UCF football opens spring camp: 5 players to watch for Knights

ORLANDO — The final day of March marks the first day on the practice field for UCF’s football team.

The Knights, coached by Scott Frost, open spring camp at 9 a.m. March 31 inside the Nicholson Fieldhouse. Ten starters — four on offense, six on defense — return after a 5-7 campaign in which the team missed out on bowl eligibility for the second year in a row.

Three new assistants join Frost’s staff for 2026: offensive line coach AJ Blazek, tight ends coach Cooper Bassett and defensive backs coach David Overstreet II. In addition, the Knights added 31 transfers and 16 high school signees to the squad.

As the Knights begin preparations for the upcoming fall, and hope to avoid another season near the Big 12’s basement, here are five players to watch over the next five weeks.

Alonza Barnett III

Can Barnett, the 2025 Sun Belt Player of the Year who guided James Madison to the College Football Playoff, cure UCF’s quarterback concerns after consecutive seasons of lackluster results behind center? That question will likely define the season, and perhaps Frost’s second act as head coach.

The Knights built this offseason’s transfer class around the 5-foot-11, 180-pound North Carolina native. Barnett completed 58% of his passes for 2,806 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight picks, and he rushed for 589 yards and a team-high 15 touchdowns.

Frost’s offense operates most efficiently with a true dual-threat, and neither Tayven Jackson, Cam Fancher nor Jacurri Brown fit the billing. UCF went through six starting QBs the last two years. In an ideal scenario, Barnett gives the Knights one quality campaign and bridges the gap to four-star prospect Rocco Marriott.

Ty Bartrum

Four starters return in the UCF secondary, one which ranked 22nd in the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing yards allowed (185.1 ypg). Jayden Bellamy and Antione Jackson are back on the boundaries, as is Braeden Marshall in the nickel slot and Demari Henderson at strong safety.

Bartrum enters the spring as one of the likelier partners for Henderson after an All-Ivy League redshirt junior campaign. He had 83 tackles, forced two fumbles, broke up three passes and picked off another for the Crimson, playing 404 of his 570 defensive snaps at free safety, per Pro Football Focus.

Opposing quarterbacks targeted Bartrum only 11 times, per PFF, and he posted an 88 coverage grade.

Josh Derry

Another of UCF’s prized additions from the Football Championship Subdivision, Derry earned All-American honors after a monster 2025 season at Monmouth.

The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Maryland native caught 76 passes for 1,123 yards and 13 touchdowns.

UCF needed productive playmakers in the portal to complement returning receivers Duane Thomas Jr. and Waden Charles, as well as tight end Dylan Wade. Derry, Louisiana-Monroe transfer Jonathan Bibbs, freshman Tyren Hornes and redshirt sophomore DayDay Farmer will compete for starting jobs and give Barnett plenty of options at all levels of the field.

Isaiah Nixon

Malachi Lawrence and Nyjalik Kelly combined for 20½ sacks the last two seasons, and both players hope to hear their names called next month during the NFL draft. That leaves two vacancies on the edges, and a huge opportunity for Nixon to realize his four-star potential in his fourth year in Orlando.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound St. Petersburg native logged a career-high 289 snaps as a redshirt sophomore, making 24 tackles with 3½ TFLs and one sack. Per PFF, Nixon generated 24 total pressures on 197 pass-rush attempts over the previous two seasons.

Sincere Edwards is working his way back from foot surgery this spring, and UCF added Bruno Dall (Akron) and Ken Talley (Arkansas) from the portal. Nixon furthering his development will be crucial for the Knights’ defense this upcoming fall.

Taevion Swint

A meniscus tear during fall camp cut the promising Kissimmee native’s freshman season short. Swint spent the year on the sidelines, redshirting as Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon shouldered the backfield workload.

Both of those players are gone, as is Stacy Gage, who transferred to LSU. Landen Chambers (Central Arkansas) and Duke Watson (Louisville) arrive, and Agyeman Addae earned a scholarship after an impressive finale to his freshman year, a two-touchdown performance at BYU.

Swint, who ran for more than 4,500 yards over a four-year career at Osceola High, will get a chance to crack the rotation and make an impact as a returner on special teams. He’s among a handful of players whose statuses to open spring camp are worth monitoring, along with Edwards, Farmer and defensive tackle Horace Lockett Jr. (pectoral).

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football spring practice: 5 key players