Players across college football have been declaring their intentions to enter the transfer portal for the last month. But the window for them to officially sign with new programs — and for teams like the UCF Knights to address their needs — opens Friday, Jan. 2. Expect nearly nonstop transactions from now until the portal closes Jan. 16.

December was busy for UCF. More than two dozen Knights, including starting quarterback Tayven Jackson and top run defender John Walker, announced their planned departures. Last winter was busy, too, as new head coach Scott Frost welcomed than 60 transfers onto the roster. His staff will continue to be active this year, hoping UCF can improve a squad than went 5-7 last season.

Here are the Knights’ incomings and outgoings, listed chronologically with the newest players at the top.

UCF Transfer Portal Additions

Kaleb Annett

• Previous school: Boise State
• Position: Quarterback
• Height/Weight: 6-3, 195
• Years of eligibility remaining: 3
• Hometown: Newport Beach, Calif.
• 2025 stats: No stats available
• Analysis: Annett did not throw a pass in two seasons with the Broncos, but was viewed as a three-star recruit coming out of Corona Del Mar. UCF offensive coordinator Steve Cooper will be familiar with the player; he was an offensive analyst at Boise as Annett redshirted in 2024.
• Committed: Jan. 17

Antonio Branch Jr.

• Previous school: Colorado
• Position: Safety
• Height/Weight: 6-3, 170
• Years of eligibility remaining: 4
• Hometown: Miami, Fla.
• 2025 stats: No stats available
• Analysis: Also known as TJ, Branch helped Miami Northwestern win the 2024 FHSAA Class 3A state championship while earning a nomination for the Nat Moore Award, given to South Florida’s top high school football player. He redshirted last season for the Buffaloes, and will return to Boulder this fall instead as visitor with UCF.
• Signed: Jan. 15

Brad Gurley Jr.

• Previous school: Eastern Kentucky
• Position: Defensive tackle
• Height/Weight: 6-3, 293
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Bowling Green, Ky.
• 2025 stats: 45 tackles (21 solo), 10½ TFLs, 5½ sacks, 1 forced fumble, 5 QB hurries, 3 pass breakups
• Analysis: Gurley spent four years at Eastern Kentucky and made the All-United Athletic Conference second team for the first time this past fall. In addition to matching a team-high with 32 total pressures, Gurley produced a stout 85.3 PFF grade against the run.
• Signed: Jan. 14

Grayson Brousseau

– Previous school: Oklahoma State
– Position: Tight end
– Height/Weight: 6-5, 239
– Years of eligibility remaining: 3
– Hometown: Lehi, Utah
– 2025 stats: 7 receptions, 45 yards
– Analysis: This move has Cooper Bassett’s fingerprints all over it; UCF’s new tight ends coach worked with Brousseau at both Utah State and Oklahoma State. Brousseau started two games for the Cowboys, including their Nov. 22 visit to UCF. He posted strong run-blocking grades against both Arizona and Kansas, playing a combined 53 snaps in those contests. Oklahoma State quarterbacks targeted Brousseau eight times with an average depth of 1.8 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.
– Signed: Jan. 14

LA Jesse Harrold

• Previous school: Florida State
• Position: Edge rusher
• Height/Weight: 6-5, 247
• Years of eligibility remaining: 4
• Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
• 2025 stats: No stats available
• Analysis: Harrold heavily considered UCF during his senior year at Gaither, but ultimately flipped in favor of Florida State after a previous commitment to LSU. He had 38 tackles, 16 TFLs and 11 sacks in 2024, and was the No. 150 overall prospect according to 247Sports. Harrold did not see the field in his lone season in Tallahassee, so Knights edge coach Mike Dawson will get a chance to develop him into a Power Four contributor.
• Signed: Jan. 12

Ken Talley

– Previous school: Arkansas
– Position: Edge rusher
– Height/Weight: 6-3, 255
– Years of eligibility remaining: 1
– Hometown: North Philadelphia, Pa.
– 2025 stats: 3 tackles
– Analysis: UCF’s staff will try to tap into Talley’s former four-star pedigree; he has played 18 college games in four years and attended three schools. His most productive campaign occurred in 2024 when he played 10 games, had six tackles and 1½ sacks for Michigan State. Talley began his career at Penn State but redshirted the entire 2022 season.
– Signed: Jan. 12

