Pickard Jr. out of Charleston, S.C. and IMG Academy
    • Defensive lineman Jaemin Pinckney out of Dorchester, S.C., Woodland High
    • Defensive lineman Earnest Rankins out of Scottsdale, Ga., and Southwest DeKalb High
    • Running back Amari Thomas out of Marianna and Blountstown High
    • Tight end Xavier Tiller out of Atlanta and Langston Hughes High
    • Wide receiver E.J. White out of Vero Beach High
    • Defensive lineman Franklin Whitley out Greenville (S.C.) Senior High
    • Wide receiver Darryon Williams out of Tampa Plant High
    • Linebacker Izayia Williams out of Tavares High School
    • Wide receiver Jonah Winston out of Hoover (Ala.) High School

     

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    Spectrum Sports Staff

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  • Kansas’ defense stymies UCF to escape with 27-20 win

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    ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kansas’ defense came up with two decisive plays near the goal line, setting up the Jayhawks’ go-ahead touchdown with a strip sack and fumble recovery to stop UCF on three consecutive plays from the 1 with less than two minutes remaining to help Kansas beat the Knights 27-20 on Saturday night.

    Kansas’ Trey Lathan recovered a fumble at the 2 late in the third quarter off a strip sack from Jalen Dye, setting up the go-ahead 2-yard touchdown run from Leshon Williams. Lathan then tackled Cam Fancher on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with 1:47 to secure the victory.

    “You are expecting to lose in that situation,” Lathan said. “But when you come out with a W, it’s a great feeling.”

    Kansas (4-2, 2-1 Big 12) lost last week’s game to Cincinnati after a goal line battle, ending with a Bearcats’ 2-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds remaining.

    UCF drove to the Kansas 22 after getting the ball back, but four straight incompletions that included a pass breakup in the end zone by Austin Alexander, ended the Knights’ final threat.

    Kansas erased an early 14-0 lead from UCF (3-2, 0-2) after Myles Montgomery and the Knights ran all over the Jayhawks in the first half.

    Jalon Daniels led the charge for Kansas, throwing for 235 yards on 18-for-26 passing. Williams rushed for 58 yards and three touchdowns for the Jayhawks.

    “These guys are growing,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. “I think this can be a big one for them to gain some confidence.”

    Montgomery rushed for 99 of his 110 yards in the first half, scoring two touchdowns to stake the Knights to an early lead.

    UCF’s Tayven Jackson finished with 97 yards on 14-for-23 passing. He left the game after his turnover and came out of the locker room with his left arm in a sling. Coach Scott Frost said X-rays on his shoulder were negative.

    Fancher, who started UCF’s opening game against Jacksonville State before leaving with an injury, completed 8 of 14 passes for 79 yards.

    The Knights could not find answers in the second half and lost for the second straight game.

    “I think we’re one of the most talented teams in the Big 12, we’ve just got to finish,” UCF receiver Duane Thomas Jr. said. “We have to play a complete football game. We can’t go out the first two quarters and lay down the next two.”

    Off Suspension

    Part of the shift in the game came from Kansas linebacker Bangally Kamara, who was coming off suspension in the first half after a second-half targeting penalty last week against Cincinnati. Kamara finished with four tackles and provided a boost for the Jayhawks’ defense.

    Memorializing Coach Clark

    Both teams stayed on the field after pregame warmups for a moment of silence to recognize UCF offensive line coach Shawn Clark. Clark passed away Sept. 21. He joined UCF’s staff after five years as the head coach at Appalachian State.

    Fighting through injury

    Several players for Kansas were fighting through injury, including Williams. The biggest was to kicker Laith Marjan, who made two field goals. His 41-yarder in the third quarter just made it over the crossbar, clipping it before going through.

    Leipold admitted Marjan was probably a bit fatigued after he kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds following the short field goal.

    The Takeaway

    Kansas: The Jayhawks have been known for their offense throughout the season, but their defense stepped up in a big way to stymie the Knights.

    UCF: The Knights will again face quarterback questions after Jackson left the game with an injury. Jackson left last week’s game with a shoulder injury. Backup quarterback Jacurri Brown also missed the game with a shoulder injury.

    Up Next

    Kansas travels to face No. 11 Texas Tech on Saturday.

    UCF hits the road to face Cincinnati on Saturday.

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    Associated Press

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  • UCF dominates North Carolina A&T 68-7 in record-setting day

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    By  PHILIP ROSSMAN-REICH

    ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — UCF’s Jaden Nixon opened the game with a 92-yard touchdown return and added touchdown runs of 87 and 66 yards as UCF never looked back in a dominant 68-7 victory over North Carolina A&T.

    Nixon ran for 156 yards on four carries and two touchdowns. His 87-yard touchdown run was the third-longest in UCF’s history. The Knights also fell five points short of setting the program record for points scored in a game.

    “It’s just a determination that everyone else has, and putting it all together,” Nixon said. “It’s a team play. I know after that, everybody was like this is going to be a great game.”

    The Knights (2-0) took that opening kickoff and kept on running, steamrolling the Aggies even when many of the team’s reserves came into the game.

    Backup quarterback Jacurri Brown took over in the second half and rushed for 106 yards on five carries, including a 60-yard touchdown run.

    The Knights’ defense stepped up, too, recording two sacks and forcing three turnovers. That included a strip sack by defensive lineman Nyjalik Kelly that was recovered in the endzone by Rodney Lora.

    “Everybody was the strength,” Kelly said. “I feel like collectively the whole defense was the strength tonight.”

    UCF outgained North Carolina A&T 560-200 in the game. Shimique Blizzard got the Aggies on the board with a 17-yard touchdown run with three minutes to play.

    QB Shuffle

    UCF’s week one starter Cam Fancher was injured in the second quarter of the Knights’ opening game against Jacksonville State last week and was unavailable to play on Saturday.

    Tayven Jackson stepped in to lead the Knights to the win last week and continued to make a case to be the starter for the rest of the season.

    North Carolina A&T was forced to shuffle its quarterbacks, starting the game with Braxton Thomas before switching to Champ Long after one series. Long was knocked out of the game with an injury in the second quarter, forcing the Aggies to turn to freshman Jy Walls.

    Walls finished with 14 yards on 2-for-4 passing in his first taste of college action.

    First time, Long time

    Nixon’s opening kickoff return was UCF’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since Mike Hughes’ 95-yard return against USF in 2017, a game that helped the Knights clinch an undefeated season. It was the first opening kickoff return for a touchdown for the Knights since Quincy McDuffie’s 95-yard return against Tulane in 2010.

    Delayed Again

    The opening kickoff of the game was delayed by a little more than an hour due to lightning. It was the second straight game delayed by weather for UCF after last week’s game against Jacksonville State was paused for more than two hours.

    The Takeaway

    North Carolina A&T: North Carolina A&T continued to struggle to find its footing after a tough loss last Tennessee State. The Aggies have now lost 12 straight games and 23 of their last 25.

    UCF: The Knights got back to their big-play offense with five touchdown scores of 20 or more yards.

    Up Next

    UCF has a bye week next before hosting North Carolina on Sept. 20. North Carolina A&T plays its home opener next week against Hampton.

    —-

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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    Associated Press

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  • ‘Football is not life’: Frost back at UCF with a new perspective, same goal

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    ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Scott Frost is back in Orlando, but he isn’t the same man or coach that he was in 2016 when he first arrived.

    Frost has the mental and emotional scars to prove it.

    What You Need To Know

    • Scott Frost is back at UCF to try to revive the football program — again

    • In his first stint as the Knights’ coach, the team went undefeated and won the Peach Bowl in the second season 

    • Then his alma mater, Nebraska, called to hire him, and he struggled through 4-1/4 losing seasons before being fired

    • Frost said he knows now that “football is not life,” but he wants to help the Knights to be elite again

    After his teams went 13-31 in 4-1/4 seasons at Nebraska, the Knights’ head coach had to dust himself off. 

    Now he said he’s ready to lead the Knights in a new direction after they went 4-8 last season.

    “I feel like, in my bad times, I have something to prove. But this isn’t about me,” Frost said. “One of my first messages to the team tonight will be, ‘Football is what we do, and I want to be elite at it and be the best that we can be at it and get better every day. But football is not life’.”

    It’s hard to understand where you’re going without revisiting where you’ve been. Frost left UCF on top of the world in 2018.

    The 2017 football team he coached in his first stint at UCF had an undefeated season, became the 2018 Peach Bowl champion by beating Auburn of the powerhouse Southeastern Conference and had a Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback McKenzie Milton.

    After leaving UCF, his time in Nebraska and the Big Ten was anything but a smooth ride.

    “I think sometimes when you make football the most important thing in your life, then you ride the highs and lows of that,” Frost said. “It can wreck you individually and personally.”

    He was fired by his alma mater in 2022, and he didn’t coach college football for three years. He spent some time with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams as an analyst.

    Coming back to UCF isn’t for Frost’s ego, though. He said it’s for the black and gold.

    “I think if I said I had a lot to prove personally, that would be about me, and it’s not about me,” Frost said. “It’s about the university and this team.”


    Just like his first stint at UCF, Frost is taking over a program that finished the previous season with a losing record. He will be coaching in a new conference for the first time. The Knights were in the American Athletic Conference the last time. Now, they are in the Big 12 Conference.

    One difference this time is there are about 70 new players on the roster since last season.

    “I feel really good about the talent level on our team, but we’re largely unproven,” Frost said. “We don’t have a lot of returning production. So, it’s really going to be how fast can these guys operate at a level, that they can compete at the level in a game against teams from the Big 12.”

    It’s a new beginning for Frost in a similar place. But he knows success won’t come overnight.

    “Sometimes it happens slower than you want. Sometimes it happens faster than you want,” Frost said. “Last time I was here, it happened faster than even we expected. We have a saying around here that’s still up on the walls when I got back the first time, ‘rise and conquer’.”

    Frost’s return to UCF is more than a feel-good story. He is here to change the culture and win. 

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    Brandon Green

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  • From Nebraska back to Orlando: UCF assistant coaches return with Frost

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    ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — One of the most important attributes for a football team to have is trust, which starts with the head coach. 

    Scott Frost is the man in charge for the UCF Knights, and when he was filling out his coaching staff, he said he needed guys that were like family. 

