UCF faces another rebuild at quarterback heading into 2026 season
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On the same day that UCF signed two of its highest-ranked quarterbacks in program history, the Knights faced the loss of their starting quarterback.
Welcome to the world of college football.
It seems that UCF will enter the 2026 season with a nearly entirely new quarterback unit for the second consecutive year.
With the imminent departure of starter Tayven Jackson, who intends to enter the transfer portal for the third time, and the possible exits of seniors Cam Fancher and Jacurri Brown, redshirt freshman Davi Belfort could be the sole returnee to the quarterbacks group next season.
That makes the signings of highly-touted prospects Rocco Marriott and Dante Carr as part of the 2026 recruiting class even more crucial for the team’s future.
Twelve different quarterbacks have started a game for UCF over the past five seasons, with 2020 being the last time one quarterback started the entire season. During that same period, Florida and Florida State have had eight apiece.
It’s the symptom of the modern era with a coaching change, the transfer portal and injuries all contributing to the turnover.
Jackson took the majority of starts this season (10), with Fancher starting two games.
The Knights finished the regular season ranked 77th out of 136 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in passing offense, averaging 220.8 yards per game. That’s an improvement from the previous season, when the team was 97th out of 134 teams.
While it’s doubtful that coach Scott Frost would start a true freshman next season, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that one or both freshmen could earn the opportunity for valuable playing time in 2026.
“Quarterback is no different than other positions,” Frost said when asked about plans to develop the newcomers. “In a perfect world, we’re developing them all in-house and getting guys to understand our system and build in our program, and make them better.
“We’re experiencing this every day and seeing the drama and the price tags that go along with transfer quarterbacks; it would certainly benefit us to have a homegrown one. I love the two guys that we got and I feel like we’re going to pour into them and try to build somebody that we keep for a while.”
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Marriott is the highest-rated quarterback to sign with the program, while Carr (6-4, 220) is the second, according to the latest composite rankings from 247Sports.
Both are dual-threat options that fit into the type of quarterback Frost is accustomed to using in his offensive system.
Frost explained the timeline for acquiring Marriott, noting that they had spoken to the Missouri native earlier in the year, but the timing felt off. UCF had already secured a commitment from a quarterback, while Marriott was committed to James Madison.
“We didn’t get serious about it unless there was a viable opportunity here and he was in a position to consider us,” Frost said.
Marriott committed to UCF following their win over Oklahoma State on Nov. 22.
“He’s big, he’s fast and he can really throw it, plus he’s a competitor. He has a lot of potential,” Frost said of Marriott.
Carr, meanwhile, had been committed since June.
“Dante reminds me a little of myself when I was that age,” said Frost. “He’s just a great all-around athlete. He’s a great kid. We have some work to do with him on his stroke and he knows that, but he’s a fantastic athlete.”
While Marriott, Carr and Belfort make up a solid young core, UCF most likely will look for a quarterback once the transfer portal window opens on Jan. 2.
“We’re in a better financial position to approach this and we’re going to be able to hopefully, just build around some people, rather than try to build the whole thing from scratch,” Frost said.
To add an extra wrinkle in the plans, Frost believes Fancher, who appeared in just three games as a redshirt senior while dealing with several injuries, could receive a medical waiver from the NCAA that would grant him an additional year of eligibility.
“We’re trying to help Cam get another year back,” said Frost. “I met with Cam today and talked about our future and his future. We’re both going to take a little time and see what that picture looks like.”
Fancher started the season opener against Jacksonville State before suffering a lower back injury early in the second quarter that kept him sidelined until the Kansas game on Oct. 4. He started the following week against Cincinnati but suffered a broken rib that effectively ended his season.
“I would love to have Cam back in the program, just the toughness that he plays with, his commitment to football and who he is as a person make him somebody that you want to have around. There are a lot of things that need to be cleared up so he feels good about the situation here and we can move forward.”
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
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