Rashad Henry

• Previous school: UMass
• Position: Linebacker
• Height/Weight: 6-2, 230
• Years of eligibility remaining: 2
• Hometown: Miami, Fla.
• 2025 stats: 67 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 QB hurry
• Analysis: Henry returns to the Sunshine State after starting the final four games of UMass’ winless 2025 season. Roughly two-thirds of his 390 defensive snaps, per PFF, came against the run. He topped double digits in tackles twice in November — against Akron and Ohio, respectively. Henry could be an asset on special teams as well, utilized mostly on kickoff return coverage and field goal block units for the Minutemen.
• Signed: Jan. 10

Josh Schell

– Previous school: Tennessee
– Position: Defensive tackle
– Height/Weight: 6-4, 265
– Years of eligibility remaining: 1
– Hometown: Mount Pleasant, Mich.
– 2025 stats: 1 tackle
– Analysis: UCF made a run at Schell last spring after he departed Grand Valley State, but he chose to head to Tennessee instead. He played just 21 defensive snaps for the Volunteers, all against non-conference opponents. In 2024, Schell earned an All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honorable mention by collecting 35 tackles, three TFLs, two sacks, six pass breakups and three QB hurries.
– Signed: Jan. 12

Duke Watson

– Previous school: Louisville
– Position: Running back
– Height/Weight: 6-0, 180
– Years of eligibility remaining: 2
– Hometown: Forsyth, Ga.
– 2025 stats: 49 carries, 158 yards, 1 TD; 6 catches, 49 yards, 1 TD
– Analysis: In 2024, Watson led the nation in yards per carry (8.9). He gashed both Stanford and Kentucky for more than 100 rushing yards and multiple touchdowns. Injuries slowed Watson down this past fall, and the Cardinals prioritized holding onto Isaac Brown. UCF needed some extra juice and experience in its backfield after losing both Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon to graduation and Stacy Gage to the portal.
– Signed: Jan. 10

Jahleel Culbreath

– Previous school: Old Dominion
– Position: Linebacker
– Height/Weight: 6-4, 222
– Years of eligibility remaining: 1
– Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va.
– 2025 stats: 71 total tackles (26 solo), 9 TFLs, 3 sacks
– Analysis: Culbreath started all 13 games for Old Dominion, capped off by its Cure Bowl win over South Florida in Orlando. He has made 24 starts for the Royals over the last two seasons, finishing as their fourth-leading tackler both times.
– Signed: Jan. 10

Thomas Collins

– Previous school: Oregon State
– Position: Defensive tackle
– Height/Weight: 6-1, 282
– Years of eligibility remaining: 2
– Hometown: Gothenburg, Sweden
– 2025 stats: 30 total tackles (11 solo), 4½ TFLs, ½ sack, 6 QB hurries, 2 pass breakups
– Analysis: UCF’s second European defensive lineman added this portal window, Collins started all 12 games for Oregon State in his redshirt sophomore season. He set a new single-game, career-high with six tackles in a Nov. 15 loss to Tulsa. A veteran of 809 defensive snaps, Collins can shoulder some of the workload behind projected returning starters RJ Jackson Jr. and Horace Lockett Jr.
– Signed: Jan. 9

Matt Irwin

– Previous school: Idaho
– Position: Safety
– Height/Weight: 5-11, 180
– Years of eligibility remaining: 2
– Hometown: Meridian, Idaho
– 2025 stats: 45 total tackles (29 solo), 1 TFL, 2 pass breakups
– Analysis: According to On3 Sports, Irwin had portal interest at both safety and wide receiver. Ultimately, he’ll stick on defense in moving across the country and joining UCF. Per PFF, he allowed 20 catches on 29 targets with an average of 10.3 yards per catch. He set, and matched, a career-high with 11 tackles in back-to-back games versus Northern Arizona and UC Davis.
– Signed: Jan. 9

Bruno Dall

– Previous school: Akron
– Position: Edge rusher
– Height/Weight: 6-7, 260
– Years of eligibility remaining: 2
– Hometown: Hamburg, Germany
– 2025 stats: 44 total tackles (18 solo), 8½ TFLs, 4 sacks, 6 pass breakups, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble
– Analysis: Dall enjoyed a breakout season as a redshirt sophomore for the Zips, earning All-MAC third-team honors. He generated 33 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus, and ranked ninth among the conference’s edge rushers in pass rush grade (81.4). According to 247Sports’ Jacquie Franciulli, Dall visited Virginia on Jan. 3.
– Signed: Jan. 9