    What You Need To Know

    • When Scott Frost returned to UCF, he brought back some of his former assistant coaches

    •  Sean Beckton Sr. is the UCF associate head coach and wide receivers coach

    •  Mike Dawson is the UCF edge rushers and defensive run coordinator coach

    • Beckton and Dawson were on Frost’s staff in 2016 and 2017 at UCF and followed him to Nebraska 

    • Get the latest on the upcoming season with Spectrum Sports’ 30-minute College Football Preview Show at 6:30 p.m. Thursday


    “I really like the mix of guys we have — starting with coach (Sean) Beckton (Sr.),” Frost said. “He’s kind of ‘Mr. UCF.’ When I got here the first time in 2016, I got about 300 calls and texts to keep coach Beckton. I’m sure glad I did. He’s as good of a guy as I’ve been around and as good as an all-around coach as I’ve been around.”

    Since 1987, Sean Beckton Sr. has been a part of the UCF football team. 

    He started as wide receiver for the Knights when they were an independent team at the Division II level and ended his playing career with what was then the most receiving yards and receptions in school history — 196 receptions and 2,493 receiving yards. That still is among the leaders in UCF history, and he is now in the UCF Hall of Fame.

    Beckton said the game of football is still the same. 

    “The guys are bigger, faster, stronger. The game hasn’t changed,” he said. “I played in an offense back in my days, when I caught 40 passes as a freshman.”

    Beckton was also on Frost’s coaching staff at UCF during the 2016-17 seasons and then followed Frost to coach in Nebraska.

    He said it was no-brainer when he received the phone call from Frost to be the Knights’ associate head coach and wide receivers coach.

    “It was a very good moment for me and my family,” Beckton said. “I thought it would be an easy transition from coach Malzahn’s staff to coach Frost.”


    Beckton isn’t the only tenured Knight on staff. UCF run game coordinator Mike Dawson also had the same journey of coaching with Frost for UCF and Nebraska. 

    He’s happy to be back at UCF. 

    “I was very flattered and excited when coach called me and told me he’s going to take the job. He asked if I was interested in coming. I couldn’t say yes fast enough,” Dawson said. “He called me boring because I didn’t try to negotiate some crazy contract or something. I was just excited to get back with him.”

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    Brandon Green

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  • Mystery surrounds UCF football as it opens 2025 season Thursday

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    ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — UCF’s football team starts the season on Thursday against Jacksonville State as something of a mystery. 

    After a 4-8 season in 2024, the coaching staff is mostly new, and coach Scott Frost needed to bring in nearly 70 players who weren’t on the team previously. The Knights have a new starting quarterback, running backs who did not start for the team last season, new kickers and mostly new starters at linebacker and in the defensive backfield.

    What You Need To Know

    • UCF kicks off its 2025 season at 7 p.m. Thursday against Jacksonville State at the Acrisure Bounce House



    • Knights coach Scott Frost and his staff brought in 70 new players in the offseason



    • Frost says the game will be the players’ first opportunity to show the team can be better than expected



    • Cam Fancher, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, has been named the starting quarterback for the game



    • Get the latest on the upcoming season with Spectrum Sports’ 30-minute College Football Preview Show at 6:30 p.m. Thursday



    Many of those players came through the transfer portal, so they aren’t new to college football, but they are new to each other.

    The good news is, Frost did not coach UCF last season, but he also started a rebuild of the program in 2016. That team went 6-6 and then had an undefeated season in 2017 before Frost left to coach Nebraska, his alma mater. Frost was in the American Athletic Conference, the Group of 5, then as opposed to now when the Knights are second-year members of the Big 12. But there is a familiarity, and the process is not new to him.

    Frost said he feels confident after spring and fall practices.

    “The preparation was really good. I feel confident about our athletic ability and how we’ve come together as a team,” Frost said.

    He is tempering expectations and has said repeatedly that success this season is defined by progress.

    “You get to the point that you practice so much that you need to see what they can do during a game,” Frost said. “…I feel like we’ve trained well. But everything changes once you are out there on the fields. I just want our guys to be ready to attack, to play with no fear of failure, and just play hard.”


    Pundits in the Big 12 and national media aren’t expecting a lot out of UCF’s football team this season, but Frost said that could be good for the Knights.

    “The kids are embracing the fact that, nationally, there’s not a lot expected of the group, and I think that’s been a motivation for them,” Frost said. “So, they’re going to get a chance to take their first step to proving people wrong on Thursday.”

    Starting running back Myles Montgomery agreed.

    “It’s a new team. I know what they can do. I’m ready for you guys to see it,” said Montgomery, who backed up RJ Harvey last season as Harvey turned in a season that led him to get drafted by the NFL’s Denver Broncos.

    Fancher will be starting quarterback, but the others aren’t out of the picture

    Frost confirmed Monday that Cam Fancher, a redshirt senior transfer from Florida Atlantic, will be the starting quarterback.

    “All three kids did an unbelievable job,” Frost said. “Cam’s going to run there to begin the game and begin the season, and we’ll go from there.”

    Frost said he trusts all three — the other two are Tayven Jackson, a redshirt junior transfer from Indiana, and redshirt junior Jacurri Brown, who saw playing time for the Knights last season after transferring from Miami. Frost said Jackson or Brown could get to play but that, for now, Fancher will start.

    Fancher is a left-hander, but Frost said that will not change who plays on the offensive line or at wide receiver.

    Knights will have options at many positions

    All the wide receivers are new to UCF, and Frost said they have shown a lot of growth since spring.

    “They all will have a chance to have an impact on the game,” he said.

    That will be common.

    “There will be several spots where multiple people get to play, and we’ve got a rotation, but I think we’re settled in pretty well,” Frost said.

    The exception will be on the defensive line, where three of the four starters are returning from last year’s team.

    Senior Nyjalik Kelly, who played for the Knights last season after transferring from Miami, said he expects the line to be a strength of the team.

    “You’re going to see us in the backfield,” Kelly said. “You’re going to see us on the other line of scrimmage having a party.”

    Frost said the entire team will need to keep getting better as the season progresses.

    “I really want our team to stay mission-focused and keep attacking and trying to make great plays,” Frost said. “Whether good things happen or bad things happen, we’ve got to keep the foot on the pedal and just keep pushing forward. I feel good about where we are, but we’ll get tested both ways — with good things and bad things.”

    He also wants the team’s growth to extend to the players themselves.

    “We’ve got a pretty special group of guys,” Frost said. “I told them the other day, when I was here the last time, there was a group of guys that came together so well that it was life-changing almost for them, what they got to experience together. And I want that for this group, too. I want them to have those kinds of trials and that kind of success. You take those kinds of experiences with you for the rest of your life, so we’re working to build that here again.”

    Season-opening opponent Jacksonville State also has many new faces

    The Gamecocks also have a new coach, Charles Kelly, after Rich Rodriguez resigned near the end of a 9-5 season in 2024 and went on to take over the West Virginia program.

    Kelly and his staff added 11 players in the transfer portal and 23 new players total for this season.

    On Sunday, he named Gavin Wimsatt as starting quarterback, Jacksonville State’s third in three seasons.

    Frost said Wimsatt can run as well as pass, so UCF’s defense will have to be ready for him.

    The Knights’ coach praised Kelly and his coordinators and acknowledged that he has had to watch a lot of other football programs’ games to prepare for Thursday’s game.

    “We’re not 100% sure what they’re going to be lined up in, and what they’re going to be doing. They’re probably not 100% sure about what we’re doing,” Frost said “…You go into a game like this, and it’s a little harder to scheme somebody else up. It kind of becomes just more line up and do what you do and play ball.”

    Some logistics to know before Thursday’s game

    Kickoff is at 7 p.m., but pregame inside the stadium starts at 6:30 p.m.

    The stadium has a new name, Acrisure Bounce House, to reflect a new naming rights agreement and the facility’s nickname, which comes from its up-and-down movement when fans in the stands jump up and down to cheer on the team.

    Construction is underway around the stadium, but all entry gates and the service road around it will remain open. Some walkways and portions of the walkways near IOA Plaza and the Nicholson Fieldhouse will be affected.

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  • Countdown is on for the kickoff of college football 2025 in Florida on Thursday

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    FLORIDA — The long wait for the start of college football season is over for fans in Florida this week.

    All of Florida’s major teams play over the weekend, and fans can watch at least one team from the state every day of the holiday weekend except Monday.

    What You Need To Know

    • USF and UCF get the 2025 college football season in Florida started Thursday with their home games

    • Bethune-Cookman opens its season Friday vs. Florida International

    • Preseason No. 15 Florida, Florida A&M and Stetson open Saturday, and Florida State hosts preseason No. 8 Alabama

    • No. 10 Miami wraps up the state’s first weekend of gridiron play against No. 6 Notre Dame

    USF kicks off the weekend for Florida teams with a 5:30 p.m. start Thursday at home against preseason No. 25 Boise State.

    That start time just edged out UCF, which plays host to Jacksonville State at 7 p.m. Thursday.

    The most intriguing games for most football fans in the state are Saturday, when Florida State will welcome in No. 8 Alabama, and Sunday, when the preseason No. 10 Miami Hurricanes will play host to preseason No. 6 Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m.

    Bethune-Cookman fills the Friday slot, with a road game against Florida International at 7 p.m.

    The traditional Saturday spot is filled with preseason No. 15 Florida at home against Long Island University at 7 p.m., Florida A&M playing Howard in Miami Gardens and Stetson welcoming in Webber International.

    Overall, the Gators might have the most challenging schedule of the season. Based on preseason rankings, which can change significantly, Florida will face seven teams ranked in the preseason Top 25 — Texas, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Texas A&M, Mississippi and Tennessee. If the Gators can perform well against that gauntlet of teams, that should help them at the end of the season with the College Football Playoff Committee, which announced Wednesday it will place more emphasis on strength of schedule this year when determining which teams make the 12-team field.

    FSU’s schedule is no slouch either. Including its opener against Alabama, the Seminoles have four games against teams in the preseason Top 25 — Miami, Clemson and Florida. USF plays three preseason Top 25 teams — Boise State, Florida and Miami.

    At first glance, UCF’s first two opponents might seem to be easier, but it opens Thursday against Jacksonville State, which has a history of knocking off Power 4 teams. On Sept. 13, 2021, the Gamecocks hit a 59-yard field goal as time expired to stun FSU 20-17. That was no fluke, as Jacksonville State on Sept. 4, 2010 scored a touchdown and made a 2-point conversion to edge out Mississippi 49-48.

    Considering the Knights come in with about 70 new players and coach Scott Frost is returning to the program for the first season since UCF defeated Auburn in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1, 2018, the Knights could have their work cut out for them.

    Spectrum News 13 will have much more on the start of the season for Florida’s teams at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, when it will air a 30-minute College Football Preview Show to take a sneak peek at what’s ahead for the state’s teams.

