UCF's Dylan Wade Ranked Top-10 TE in FBS Football
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Through the first few weeks of fall camp, UCF's passing attack has looked dangerous.
Starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III is taking snaps after missing earlier practices due to lingering injury, and has looked comfortable with his various pass catchers, including Tyren Hornes, Duane Thomas Jr., and tight end Dylan Wade.
Wade, who had the best season from a tight end in program history last year, is set for another big campaign with consistent QB play in the backfield.
On Friday, the College Football Report released their rankings of the best tight ends in the country, with Wade landing at No. 10.
Trailing only Texas Tech's Terrance Carter Jr., Wade comes in as the second-highest ranked TE in the Big 12 and gives Barnett a strong, returning target who can get vertical and make big plays.
Wade has been garnering national attention for his play as of late, having been named to the John Mackey Award Watch List.
This award is given to the best tight end in college football each season.
Last year, Wade's 43 receptions for 523 yards and five touchdowns all set program records at the TE position.
It didn't take long for Wade to break out in his first season in Orlando, notching four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown in UCF's season-opening victory over Jacksonville State.
With presumed starting quarterback Cam Fancher injured early in the first quarter, UCF's offense sputtered, as the two teams went into halftime tied 0-0.
Jacksonville State found the end zone first, going up 10-3 on the Knights early in the fourth quarter.
But, backup QB Tayven Jackson responded with a 39-yard strike to Wade, evening the score at ten.
This was Wade's only catch of the second half, but gave life into UCF's offense and allowed the Knights' second-string QB to gain some confidence.
Later in the season, Wade singlehandedly sparked the struggling UCF offense on senior night against Oklahoma State, hauling in two second half touchdowns, including an 83-yard bomb on the first play of the second half.
The now-senior's ability to stretch the field vertically and find space within zones was crucial for a struggling Knights offense.
Wade finished senior night with four catches for 145 yards.
Getting onto any watch list is a strong achievement, but Wade should only improve with another year in head coach Scott Frost's system and a player of Barnett's caliber.
In Barnett's first completion of Fall camp, he found Wade on a stick route, which should foreshadow a huge connection this upcoming year.
It will also be fun to suit up with Wade in College Football 27, which ranks him in a four-way tie for the fourth highest TE rating (88) with BYU's Benjamin Brahmer, Temple's Peter Clarke and Iowa's DJ Vonnahme.
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