UCF football's 10 best transfer portal additions since 2022

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ORLANDO — The transfer portal finally slammed shut Jan. 16, giving Scott Frost clarity as to which players will return to UCF for the 2026 season. From this point on, it’s all about adding talent.

As of Jan. 20, UCF has signed 27 transfers, headlined by former James Madison quarterback Alonza Barnett III. Meanwhile, the Knights have lost 37 players to the portal, including starting QB Tayven Jackson, defensive tackle John Walker, center Carter Miller and wide receiver DJ Black.

According to On3, nearly 4,000 Football Bowl Subdivision players hopped into the portal between Jan. 2-16, entering the collegiate equivalent of free agency. Buyer beware, of course — not that UCF fans need to be reminded about the expensive swings and misses at the quarterback position, namely KJ Jefferson in 2024.

However, the Knights have made their share of successful acquisitions in what former coach Gus Malzahn repeatedly coined “new age of college football.” Dating back to 2022, the year in which athletes were allowed to move freely without sitting out an entire season, here are UCF’s 10 best transfer portal pickups.

10. Lewis Carter

UCF’s 2025 defense had plenty of deserving transfer considerations — cornerback Jayden Bellamy, safety Phillip Dunnam, linebacker Cole Kozlowski and defensive tackle Horace Lockett Jr., just to name a few.

Tampa native Carter, who joined after spending two seasons in a reserve role at Oklahoma, gets the nod though for his playmaking at a consistently sore spot on the depth chart. He produced a team-high 92 tackles, adding four TFLs, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass breakup and one QB hurry.

Underlying metrics backed up Carter’s raw stat totals, too. He missed just 10 tackles in 11 games, per Pro Football Focus, and made a team-high 39 stops — defined as tackles that constitute a “failure” for opposing offenses. He could very well rock a C on his jersey this upcoming fall as a team captain.

9. Amari Kight

Limited to just 164 offensive snaps in four years at Alabama, Kight sought a larger role when he chose UCF in the portal. He started all but three of his 25 games for the Knights, moving to left tackle for his final season of eligibility.

The 6-foot-7, 318-pound Kight excelled in pass protection, according to PFF — with grades of 83.6 and 82 — while improving as a run blocker on the blind side.

Kight went undrafted but signed a free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks, where he has played two games this season for the NFC’s top seed.

8. John Rhys Plumlee

One of the more polarizing starting quarterbacks in UCF’s recent memory, Plumlee guided the team to a 13-10 record when available; injuries limited the Ole Miss transfer from reaching his full potential within Gus Malzahn’s offense.

However, Plumlee set single-game (176), single-season (862) and career (1,367) rushing records for a quarterback. As a passer, he completed 63% of his throws for 4,857 yards, 29 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Plumlee moved back to wide receiver upon leaving UCF, and he has spent time on the practice squads of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks.

7. Dylan Wade

Returning to his hometown after a two-year run at Maryland, Wade set a program record in his UCF debut.

Wade became the first Knights tight end to catch five touchdowns in a single season. Four of those scores occurred in the team’s final three games, including a career-high 145 yards, two-TD effort in a win over Oklahoma State.

Having already announced plans to return for his senior year, Wade could easily finish closer to the top of this list if he repeats his 2025 stat line.

6. Tylan Grable

Once recruited by Jacksonville State to play tight end, Grable blossomed into a quality starting left tackle for UCF. The 6-foot-7, 290-pounder made 27 consecutive starts and logged 1,854 offensive snaps.

Grable made a leap in pass protection when the Knights transitioned into the Big 12, posting a career-high 81.6 pass block grade. His athleticism caught the attention of the Buffalo Bills, who drafted him in the sixth round in 2024.

He has since made two starts for Buffalo, including its regular-season finale three weeks ago against the New York Jets.

5. Kobe Hudson

Hudson is one of just two players on this list who spent three years in Orlando. He joined in 2022 after leading Auburn with 44 catches for 580 yards and four touchdowns.

The Pine Mountain, Georgia, native set career-highs in receiving yards (900) and touchdowns (eight) in 2023, UCF’s debut Big 12 season. He totaled 130 receptions for 2,311 yards and 19 scores.

4. Mac McWilliams

Though McWilliams’ tenure at UCF lasted just one season, he played well enough — and then shined enough during the pre-draft process — to earn a Day 3 selection from the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

McWilliams, per PFF, was the Knights’ highest-graded defensive player in the ultimately doomed 2024 season after recording 32 tackles (25 solo), 6½ TFLs, one sack, one interception and two pass breakups. He allowed 21 catches on 38 targets for 133 yards and two touchdowns, equating to a 69.3 NFL passer rating.

3. Lee Hunter

Before his high-priced move to Texas Tech, where he helped the Red Raiders capture an elusive Big 12 title, Hunter earned All-Big 12 second-team honors in his third year at UCF.

The 6-foot-4, 320-pound interior force started 23 of his 38 career games for the Knights, making 131 tackles (66 solo) with 21½ TFLs, five sacks and one pass breakup. Hunter generated 55 QB pressures on 662 pass-rush snaps for the Knights.

He departed following Malzahn’s resignation, but his contributions across three seasons cannot be discredited. He will head to the pros after garnering a reputation as one of the Big 12’s best interior defenders.

2. Nyjalik Kelly

Concerns existed about Kelly’s shoulder when he arrived from Miami in the summer of 2024, but he quickly put those to rest by winning the starting defensive end job ahead of UCF’s opener against New Hampshire. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder suited up for 24 consecutive games, starting all but one, and posted big numbers.

Kelly totaled 99 tackles (56 solo), with 17 TFLs, 8½ sacks, five forced fumbles, four pass breakups and one interception. He generated 49 quarterback pressures and recorded an 80.8 PFF pass rush grade as a senior.

Kelly considered a fifth college season but formally declared for the NFL draft on Jan. 16. He, along with teammate Malachi Lawrence, is planning to participate in the East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas, later this month.

1. Javon Baker

Arriving with just nine catches to his name over two seasons at Alabama, Baker quickly established himself as UCF’s go-to receiving threat during the 2022-23 seasons.

Baker played 1,516 snaps and made 117 receptions for the Knights. He turned those catches into 1,935 yards and 12 touchdowns.

In 2023, Baker cracked the All-Big 12 first team by averaging 21.9 yards per reception. He initially planned to return for his final year of eligibility just before the Gasparilla Bowl, but he instead entered the NFL draft. The New England Patriots picked Baker 110th overall, but he lasted just one season and has since had practice-squad stints in Philadelphia and San Francisco.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football: 10 best transfer portal additions since 2022

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