    For now, here are the schedules for the 2025 season so you don’t miss any games you want to see.

    University of Florida Gators

    • Aug. 30 — Long Island University at Florida, 7 p.m.
    • Sept. 6 — USF at Florida, 4:15 p.m.
    • Sept. 13 — Florida at LSU, 7:30 p.m.
    • Sept. 20 — Florida at Miami, TBA
    • Oct. 4 — Texas at Florida, TBA
    • Oct. 11 — Florida at Texas A&M, TBA
    • Oct. 18 — Mississippi State at Florida, Start time will be between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. This is Homecoming.
    • Nov. 1 — Georgia vs. Florida, 3:30 p.m., EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville
    • Nov. 8 — Florida at Kentucky, TBA
    • Nov. 15 — Florida at Mississippi, TBA
    • Nov. 22 — Tennessee at Florida, TBA
    • Nov. 29 — Florida State at Florida, TBA
      • Most of the start times for Florida’s games have a flexible start time, either from 3:30-4:30 p.m. or 6-8 p.m.

    Florida State Seminoles

    • Aug. 30 — Alabama at Florida State, 3:30 p.m.
    • Sept. 6 — East Texas A&M at FSU, noon
    • Sept. 20 — Kent State at FSU, TBA
    • Sept. 26 — FSU at Virginia, 7 p.m.
    • Oct. 4 — Miami at FSU, TBA
    • Oct. 11 — Pitt at FSU, TBA
    • Oct. 18 — FSU at Stanford, 10:30 p.m.
    • Nov. 1 — Wake Forest at FSU, TBA. This is Homecoming.
    • Nov. 8 — FSU at Clemson, TBA
    • Nov. 15 — Virginia Tech at FSU, TBA
    • Nov. 21 — FSU at N.C. State, 8 p.m.
    • Nov. 29 — FSU at Florida, TBA

    Miami Hurricanes

    • Aug. 31 — Notre Dame at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
    • Sept. 6 — Bethune-Cookman University at Miami, 7 p.m.
    • Sept. 13 — USF at Miami, 4:30 p.m.
    • Sept. 20 — Florida at Miami, TBA
    • Oct. 4 — Miami at Florida State, TBA
    • Oct. 17 — Louisville at Miami, 7 p.m.
    • Oct. 25 — Stanford at Miami, TBA
    • Nov. 1 — Miami at SMU, TBA
    • Nov. 8 — Syracuse at Miami, TBA. This is Homecoming
    • Nov. 15 — N.C. State at Miami, TBA
    • Nov. 22 — Miami at Virginia Tech, TBA
    • Nov. 29 — Miami at Pittsburgh, TBA

    UCF Knights

    • Aug. 28 — Jacksonville State at UCF, 7 p.m.
    • Sept. 6 — North Carolina A&T at UCF, 7 p.m.
    • Sept. 20 — North Carolina at UCF, TBA
    • Sept. 27 — UCF at Kansas State, TBA
    • Oct. 4 — Kansas at UCF, TBA
    • Oct. 11 — UCF at Cincinnati, TBA
    • Oct. 18 — West Virginia at UCF, TBA. This is Homecoming
    • Nov. 1 — UCF at Baylor, TBA
    • Nov. 7 — Houston at UCF, TBA. This is the Space Game.
    • Nov. 15 — UCF at Texas Tech, TBA
    • Nov. 22 — Oklahoma State at UCF, TBA
    • Nov. 29 — UCF at BYU, TBA

    USF Bulls

    • Aug. 28 — Boise State at USF, 5:30 p.m.
    • Sept. 6 — USF at Florida, 4:15 p.m.
    • Sept. 13 — USF at Miami, 4:30 p.m.
    • Sept. 20 — South Carolina State at USF, noon
    • Oct. 3 — Charlotte at USF, 7 p.m.
    • Oct. 10 — USF at North Texas, 7:30 p.m.
    • Oct. 18 — Florida Atlantic at USF, TBA. This is Homecoming.
    • Oct. 25 — USF at Memphis, TBA
    • Nov. 6 — UTSA at USF, 7:30 p.m.
    • Nov. 15 — USF at Navy, noon
    • Nov. 22 — USF at UAB, TBA
    • Nov. 29 — Rice at USF, TBA

    Florida A&M Rattlers

    • Aug. 30 — Orange Blossom Classic: Howard vs. Florida A&M, 4 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
    • Sept. 6 — FAMU at Florida Atlantic, 6 p.m.
    • Sept. 13 — Albany State at FAMU, 7 p.m.
    • Sept. 27 — Alabama State at FAMU, 3 p.m.
    • Oct. 4 — Mississippi Valley State vs. FAMU, TBA, in Atlanta
    • Oct. 11 — North Carolina Central at FAMU, 3 p.m.
    • Oct. 18 — Alcorn State at FAMU, 4 p.m. This is Homecoming.
    • Oct. 25 — FAMU at Southern, TBA
    • Nov. 1 — Jackson State at FAMU, 7 p.m.
    • Nov. 8 — FAMU at Arkansas – Pine Bluff, TBA
    • Nov. 15 — FAMU at Alabama A&M, TBA
    • Nov. 22 — Florida Classic: Bethune-Cookman University vs. FAMU, TBA, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando

    Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats

    • Aug. 29 — Bethune-Cookman University at Florida International University, 7 p.m.
    • Sept. 6 — B-CU at Miami, 7 p.m.
    • Sept. 13 — B-CU at South Carolina State University, 6 p.m.
    • Sept. 20 — Edward Waters University at B-CU, 3 p.m.
    • Sept. 27 — Alabama A&M at B-CU, 3 p.m.
    • Oct. 4 — B-CU at Alabama State, 3 p.m.
    • Oct. 11 — Southern University at B-CU, 3 p.m.
    • Oct. 25 — Arkansas – Pine Bluff at B-CU, 3 p.m. This is Homecoming.
    • Nov. 1 — Mississippi Valley State at B-CU. 3 p.m.
    • Nov. 8 — B-CU at Grambling State, 3 p.m.
    • Nov. 15 — B-CU at Jackson State, 1 p.m.
    • Nov. 22 — Florida Classic: B-CU vs. Florida A&M, TBA, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando
      • All home games are at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium.

    Stetson University Hatters

    • Aug. 30 — Webber International at Stetson, 6 p.m.
    • Sept. 6 — Warner at Stetson, 6 p.m.
    • Sept. 13 — Stetson at Chattanooga, 6 p.m.
    • Sept. 20 — Harvard at Stetson, 1 p.m.
    • Sept. 27 — Stetson at Dayton, noon
    • Oct. 4 — Davidson at Stetson, 1 p.m.
    • Oct. 11 — Morehead State at Stetson, 1 p.m.
    • Oct. 18 — Stetson at Presbyterian, 1 p.m.
    • Oct. 25 — St. Thomas at Stetson, 1 p.m. This is Homecoming.
    • Nov. 8 — Stetson at Marist, 1 p.m.
    • Nov. 15 — Stetson at Valparaiso, 1 p.m.
    • Nov. 22 — San Diego at Stetson, 1 p.m.

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  • UCF gets ousted from Big 12 Tournament with loss to Kansas in OT

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hunter Dickinson had 23 points and 13 rebounds, Zeke Mayo poured in 24 points, and sixth-seeded Kansas rallied to force overtime before holding off No. 14-seeded UCF 98-94 late Wednesday night in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.

    What You Need To Know

    • Kansas knocked UCF out of the Big 12 Tournament with a 98-94 victory in OT on Wednesday

    • Jordan Ivy-Curry forced overtime in the second half, but the Knights couldn’t score enough in the extra time

    • Keyshawn Hall led UCF in scoring with 25 points, and Hunter Dickinson had 23 points and 13 rebounds for Kansas

    • The Jayhawks play third-seeded Arizona in the third round.

    AJ Storr scored a season-high 19 points before fouling out in the closing seconds of OT, and KJ Adams had 15 points and seven boards for the Jayhawks (21-11), who narrowly avoided dropping their conference tournament opener for a second year in a row.

    Instead, they will face third-seeded Arizona on Thursday night in a rematch of a game Kansas won last weekend.

    Jordan Ivy-Curry pulled UCF to within 94-93 when he converted a three-point play with 18.2 seconds to go, and Mayo missed the second of two foul shots at the other end. But UCF big man Moustapha Thiam came up short on a jumper with a chance to tie the score, Kansas got the rebound and Dickinson made the second of two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining.

    The Knights’ Deebo Coleman was quickly fouled. He made the first foul shot with 0.9 second left to make it 96-94, but when he tried to intentionally miss the second to give his team a chance, Coleman failed to hit the rim and the Jayhawks got possession.

    David Coit was fouled and added two more free throws for the final margin.

    Keyshawn Hall led UCF (17-16) with 25 points. Darius Johnson had 22 before fouling out with a minute to go in regulation.

    The Jayhawks blew a 13-point second-half lead, then had to rally once UCF pulled ahead with 7 minutes to go. The teams traded buckets down the stretch, and Ivy-Curry’s 3-pointer tied the score at 83 with 14.1 seconds left in regulation.

    Kansas tried to set up a winning play, but Adams stepped on the baseline on his drive, giving the Knights a shot. Ivy-Curry raced up the floor and got a decent look from the wing, but his 3-pointer came up well short as time expired.

    Takeaways

    UCF came a long way from January, when it lost 99-48 to the Jayhawks at home. It had won four of its past six games.

    Kansas has gone with a shortened lineup late in the season, and it seems to be paying off for the Jayhawks.

    Key moment

    Thiam’s miss from about 6 feet along the baseline with a few seconds left in overtime would have tied the score.

    Key stats

    Three players fouled out of the game. Kansas guard Dajuan Harris also finished with five fouls.

    Up next

    The Jayhawks play Arizona on Thursday night. They beat the Wildcats 83-76 last Saturday.

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    Associated Press

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  • UCF men’s basketball faces rematch with Kansas on Wednesday on Big 12 Tournament

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    KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The UCF men’s basketball team will take on sixth-seeded Kansas in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., at 9:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.

    What You Need To Know

    • UCF will play Kansas at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament

    • The 14th-seeded Knights defeated the No. 11-seeded Utes 87-72 on Tuesday night 

    • Keyshawn Hall led UCF with 23 points, and Darius Johnson added 20 points

    • The Knights are trying to play their way into the NCAA Tournament

    The Knights advanced after Keyshawn Hall scored 23 points to lead four UCF players in double-figures scoring, and the No. 14-seeded Knights used a big run out of halftime to bury 11th-seeded Utah 87-72 in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night.

    Darius Johnson added 20 points, Jordan Ivy-Curry had 15 and Moustapha Thiam finished with 14 for the Knights (17-15) as they try to play their way into the NCAA Tournament.

    Utah (16-16) opened the game with a 21-9 run, but the Knights slowly chipped away at the deficit, and Hall’s 3-pointer got them within 40-39 at halftime. He had six more points during a 24-3 run to start the second half, giving the Knights a 63-43 lead with just under 13 minutes to go that carried them to the finish.

    Keanu Dawes had 21 points to lead the Utes, who also lost to UCF on Feb. 23, the day before coach Craig Smith was fired.

    Josh Eilert, who led West Virginia at the Big 12 Tournament as an interim coach last year, did the same for the Utes on Tuesday night. The school already has announced the hiring of Alex Jensen, one of the stars of their 1998 Final Four team and an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, to be their new coach once the season has concluded.

    Takeaways

    UCF won thanks to some brilliant guard play, but its lack of production in the paint could be troublesome, especially with 7-foot-1 center Hunter Dickinson and the rest of the Jayhawks waiting in the next round. The Knights lost both meetings with the Jayhawks in the regular season — 99-48 on Jan. 5 and 91-87 on Jan. 28.

    Utah simply couldn’t overcome its second-half start, which at one point included 10 consecutive missed field-goal attempts.

    Key moment

    Hall’s 3-pointer that sent UCF into halftime with all the momentum.

    Key stats

    Utah was 4 of 26 from beyond the 3-point arc.

    Up next

    The Knights play Kansas on Wednesday night. They lost to the Jayhawks twice in the regular season.

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    Spectrum Sports Staff

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  • Big 12 announces UCF’s 2025 football schedule

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    ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF’s 2025 football schedule features seven home games, including four Big 12 games and a home matchup with Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels, the league announced Tuesday.

    The Knights open their season with two non-conference home games at FBC Mortgage Stadium — the first on Thursday, Aug. 28 against Jacksonville State and then North Carolina A&T on Saturday, Sept. 6, to kick off Family Weekend. Kickoff times have not been announced yet.

    UCF’s other non-conference game will be against Atlantic Coast Conference opponent North Carolina on Sept. 20.

    When UCF begins conference play, coach Scott Frost’s first in the Big 12 with the Knights will be on the road at Kansas State on Sept. 27. Their home conference games will be against Kansas on Oct. 4, West Virginia on Oct. 18 for Homecoming, Houston on Nov. 8 for the Space Game, and Oklahoma State on Nov. 22. No Black Friday game will be played this season.

    The schedule includes two home games each in September, October and November, and the Knights don’t play any back-to-back road games.

    • Aug. 28 vs. Jacksonville State
    • Sept. 6 vs. NC A&T (Family Weekend)
    • Sept. 13 — Off
    • Sept. 20  vs. North Carolina
    • Sept. 27 at Kansas State
    • Oct. 4 vs. Kansas
    • Oct. 11 at Cincinnati
    • Oct. 18 vs. West Virginia (Homecoming)
    • Oct. 25 — Off
    • Nov. 1 at Baylor
    • Nov. 8 vs. Houston (Space Game)
    • Nov. 15 at Texas Tech
    • Nov. 22 vs. Oklahoma State (Senior Knight)
    • Nov. 29 at BYU

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    Spectrum Sports Staff

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  • Florida lands state’s strongest recruiting class on Early Signing Day

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    FLORIDA — In terms of sheer numbers among Florida’s college football teams, USF came out on top Wednesday, Early Signing Day, with 25 signees, but Florida got 23 players to formally commit and was ranked No. 11 nationally, seventh in the Southeastern Conference and No. 1 among the state’s teams by 247sports.com.

    Miami was close behind, ranked No. 15 nationally and first among Atlantic Coast Conference schools, and Florida State was 27th nationally and third in the ACC by 247sports.com.

    On a national level, USF was ranked No. 62 nationally and No. 2 in the American Athletic Conference.

    UCF, with just nine signees, was No. 72 nationally and No. 16, dead last, in the Big 12. Early Signing Day came just four days after Gus Malzahn resigned as head coach and was named offensive coordinator at Florida State.

    Rankings can be subjective but are based upon the strength of the rankings of individual players as well as the number of recruits signed. 

    Here are the recruits signed by each program

    University of Florida signees

    • Vernell Brown III, Orlando Jones, 5 feet 11, 175 pounds, wide receiver
    • Waltez “Duke” Clark, Tampa Plant, 6 feet, 3/4 inch, running back
    • Hayden Craig, Mercier, Quebec, Canada Bridgton Academy, 6 feet 1, 223 pounds, punter
    • Tavaris “TJ” Dice, College Park, Ga., Langston Hughes, 6 feet 3.75 inches, 302 pounds, offensive lineman
    • Chad Gasper Jr., Katy, Texas Katy Jordan, 5 feet, 10.5 inches, 208 pounds, running back
    • Ben Hanks III, Overtown Booker T. Washington, 6 feet 1, 170 pounds, defensive back
    • Lagonza Hayward, Lyons, Ga., Toombs County, 6 feet 1, 200 pounds, defensive back
    • Ty Jackson, Fort Lauderdale Seminole Ridge, 6 feet, 1.5 inches 205 pounds, inside linebacker
    • Myles Johnson, Brewton, Ala. T.R. Miller, 6 feet, 1/2 inch, 213 pounds, inside linebacker
    • Micah Jones, Madison, Miss., Madison Central, 6 feet 4, 252 pounds, tight end
    • Tramell “TJ” Jones Jr., Jacksonville, Mandarin, 6 feet, 180 pounds, quarterback
    • Byron Louis, Miramar American Heritage, 5 feet, 11.5 inches, 206 pounds, running back
    • Joseph Mbatchou, Loganville, Ga. Grayson, 6 feet, 4 inches, 283 pounds, defensive lineman
    • Jeramiah McCloud, Sylvester, Ga., Lee County, 6 feet, 2.75 inches, 289 pounds, defensive lineman
    • Jahari Medlock, Atlanta Charles Drew, 6 feet 5 inches, 281 pounds, offensive lineman
    • Naeshaun “Nae” Montgomery, Miami Central, 6 feet, 1.5 inches, 178 pounds, wide receiver
    • Evan Noel, Bay St. Louis, Miss. St. Stanislaus, 6 feet, 1/4 inch, 154 pounds, kicker
    • Daniel Pierre-Louis, Royal Palm Beach, Seminole Ridge, 6 feet, 4.25 inches, 332 pounds, offensive lineman
    • Stephon “Trell” Shivers, Humboldt, Tenn., Brentwood Academy, 6 feet 4 inches, 384 pounds, defensive lineman
    • Drake Stubbs, Jacksonville Mandarin, 6 feet, 1 inch, 187 pounds, defensive back
    • Muizz Tounkara, League City, Texas Clear Springs, 6 feet, 3 inches, 196 pounds, wide receiver
    • Jalen Wiggins, Tallahassee James Rickards, 6 feet, 4 inches, 257 pounds, edge rusher
    • Jayden Woods, Shawnee, Kan., Mill Valley, 6 feet, 3 inches, 229 pounds, edge rusher

    Miami signees

    • SJ Alofaituli, Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, 6 feet, 3 inches, 280 pounds, offensive line
    • Jaboree Antoine, New Iberia, La., Westgate, 6 feet, 1 inch, 170 pounds, defensive back 
    • Max Buchanan, Sanford Seminole, 6 feet, 4 inches, 275 pounds, offensive line
    • Demetrius Campbell, Orlando Christian Prep, 6 feet, 6 inches, 300 pounds, offensive line
    • Chris Ewald Jr., Sunrise Chaminade-Madonna Prep, 6 feet, 165 pounds, defensive back
    • Bryce Fitzgerald, Miami Christopher Columbus, 6 feet, 1/2 inch, 172 pounds, defensive back
    • Luka Gilbert, West Chester, Ohio Lakota West, 6 feet, 7 inches, 233 pounds, tight end
    • Hayden Lowe, Los Angeles, Calif. Oaks Christian, 6 feet, 4 inches, 242 pounds, defensive line
    • Ezekiel Marcelin Jr., Miami Central, 5 feet, 11.5 inches, 208 pounds, linebacker
    • Josh Moore, West Broward Miami, 6 feet, 4 inches, 205 pounds, wide reciever
    • Mykah Newton, Gainesville Newberry, 6 feet, 2 inches, 255 pounds, defensive line
    • Luke Nickel, Milton Ga., Milton, 6 feet, 2 inches, 205 pounds, quarterback
    • Girard Pringle Jr., Seffner Armwood, 5 feet, 10 inches, 182 pounds, running back
    • Brock Schott, Leo (Ind.) High, 6 feet, 3 inches, 215 pounds, tight end
    • Herbert Scroggins III, Savannah, Ga., Benedictine Military School, defensive end
    • Donta Simpson Jr., Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna Prep, 6 feet, 3 inches, defensive line
    • Malachi Toney, Fort Lauderdale American Heritage, 5 feet, 10.5 inches, 182 pounds, wide receiver
    • Daylyn Upshaw, Phenix City, Ala. Central, 5 feet, 11.5 inches, 180 pounds, wide receiver
    • Amari Wallace, Miami Central, 5 feet, 10 inches, 172 pounds, defensive back
    • Jaden Wilkerson, Orlando Edgewater, 6 feet, 6 inches, 330 pounds, offensive line

    Florida State signees

    • Shamar Arnoux, Carrollton (Ga.) High, 6 feet, 2 inches, 175 pounds, defensive back
    • Jayvan Boggs, Cocoa High School, 6 feet 1 inch, 200 pounds, wide receiver
    • Tyeland Coleman, Terry (Miss.) High/Northwest Mississippi Community College, 6 feet, 4 inches, 285 pounds, defensive lineman
    • Darryll Desir, Miami Norland, 6 feet, 5 inches, 240 pounds, defensive lineman
    • Mandrell Desir, Miami Norland, 6 feet, 4 inches, 240 pounds, defensive lineman
    • Tae’ Shaun Gelsey, Jacksonville Riverside, 6 feet 4 inches, 215 poundsm wide receiver
    • Ousmane Kromah, Leesburg, Ga., Lee County, 6 feet 1, 215 pounds, running back
    • Chase Loftin, Omaha, Neb., Millard South, 6 feet, 6 inches, 215 pounds, tight end
    • Teriq Mallory, New Haven, Conn., Cheshire Academy, 6 feet, 5 inches, 190 pounds, wide receiver
    • Mario Nash Jr., De Kalb, Miss., Kemper County, 6 feet, 4 inches, 280 pounds, offensive lineman
    • Sean Poret, Atlanta Riverwood, 6 feet, 5 inches, 270 pounds, offensive lineman
    • Ethan Pritchard, Sanford Seminole, 6 feet, 2 inches, 205 pounds, linebacker
    • Max Redmon, West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman, 6 feet, 1 inch, 185 pounds, defensive back
    • Brunno Reus, Venice High, 6 feet, 190 pounds, punter/kicker
    • Jordan Scott, Appomattox County High School/Southwest Mississippi Community College, 6 feet, 7 inches, 215 pounds, wide receiver
    • Kevin Sperry, Denton, Texas, Guyerm, 6 feet, 1 inch,  200 pounds, quarterback
    • Zae Thomas Jr., Fort Lauderdale American Heritage, 6 feet, 2 inches, 190 pounds, defensive back
    • Kevin Wynn Jr., Greensboro, Ga., Greene County, 6 feet, 2 inches, 320 pounds, defensive lineman

    USF signees

    • Colin Bellomy, Kennesaw (Ga.) Harrison, 6 feet, 6 inches, 260 pounds, offensive lineman
    • DeAngelo Bowden, Washington, D.C. St. John’s, 6 feet, 1 inch, 215 pounds, linebacker
    • Khalil Collins, Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County, 6 feet, 3 inches, 288 pounds, offensive lineman
    • Tayte Crable, Massillon, Ohio, Archbishop Hoban, 6 feet, 5 inches, 215 pounds, tight end
    • Chase Garnett, Argyle (Texas) Liberty Christian, 5 feet, 8 inches, 200 pounds, running back
    • Jermichael Gillis, Lakeland High, 6 feet, 1 inch, 170 pounds, safety
    • Luke Goater, Melbourne, Australia, ProKick, 6 feet, 2 inches, 195 pounds, punter
    • Gerrick Gordon Jr., Tampa Carrollwood Day, 6 feet, 3.5 inches, 270 pounds, offensive lineman
    • Caleb Harris, St. Thomas Aquinas, 6 feet, 4 inches, 260 pounds, offensive lineman
    • Locklan Hewlett, St. Augustine High, 6 feet, 1 inch, 175 pounds, quarterback
    • Gavin Jenkins, Lake Butler County, 6 feet, 2 inches, 168 pounds, cornerback
    • Jeremiah Jones, Riverview Sumner, 6 feet, 1 inch, 185 pounds, safety
    • Eli Jones, Venice High, 6 feet, 4 inches, 245 pounds, defensive end
    • Tray Kinkle, Holly Springs (Miss.) High, 5 feet, 10.5 inches, 185 pounds, running back
    • Jeremiah Koger, Baltimore St. Francis Academy, 6 feet, 4 inches, 190 pounds, wide receiver
    • Brandon Kubay, Oakdale (Conn.) St. Thomas More, 6 feet, 3 inches, 225 pounds, tight end
    • Gavin Leach, Newburgh (Ind.) Castle, 6 feet, 2 inches, 200 pounds, linebacker
    • Christian Neptune, Cantonment Tate, 5 feet, 11 inches, 180 pounds, wide receiver
    • Herlin Perry Jr., Miami Central, 5 feet, 11 inches, 165 pounds, cornerback
    • Kory Pettigrew, Perry (Ga.) High, 6 feet, 2 inches, 180 pounds, wide receiver
    • Christian Smith, Kennesaw (Ga.) Harrison, 6 feet, 3 inches, 230 pounds, linebacker
    • Jabari Smith, Apopka Wekiva High, 5 feet, 10.5 inches, 155 pounds, defensive back
    • Brooks Williams Jr., St. Lucie West Centennial, 6 feet, 6 inches, 220 pounds, defensive end
    • Marcus Williams, Valdosta (Ga.) High, 6 feet, 3 inches, 275 pounds, defensive lineman
    • Khalil Walker, Coffeyville Community College, 6 feet, 5 inches, 310 pounds, offensive lineman

    UCF signees

    • Malakhi Boone, Bushnell South Sumter, 6 feet, 1.5 inches, 235 pounds, linebacker
    • Waden Charles, Somerset Academy Canyons, 6 feet, 2 inches, 185 pounds, wide receiver
    • Santonyo “Kozy” Isaac, Tampa Bay Tech, 5 feet, 11.5 inches, 165 pounds, wide receiver
    • Carl Jenkins Jr., St. Augustine High, 6 feet, 2 inches, 177 pounds, wide receiver
    • Jaquez Joiner, Cocoa High, 6 feet, 3 inches, 260 pounds, offensive lineman
    • Waymond Jordan Jr., Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, 5 feet, 10 inches, 205 pounds, running back
    • RyShawn Perry, Covington (Ga.) Newton, 6 feet 3, 275 pounds, defensive lineman
    • Rukeem Stroud, Tampa Bay Tech, 5 feet, 11 inches, 160 pounds, defensive back
    • Tony Williams, Miami Central, 6 feet, 1 inch, 190 pounds, defensive back

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  • UCF head coach to become FSU offensive coordinator

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    Gus Malzahn is resigning as Central Florida’s head coach to become Florida State’s offensive coordinator.

    The Seminoles have not confirmed Malzahn’s move, which is pending a state background check. ESPN first reported the decision. The Knights made official that Malzahn is leaving in a statement released a day after UCF (4-8) concluded its season with a 28-14 loss to Utah.

    “We would like to thank Coach Malzahn for his contributions to our football program over the past four seasons, including our transition into the Big 12 Conference,” the school said. “We appreciate his professionalism and dedication to our student-athletes throughout his tenure at UCF and wish he and his wife, Kristi, the very best in their future endeavors.”

    Malzahn finished with a 28-24 mark in four years at UCF, the last two ending with losing records after joining the Big 12. He coached at Auburn for eight seasons before being fired in 2020.

    Malzahn replaces offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins, who was fired Nov. 10 following a 52-3 loss at Notre Dame. The Seminoles rank 131st out of 134 in total offense and scoring offense, averaging 15.8 points a game heading into Saturday night’s rivalry game against Florida.

    The Seminoles (2-9) have dropped significantly since going 13-1 last season and winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.

    The Knights, meanwhile, struggled mightily in Malzahn’s fourth season — most of it because of quarterback issues. Four players took snaps from center as the Knights finished 2-7 in conference play. It was the program’s worst record since going 0-12 in former coach George O’Leary’s final season in 2015.

    Florida State coach Mike Norvell fired Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and receivers coach Ron Dugans amid the Seminoles’ season-long skid.

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  • Defensive touchdowns power Utah to season-ending 28-14 win over UCF

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    Orlando, Fla. (AP) — Utah forced three turnovers and scored two defensive touchdowns Friday night, including a 60-yard pick-6 by Zemaiah Vaughn, as the Utes snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 28-14 victory over UCF.

    The Utes (5-7, 2-7 Big 12) scored all but one of their touchdowns because of turnovers, turning a fumble by UCF quarterback Dylan Rizk on the game’s opening drive into a field goal. Vaughn recorded a pick-6 midway through the second quarter to give Utah a 10-0 lead.

    “That was amazing,” Vaughn said. “I’ve been waiting for that my whole career. I’m glad I got it before the season came to an end. We just do what we do every week. Our main goal is to get the offense back the ball. I felt we did a good job of that today.”

    Smith Snowden added a second defensive touchdown, returning an interception 13 yards late in the fourth quarter to give Utah a 28-7 lead. It was Utah’s third pick-six in the last two weeks.

    UCF outgained Utah 379-198 total yards, but Utah got UCF (4-8, 2-7) off the field, stopping the team on 12 of 18 third downs. The Knights converted on only three of 12 third downs through the first three quarters.

    The turnovers put UCF behind on the scoreboard and made it difficult for them to come back.

    “You can’t really have turnovers,” UCF offensive lineman Amari Kight said. “Having turnovers makes the game harder to win. Tonight we weren’t able to overcome those things. They were devastating.”

    The Knights lost eight of their final nine games this season after starting the year 3-0 and 1-0 in conference play.

    Both teams cycled through quarterbacks throughout the season with each team starting four. It was a big reason both teams fell short of preseason expectations that included Utah being picked as the preseason favorite to win the Big 12. Both teams continued to struggle on offense.

    Utah’s lone offensive touchdown came on a 15-yard reception from quarterback Luke Bottari to Landen King on one of the first plays of the fourth quarter. That made it 21-7 and a difficult hill to climb for a struggling UCF team.

    “It’s very rewarding to see them have a chance to have some positive fruits for their labors,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “They’ve been working hard week after week and have not much to show for it, for them to show the character and resiliency and ability to have adversity and come back one more time together and put together a game like that was very positive.”

    Utah’s Micah Bernard had 87 yards on 22 carries, surpassing 1,000 yards for the season. Bottari completed 13 of 20 passes for 111 yards.

    RJ Harvey, ranked fourth in the nation in rush yards entering the game, finished with 119 yards on 20 carries, scoring a touchdown and adding a receiving touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

    Rizk finished the game with 118 passing yards, completing only 11 of his 27 passes.

    Record-breaking score

    UCF coach Gus Malzahn said aside from winning the game and sending his seniors off with a win, the goal was to ensure Harvey set the program’s record for most career touchdowns in UCF history.

    Harvey accomplished that with a 5-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter. That gave him 47 total touchdowns in four seasons with the Knights, passing Kevin Smith for the all-time lead. He added a receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter too.

    Harvey finished his season with 1,942 total yards and 25 touchdowns. He also completed his first pass for 18 yards in the second quarter.

    Uncertain Future

    Both Utah coach Kyle Whittingham and UCF coach Gus Malzahn have faced questions about their futures after both teams struggled this season.

    Whittingham has hinted at the possibility of retirement after 20 years coaching at Utah. After the game, he said he did not want to speak about his potential future and wanted to leave the focus on his players and the win.

    Malzahn refuted rumors he was considering retiring after UCF’s loss last week at West Virginia. When asked about his future following Friday’s finale, he said he was concerned with trying to make the team better.

    The takeaway

    Utah: The Utes ended their season on a positive note after injuries decimated their quarterback room throughout the season. Utah enters the offseason with questions though as coach Kyle Whittingham has hinted at considering retirement after 20 years with the school.

    UCF: The Knights ended a season that started with tons of promise in disappointing fashion. The Knights lost eight of their final nine games, changing offensive playcallers and their defensive coordinator midseason as several key players are set to graduate and leave the program.

    Up next

    Utah’s season ends at 5-7. The Utes will not play in a bowl game for the first time since 2020, when they opted out of bowl season and since 2013 before that.

    UCF’s season ends at 4-8. The Knights missed a bowl game for the first time since going winless in 2015.

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  • Miami tries to ACC title game meeting; UF-FSU renew acquaintances

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    FLORIDA — It’s a simple scenario for the Hurricanes: beat Syracuse on Saturday and earn a trip to the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game.

    Miami (10-1, 6-1 ACC) defeated Wake Forest in its home finale last weekend and moved within a victory of facing No. 9 SMU in Charlotte on Dec. 7.

    A Miami loss would send No. 12 Clemson (9-2, 7-1), which has already completed its league slate and hosts No. 16 South Carolina.

    Syracuse (8-3, 4-3) has won two in a row and has started Fran Brown’s tenure with the program’s winningest season since they recorded 10 victories in 2018.

    While Miami has the most to gain, or lose, this week, the statewide spotlight will be in Tallahassee for the suddenly surging Gators playing at the rival Seminoles, who are wrapping up arguably their most disappointing season ever.

    Since Florida’s 49-17 loss at Texas in early November, the Gators have bounced back with impressive wins at home against ranked teams — beating then-No. 21 LSU 27-16 and then-No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17. Both the Tigers and Rebels were in the conference and playoff mix at the time of those games. 

    Florida State has won two in a row against Florida and nine of the past 13 meetings. However, Florida is a double-digit favorite ahead of this meeting as the disappointing Seminoles have just two wins entering Thanksgiving weekend.

    USF (6-5) isn’t in the mix for the American Athletic Conference crown this season at 4-3 in league play, but the Bulls are closing strong, having won four of their past five.

    The Bulls could add more wins with their season finale Saturday at Rice and then its upcoming bowl game.  

    Meanwhile, UCF, in its second Big 12 season, is left looking up as the conference sorts out title-game contenders. The Knights also are among five Big 12 teams (Arizona, Houston, Oklahoma State, UCF and Utah) that won’t be bowling this season.  

    Here’s a closer look at this weekend’s games:

    Friday, Nov. 28

    Utah (4-7, 1-7 in Big 12) at UCF (4-7, 2-6 in Big 12), 8 p.m., FOX

    In its second season in the Big 12, the Knights return to their traditional Black Friday game to close the regular season. UCF will pay tribute to the more than 20 seniors who will be playing their last game for the team, including running back RJ Harvey, wide receiver Kobe Hudson and defensive tackle Ricky Barber. The senior ceremony and pregame show will begin at 7:15 p.m.

    The teams have never played. Neither squad can get to a bowl game this season but are wrapping up their seasons before a national TV audience. The Knights can notch their 300th program victory.

    In some ways, it could be a classic offense vs. defense matchup. The Knights rank in the top five of the Big 12 in total offense (first), rushing offense (first) and scoring offense (fifth), and the Utes are top five in total defense (third), scoring defense (third), fourth in rushing defense and fifth in passing defense.

    With one more score, Harvey can surpass UCF Hall of Famer Kevin Smith for the program’s total touchdown record. He and senior defensive back BJ Adams have accepted invitations to the Senior Bowl, which will be held in Mobile, Alabama, on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025.

    Saturday, Nov. 29

    USF (6-5, 4-3 in American Athletic Conference) at Rice (3-8, 2-5 in AAC), 2 p.m., ESPN+

    USF is closing out the regular season strong. Since the Bulls’ Oct. 12 loss to Memphis, USF has won four of five games, qualified for a second straight bowl bid and is looking to close out the regular season with a three-game win streak.

    Freshman quarterback Bryce Archie, who has been solid in place of the injured Byrum Brown, is coming off a 305-yard, three-touchdown (two passing) performance in USF’s 63-30 dismantling of Tulsa.

    Wide receiver Sean Atkins has been hot as well, grabbing at least six catches in four consecutive games, and he leads the Bulls with 61 catches this season.

    Rice, meanwhile, enters the finale with four losses in its past five games.

    No. 6 Miami (10-1, 6-1 ACC) at Syracuse (8-3, 4-3 ACC), 3:30 p.m., ESPN

    Miami has been at the top or near the top of the ACC standings throughout the season and looks poised to be in the 12-team playoff.

    But the Orange could make things difficult for Miami. The Hurricanes boast a potent passing attack behind quarterback Cam Ward, who is nearing 4,000 passing yards on the season and has 34 touchdowns.

    Syracuse’s Kyle McCord has been prolific in his own right. McCord has a nation-leading 522 passing attempts this season with 341 completions, 3,946 yards and 26 touchdowns (which ranks in the top 5).

    Still, the Hurricanes are a solid favorite in this matchup, despite a defense that has been shaky at times and has given up more than 30 points four times.

    Florida (6-5, 4-4 in Southeastern Conference) at Florida State (2-9, 1-7 in ACC), 7 p.m., ESPN2

    The Gators have had the stronger season so far, but the rivalry features many players who grew up playing against each other so that usually boosts the competition. The game marks the third meeting between Florida’s Billy Napier and Florida State’s Mike Norvell as head coaches.

    The Seminoles’ defense ranks last in the ACC and 106th nationally, and it will take on Gators’ running backs Montrell Johnson (494 rushing yards), Jaden Baugh (522) and Ja’Kobi Jackson (401). The Seminoles are giving up 180 yards a game on the ground. The Gators, meanwhile, have topped 200 yards just once this season.

    Florida is 4-1 with freshman DJ Lagway starting at quarterback. Lagway will be Florida’s fifth true freshman QB to start against FSU. Luke Kromenhoek is the Seminoles’ third true freshman to start at quarterback against Florida in the past 40 years. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 31 rushing yards, in his first college start last week against Charleston Southern.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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  • Miami nearing likely playoff bid as FSU looks to stop surprising slide

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    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Officially, the College Football Playoff field gets announced on Dec. 8 and the first game of the tournament is on Dec. 20.

    Those dates don’t really apply to Miami. For the Hurricanes, the CFP may as well start now.

    A win this week means Miami’s playoff chances live on and a loss this week means hope is almost certainly over for the Hurricanes. 

    Meanwhile in Tallahassee, Coach Mike Norvell spent years slowly rebuilding at Florida State and then suddenly turned the Seminoles into a championship contender last season.

    Their current recruiting class, however, is shaping up to be as much of a debacle as anything that’s happened on the field in the past three months. Florida State (1-9), the biggest disappointment in college football this season, has lost nearly as many recruits as games in 2024.

    Norvell’s class is down to 11 after offensive lineman Daniel Pierre Louis flipped to Florida on Tuesday. Pierre Louis made the move after watching the Gators upset LSU on Saturday. The Seminoles also lost four-star quarterback Tramell Jones to Florida.

    Now, FSU is looking for any momentum this week into its season-finale Nov. 30 against rival Florida. 

    In other matchups Saturday, UCF is at West Virginia, USF hosts Tulsa and Florida is hosting no. 9 Mississippi. 

    Here’s a closer look at this week’s games: 
     

    Wake Forest (4-6, 2-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) at No. 8 Miami (9-1, 5-1), Noon, ESPN 

    Miami plays host to Wake Forest on Saturday, now with little room for error after falling to Georgia Tech two weeks ago.

    “We’re going to be locked in regardless,” Miami quarterback Cam Ward said. “We’re not really worried about no room for error. Play like that, you mess up. Even when you play good, you’re going to mess up at some point. So, that has no meaning to us.”

    If Miami wins Saturday and again next weekend at Syracuse, the Hurricanes will be heading to the Atlantic Coast Conference title game in Charlotte on Dec. 7. 

    Charleston Southern (1-10)  at FSU (1-9), 1:30 pm, ESPN+ 

    The ‘Noles are last in the Atlantic Coast Conference heading into Saturday’s home game against lower-division Charleston Southern (1-10).

    As much as the Seminoles have struggled this season, the FCS-Charleston Southern Buccaneers should not be much resistance for a much-needed second win of the year for FSU.  

    The Seminoles need as much confidence and momentum they can acquire heading into next week’s matchup vs. Florida. 

    UCF (4-6, 2-5 in Big 12) at West Virginia (5-5, 4-3), 3:30 p.m., ESPNU

    The Knights head to Morgantown, WVa. for their last road trip of 2024 regular football season on Saturday, needing to sweep their last two games to avoid missing a bowl game for the first time since 2015. History is not on their side Saturday because the Knights have played the West Virginia Mountaineers three previous times and lost all those games. It’s the last home game for the Mountaineers seniors, and they are just 2-4 at Milan Puskar Stadium this season, their worst home record since 2019. The ground game could decide the outcome of this one because UCF, led by Doak Walker Award semifinalist RJ Harvey, ranks second nationally in rushing yards with 262.8 yards per game and West Virginia is 28th nationally but fourth in the Big 12, averaging 197.2 rushing yards. A victory would mark the 300th in UCF football history.

    No. 9 Mississippi (8-2, 4-2 in Southeastern Conference) at Florida (5-5, 3-4), noon, ABC and ESPN+

    Before Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said Billy Napier would be back as coach next season, many Gators fans were hoping to attract Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin to lead their team. Napier and Kiffin coached together under Nick Saban at Alabama from 2014-16, but this is their first matchup as opposing head coaches. After a slow start to the season, Florida has outscored its past three opponents in the Swamp by 50 total points. All of Florida’s losses have come against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 15. After a week off because of a left hamstring injury, Gators quarterback DJ Lagway returned last week to lead Florida over then-No. 21 LSU 27-16, knocking the Tigers out of the Top 25. Lagway completed 13 of 26 passes for 226 yards, including one touchdown. Mississippi’s Tre Harris ranks fifth nationally in receiving yards with 987 yards, and he has missed the Rebels’ past three games. He is expected to return this week. Mississippi is coming off a bye week. Former Gators defensive end Princely Umanmielen plays for the Rebels now and has recorded multiple sacks in his past three games. 
     

    Tulsa (3-7, 1-5 American Atletic Conference) at USF (5-5, 3-3), 3:30 p.m., ESPN+ 

    Tulsa has won two of the last three meetings between these two foes, and took the last two by a total of seven points. USF will have to avoid that fate if it wants to secure bowl eligibility this week with a win. 

    Expect nother heavy dose of USF’s suddenly potent rushing attack, which ran for a program-record 425 rushing yards in last week’s 59-24 win at Charlotte. 

    The Bulls are coming into their home-finale winners of three of its last five games while Tulsa has won just once since late September. 

     

    Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. 

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  • ‘Canes streaking; ‘mocktail party’ takes center stage; UCF, USF, FSU seek wins

    ‘Canes streaking; ‘mocktail party’ takes center stage; UCF, USF, FSU seek wins

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Quarterback DJ Lagway is the most important Gators player to coach Billy Napier’s future at Florida.

    The fabulous freshman will get a chance to save Napier’s job in November while facing four ranked teams, beginning Saturday against No. 2 Georgia in nearby Jacksonville. If Lagway plays like he did in his two previous starts, the game previously billed as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” could turn into a welcome back celebration for Napier.

    Lagway and the Gators (4-3, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) are trying to end a three-game skid in the series and give Napier a much-needed victory against a ranked team and a rival. Napier is 2-12 against ranked opponents in three seasons and 1-9 against rivals Georgia, Florida State, LSU, Miami and Tennessee.

    Napier’s tenure in Gainesville felt over after lopsided losses to Miami and Texas A&M in the first month of the season. But three wins in his past four games and signs of progress on both sides of the ball have given Napier a chance to alter his fate.

    In other contests this weekend, a favored USF (3-4) will try to get back to .500 on Friday night when it visits new American Athletic Conference opponent Florida Atlantic.

    Florida State and UCF will both try to bounce back after losses to ranked teams.

    The Seminoles’ slide toward the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference continued after last week’s 36-14 loss at No. 5 Miami. FSU (1-7 overall and 1-6 in ACC play) still has to tangle with ranked Notre Dame and Florida after this week’s matchup with North Carolina. FSU also has a November meeting with Charleston Southern.  

    UCF had few answers for No. 11 BYU’s offense, giving up 480 yards to the Cougars in a 37-24 loss. As a result, coach Gus Malzahn fired defensive coordinator Ted Roof, restored last year’s defensive coordinator Addison Williams to the role and handed over offensive play-calling responsibilities to first-year offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. That leaves in question what the Knights (3-5 overall, 1-4 in the Big 12) will look like as they take on Arizona (also 3-5, 1-4) on Saturday afternoon. UCF’s undefeated record in Space Games is on the line.

    State leader Miami, meanwhile, looks to continue its path toward a high ranking and a playoff bid. The fifth-ranked Hurricanes will host a scrappy Duke bunch ahead of next week’s initial College Football Playoff rankings, which will give a first look at who is in the 12-team playoff. At this point, all the rest of the state’s teams cling to hopes they can win enough contests as the season wraps up to go to a bowl game.

    Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

    A closer look at Week 10’s games

    Friday, Nov. 1

    USF (3-4, 1-2 in American Athletic Conference) at Florida Atlantic University (2-5, 0-3), 7:30 p.m., ESPN2

    The Bulls, who lead the all-time series 3-2 in this budding rivalry, should be motivated, not only after last week’s 10-point victory against UAB but especially after the Owls spanked USF 56-14 in Tampa last season. USF coach Alex Golesh has not said whether Bryce Archie will start at quarterback or if Byrum Brown will return from injury. Brown has been out since a leg injury sidelined him Sept.28 at Tulane.  

    Saturday, Nov. 2  

    Duke (6-2, 2-2 in ACC) at No. 5 Miami (8-0, 4-0), noon, ABC and ESPN+

    As the college football season heads into its final full month, the ACC race is coming down to four schools — all without a league loss: No. 20 SMU, No. 18 Pitt, No. 11 Clemson and No. 5 Miami. Miami and Pitt are unbeaten. An unbeaten ACC champion is all-but certain to reach the 12-team College Football Playoff.

    These are all things the Hurricanes will have on their minds down the stretch, starting Saturday against the Blue Devils.

    North Carolina (4-4, 1-3 in ACC) at Florida State (1-7, 1-6), 3:30 p.m., ACC Network

    The Seminoles are coming off a 36-14 loss to the rival Hurricanes, went winless in October, have not scored more than 16 points since its opener against Georgia Tech and lost a commitment from a four-star wide receiver last week. One win will not right this massively wrong season, but the Seminoles desperately seek something, anything, to go their way as the schedule moves into November.

    Florida (4-3, 2-2 in SEC) vs. Georgia (6-1, 4-1 in SEC), in Jacksonville, 3:30 p.m. ABC

    The past three meetings between the teams have essentially been over by halftime, 24-0 in 2021, 28-3 in 2022 and 26-7 last year. A couple key Bulldogs, safety Dan Jackson and defensive back Joenel Aguero are suspended for the first half after ejections for targeting against Texas. Jackson is the team’s second-leading tackler with 37, and Aguero ranks eighth with 19. Florida will be without receiver Eugene Wilson III because of what the team was saying is a lingering hip injury and its top cornerback, Jason Marshall Jr., who will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Receiver Tre Wilson will not play either. Georgia running back Trevor Etienne will face his former teammates for the first time. Etienne left Florida after last season and landed with the Bulldogs, where he saw an opportunity to become a starter. He spent two years in Gainesville playing behind Montrell Johnson. Etienne leads the Bulldogds with 422 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. “I’ve got nothing but love for those guys,” Etienne said.

    Arizona (3-5, 1-4 in Big 12) at UCF (3-5, 1-4), 3:30 p.m., FS1

    The Knights could have their fourth starting quarterback since the beginning of the season after redshirt sophomore Dylan Rizk took over for a struggling Jacurri Brown last Saturday and moved the ball well. So far this season, running back RJ Harvey out of Edgewater has literally carried their offense, rushing for 1,017 yards and 13 touchdowns. Its offense ranks 11th among 16 teams in the Big 12, and its defense is 13th. Both have dropped since the start of the season. Arizona’s offense ranks 14th, but its defense is 11th. No launches are planned from the Space Coast during this week’s game, but a flyover is scheduled before the game. The Wildcats average 260.3 passing yards per game. UCF’s top receiver, Kobe Hudson, left last Saturday’s game after injuring his leg on UCF’s first offensive play last Saturday. The team had not revealed any other details about the injury by early Thursday afternoon.

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  • Ranking 134 college football teams after Week 8: BYU can no longer be ignored

    Ranking 134 college football teams after Week 8: BYU can no longer be ignored

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    Editor’s note: The Athletic 134 is a weekly ranking of all FBS college football teams.

    It’s time to take notice of BYU.

    The Cougars are undefeated and have delivered Kansas State and SMU their only losses of the season. Yet BYU remains outside the top 10 in both the AP and Coaches polls. But not here. BYU is up to No. 7 in this week’s edition of The Athletic 134.

    I’m surprised the Cougars haven’t gotten more love. They’re undefeated at 7-0 and have two really good wins, both of which are better than the best wins of Iowa State (Iowa) and several other teams around their place in the polls. They’ve actually been in my top 10 for weeks.

    Perhaps it’s because BYU has twice played on Friday nights, or because its 38-9 win against Kansas State was a 10:30 p.m. kickoff on a Saturday. Yes, the Cougars have played some close games and needed a late touchdown to beat Oklahoma State, but this team and especially this defense looks legit, now 13th in yards per play allowed.

    You should also take notice because the second half of the schedule is manageable. BYU and Iowa State don’t play each other in the regular season. The Cougars already beat K-State and won’t play 5-2 Colorado. If the Big 12 wants to get two teams into the College Football Playoff, BYU would likely be one of them.

    GO DEEPER

    AP Top 25: Oregon new No. 1; Vandy ends poll drought

    We’re more than halfway through the season, and we’re still getting surprise results that shake up the rankings. Here is this week’s edition of The Athletic 134.

    1-10

    Rank Team Record Prev

    1

    7-0

    1

    2

    6-1

    3

    3

    6-0

    4

    4

    7-0

    6

    5

    5-1

    5

    6

    6-1

    2

    7

    7-0

    8

    8

    6-1

    12

    9

    6-1

    11

    10

    6-1

    9

    Georgia slides up to No. 2 after its win at Texas, while the Longhorns fall to No. 6 because their best win at this point is a sliding Michigan team or a sliding Oklahoma. The Bulldogs’ loss to Alabama keeps them from the top spot, especially after the Tide lost again and are now ranked next to Boise State, which Oregon beat.

    Miami jumps Ohio State after its win at Louisville, but the Ohio State-Penn State game in two weeks will be another shakeup game.

    Tennessee and LSU jump into the top 10 after the Vols beat Alabama and the Tigers beat Arkansas 34-10. Tennessee and LSU’s resumes are incredibly even, but Tennessee has the better Best Win, so the Vols get the slight edge.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Tennessee proved against Alabama it’s not a one-hit wonder under Josh Heupel

    11-25

    I’d been a little skeptical of Indiana’s ceiling after beating up on bad teams, but Saturday’s 56-7 demotion of Nebraska has turned me into a believer, moving the Hoosiers to No. 11. The bad news: Quarterback Kurtis Rourke is out indefinitely with a thumb injury. But the path to 10 or even 11 wins is there. Iowa State slips two spots mostly due to the performances turned in by Tennessee, LSU and Indiana on the same day that the Cyclones needed to rally late to survive UCF.

    Illinois is the only newcomer to the top 25, back after a 21-7 win against Michigan to move to 6-1.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Stewart Mandel’s 12-team Playoff projections after Week 8

    26-50

    Teams just outside the top 25 took all kind of losses this week. As a result, Syracuse, UNLV, South Carolina, Memphis, Army, Duke and Cincinnati make big jumps into the top 35. Michigan State also jumps to No. 39 after a 32-20 win against Iowa. Next up is a Michigan-MSU game that could have major bowl implications for both.

    Is it weird that we’ve stopped talking about Colorado right as the Buffs became a solid team? Colorado is 5-2 and No. 38 after a 34-7 win against Arizona, which comes after a last-minute loss to Kansas State and a win against UCF. It’d be a shocker if Colorado didn’t go bowling, which is another improvement for coach Deion Sanders.

    No. 46 Florida and No. 47 Virginia Tech also move into the top 50 after handling Kentucky and Boston College, respectively. Utah continues to slide and is now just hanging onto No. 50 after losing to TCU.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Mandel’s Final Thoughts: Georgia’s defensive havoc takes down Texas and more from Week 8

    51-75

    USC has tumbled to No. 52 after blowing another 14-point lead and losing at Maryland to drop to 1-4 in Big Ten play. No. 53 Rutgers lost a shocker to UCLA and dropped out of the top 50.

    Louisiana continues to sneak around the top of the Sun Belt, now No. 60 after beating Coastal Carolina to move to 6-1 overall, while Georgia Southern took control of the Sun Belt East in beating James Madison and moves up to No. 63 from No. 82. Toledo is up to No. 68 after beating Northern Illinois.

    No. 65 NC State and No. 66 Cal are the toughest teams to rank. NC State recently lost to Wake Forest but turned around and beat Cal, which is 0-4 in ACC play by a total of nine points. If the Golden Bears could make a field goal, their record would be completely different.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Morales: USC has invested heavily in Lincoln Riley and his staff. Where are the results?

    76-100

    Baylor jumps to No. 76 after a surprising 59-35 win against Texas Tech. Texas State drops to No. 77 after a loss to Old Dominion. Auburn blew a double-digit lead against Missouri, dropping to 2-5, and slips to No. 80.

    No. 82 Western Michigan is actually atop the MAC at 3-0 after beating Buffalo, which has defeated Toledo and NIU. Marshall jumps up to No. 81 because the Herd have a win against WMU and beat Georgia State last week.

    The bottom of the Power 4 is bunching together. Purdue is the lowest of the group at No. 95, but Florida State is just ahead at No. 94 after losing to Duke for the first time ever. No. 93 Mississippi State has played Georgia and Texas A&M competitively in recent weeks, while Houston slides back down to No. 89 after a 42-14 loss to Kansas.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Big 12, ACC should relish multiple bids if they get them: College Football Playoff Bubble Watch

    101-134

    New Mexico has won three games in a row after a 50-45 barnburner against Utah State to move up to No. 106 in Bronco Mendenhall’s first year. UTSA’s win against Florida Atlantic bounces the Roadrunners back up to No. 110.

    UTEP got its first win of the season, beating FIU, to move up to No. 129. That leaves the FBS with just two winless teams: Kennesaw State and Kent State.

    The Athletic 134 series is part of a partnership with Allstate. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

    (Photo: Chris Gardner / Getty Images)

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  • Week 8’s top 10 college football games: Georgia-Texas, Alabama-Tennessee and much more

    Week 8’s top 10 college football games: Georgia-Texas, Alabama-Tennessee and much more

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    On the heels of two of the more riveting weeks of college football in recent memory comes a jam-packed Saturday that features a trio of SEC headliners, including a top-five clash between blue bloods. There’s also multiple rivalry games that feature boots (sort of), and a potential College Football Playoff showcase in Bloomington, Indiana, of all places.

    Bless this sport.

    Let’s rank the top 10 games of Week 8, starting with honorable mentions and counting down.

    Honorable Mention: Oklahoma State at No. 13 BYU, Ohio at Miami (Ohio), Virginia at No. 10 Clemson, Auburn vs No. 19 Missouri, Louisiana at Coastal Carolina, Toledo at NIU, Colorado at Arizona, James Madison at Georgia Southern, UCF at No. 9 Iowa State.

    (All point spreads come from BetMGM; click here for live odds. Stream college football on fubo.  All kickoff times are Eastern and on Saturday unless otherwise noted.)

    Let’s give flowers to two teams that have exceeded expectations in the Big 12. Both were projected to finish near the bottom of the conference, but the winner on Saturday will have played its way into the conference title conversation. Arizona State and wrecking-ball running back Cam Skattebo have been proving the doubters wrong for weeks. But the Sun Devils will be without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt due to a rib injury; fifth-year journeyman Jeff Sims will start in his place. The Bearcats and gunslinging transfer QB Brendan Sorsby will try to take advantage of a depleted ASU crossing two time zones for an early kickoff.

    Line: Cincinnati -4.5

    9. UNLV (5-1) at Oregon State (4-2), 10 p.m., Fubo, The CW

    The Rebels rebounded from an overtime loss to Syracuse by hanging a 50-burger on Utah State last week, keeping pace with Boise State in the Mountain West standings. It sets up a massive game in Las Vegas next week against the Broncos that will have huge implications on the conference race and battle for the Group of 5’s spot in the CFP. But a win this Saturday in Corvallis would add a nice bullet point to UNLV’s resume in the meantime. Oregon State, looking to recover from a surprising loss to Nevada, should eventually make for an instructive common opponent between the two. The Beavs play at Boise State next month.

    Line: UNLV -7

    8. No. 17 Kansas State (5-1) at West Virginia (3-3), 7:30 p.m., Fubo, Fox

    There are intriguing matchups involving the Big 12’s three ranked teams this week, including Oklahoma State at No. 13 BYU and UCF at No. 9 Iowa State. But K-State has the most at stake. It is the only of those three ranked squads going on the road, and the only one with a loss. Of the teams in the top five of the Big 12’s preseason poll, the Wildcats are also the only one that hasn’t been a disappointment thus far. A second defeat, however, would quickly put their conference title and CFP hopes on life support, even in the ever-chaotic Big 12. Kansas State can’t afford to stumble in Morgantown against a streaky but resilient West Virginia, in a face-off of two proficient rushing attacks.

    Line: Kansas State -3

    7. No. 24 Michigan (4-2) at No. 22 Illinois (5-1), 3:30 p.m., Fubo, CBS

    A bit surprising for a ranked matchup to be this low on the list — except for the fact that Michigan has one of the worst offenses in college football (and maybe shouldn’t be ranked?). Illinois just needed overtime to beat a terrible Purdue team that scored 40 points second-half points. Still, hat tip to the Illini, who are 5-1 and playing the first ranked matchup at Memorial Stadium since 2000. Illinois will also honor legendary halfback Red Grange — the Galloping Ghost — a century after his epic 402-yard, six-touchdown game against the Wolverines. The Illini will sport throwback uniforms and hand-painted helmets that took 18 months to create.

    Line: Michigan -3.5

    GO DEEPER

    What does Michigan-Illinois mean? Previewing a sneaky big game for Wolverines, Illini

    Expect this one to play out differently than the 55-0 shutout that Notre Dame pitched when these teams last met in 2021. Unfortunately, injuries will be a storyline. The Irish lost All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison to a season-ending hip injury, and Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King will be a game-time decision after suffering a knock in last week’s win over North Carolina. If King can’t go, the job will fall to sophomore backup Zach Pyron, who has completed 5 of 7 passes and rushed for four touchdowns in limited action. Either way, the Irish can’t take this one lightly, with a remaining schedule that looks a lot tougher than we all expected, including ranked games against Navy and Army ahead of the regular-season finale at USC.

    Line: Notre Dame -12.5

    5. Nebraska (5-1) at No. 16 Indiana (6-0), Noon, Fubo, Fox

    I have thoroughly enjoyed the Indiana and Curt Cignetti media blitz this week, including this stellar profile of Cignetti by Joe Rexrode. The Hoosiers are basking in the glow of their first 6-0 start since 1967, and rightfully so. They’ve been one of the biggest surprises this season in Year 1 under Cignetti, and have yet to trail through six games. Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff is headed to Bloomington as IU faces Nebraska and freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who is acting wise beyond his years. Big-time game featuring a pair of top-10 defenses (and a top-five offense for Indiana). The Huskers, who have lost 25 straight to ranked opponents, will get two cracks in a row at Indiana and then at Ohio State. On the other side, another win for the Hoosiers will shift the chatter from fast start to legit Playoff contender.

    Line: Indiana -6.5

    4. No. 8 LSU (5-1) at Arkansas (4-2), 7 p.m., Fubo, ESPN

    It’s the Battle for the Golden Boot, one of the more underappreciated rivalry names and trophies in college football. LSU has won seven of the last eight matchups, but both teams are coming off mammoth victories.

    The Tigers won a classic in overtime against Ole Miss despite never leading until the game’s final play, and Arkansas popped the first leak in Tennessee’s balloon a couple of weeks ago. The Razorbacks are better than anticipated — and Sam Pittman may have saved his job — while LSU has clawed back into the top 10 and CFP picture after the season-opening loss to USC. The Tigers will need more consistency out of Garrett Nussmeier to make some noise in the SEC, but his performance at the end of the Ole Miss victory showed how high his ceiling can be.

    Line: LSU -2.5

    3. No. 6 Miami (6-0) at Louisville (4-2), Noon, Fubo, ABC

    More top-notch rivalry hardware — and footwear: The Schnellenberger Trophy, which was introduced last season and currently resides with the Cardinals. Battle for the Golden Boots???

    This game is flying under the radar thanks to a loaded SEC slate, but it should be a fun, high-scoring barnburner. Miami desperately needed a bye after a pair of close calls against Virginia Tech and Cal, but Heisman hopeful Cam Ward and the Hurricanes remain one of 11 unbeaten teams in college football. Louisville ended a two-game skid last Saturday with a win at Virginia, with a top-15 offense (7.2 yards per play) led by quarterback Tyler Shough. Miami has the top offense in FBS at 8.2 yards per play, and Ward leads all FBS quarterbacks in passing yards per game (369.8).

    Line: Miami -5

    2. No. 7 Alabama (5-1) at No. 11 Tennessee (5-1), 3:30 p.m., Fubo, ABC

    An almost top-10 matchup between two teams that are either national title contenders or complete frauds, depending on which message board thread you read. Either way, the Third Saturday in October should provide some insight, and it’s a critical one as both teams try to avoid a second loss and spiraling fan bases. This is a tough game to handicap: Alabama has a top-10 offense, Tennessee has a top-two defense, but both teams have been mercurial on the field. David Ubben did a nice job digging in on that variability for an anonymous coaching confidential on the game, and Kennington Smith III examined how first-year Alabama head coaches have fared in the Tennessee rivalry.

    Line: Alabama -3

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    GO DEEPER

    What’s going on with Alabama and Tennessee? Coaches who faced them weigh in

    1. No. 5 Georgia (5-1) at No. 1 Texas (6-0), 7:30 p.m., Fubo, ABC

    Praise be: It’s our third top-five showdown of the season. The first two — Georgia vs Alabama and Ohio State vs Oregon — resulted in two of the best games of the year to this point. This is the sixth all-time meeting between Georgia and Texas and first since the 2019 Sugar Bowl.

    The Dawgs are underdogs for the first time in the last 50 games (!), and might need a road win over the top-ranked team in the country to preserve their CFP hopes. Texas, meanwhile, has been stellar on both sides of the ball and is arguably in a class of its own right now, though it has yet to face an opponent as good as Georgia. Quinn Ewers did look a tad rusty in his return from injury against Oklahoma last week, so we’ll see if that lingers. But coaches we spoke with for our coaching confidential on the game see Texas having the upper hand.

    Another win for the Longhorns would cement them as the clear national title favorite. But if the chaos timeline of this college football season continues, we’ll see a slightly diminished Georgia take down the Horns in Austin, and the top of the sport will officially look as vulnerable as it has in years.

    Line: Texas -4.5

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Coaching confidential: Texas has the edge against Georgia in SEC showdown

    Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

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