Will Stone

– Previous school: Texas
– Position: Kicker
– Height/Weight: 6-0, 195
– Years of eligibility remaining: 1
– Hometown: Austin, Texas
– 2025 stats: No stats available
– Analysis: Stone preserved his redshirt in mid-October and left the Longhorns after four years with the program. He’s predominantly been used as a kickoff specialist to this point in his career, belting 56 touchbacks on 98 kicks during the 2024 campaign. Stone made a pair of PATs in that season’s College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Ohio State, but he is yet to attempt a field goal.
– Signed: Jan. 8

Atticus Bertrams

– Previous school: Wisconsin
– Position: Punter
– Height/Weight: 6-3, 233
– Years of eligibility remaining: 1
– Hometown: Sydney, Australia
– 2025 stats: 37 punts, 41.5 yards per kick, 18 inside opponents’ 20-yard line
– Analysis: The left-footed Bertrams spent the last three years as the Badgers’ punter, hitting a career-long 74-yard kick in a 2024 trip to USC. He also ran the ball that season, picking up 15 yards and a first down on a successful fake versus Penn State.
– Signed: Jan. 8

Ty Bartrum

• Previous school: Harvard
• Position: Safety
• Height/Weight: 6-1, 200
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Pomeroy, Ohio
• 2025 stats: 83 total tackles (27 solo), 0.5 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles, 3 pass breakups, 1 interception
• Analysis: An All-Ivy League first-team defensive back, Bartrum captained the Crimson and produced strong advanced metrics across the board. He played 404 of his 570 defensive snaps at free safety, meaning he will be a leading contender to replace NFL draft prospect Phillip Dunnam. In 31 career games, Bartrum has collected 244 tackles, eight TFLs and five picks.
• Signed: Jan. 8

Jonathan Bibbs

– Previous school: Louisiana-Monroe
– Position: Wide receiver
– Height/Weight: 6-2, 170
– Years of eligibility remaining: 3
– Hometown: Birmingham, Ala.
– 2025 stats: 26 catches, 383 yards, 3 touchdowns; 11 carries, 58 yards
– Analysis: Nicknamed “SlimJim,” Bibbs initially committed to North Carolina but flipped in favor of the Knights. He started three games this fall for ULM and played 330 snaps as a redshirt freshman. Of his 383 receiving yards, 322 came after the catch.
– Signed: Jan. 8

Josh Derry

• Previous school: Monmouth
• Position: Wide receiver
• Height/Weight: 5-9, 180
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Towson, Md.
• 2025 stats: 76 catches, 1,123 yards, 13 touchdowns
• Analysis: After posting 900 receiving yards in 2024, Derry upped his production to 1,100 yards and double-digit touchdowns last fall. He topped 100 receiving yards in each of his first four games and never looked back, earning Associated Press FCS All-American honors. Derry was a zero-star prospect out of high school, but 247Sports listed him as a three-star in the portal.
• Signed: Jan. 7

Jailen Duffie

– Previous school: North Dakota State
– Position: Cornerback
– Height/Weight: 5-11, 175
– Years of eligibility remaining: 2
– Hometown: Waukegan, Ill.
– 2025 stats: 15 tackles (12 solo), 1 TFL, 2 pass breakups
– Analysis: New defensive backs coach Will Johnson brings Duffie down with him from Fargo. Duffie started 21 games for the Bison over the previous two seasons. This fall, he allowed just 13 completions on 30 coverage targets for 120 yards. He’s graded as an excellent run defender at the Football Championship Subdivision level, producing PFF marks of 87.5 and 87.2 in that department since 2024.
– Signed: Jan. 7

Henry Tabansi

• Previous school: Buffalo
• Position: Offensive tackle
• Height/Weight: 6-5, 310
• Years of eligibility remaining: 2
• Hometown: Staten Island, N.Y.
• 2025 stats: 12 starts, 65.0 PFF overall grade, 64.8 pass block grade, 68.4 run block grade
• Analysis: After redshirting in 2023, Tabansi made 25 consecutive starts at left tackle for Buffalo. According to PFF, he had four games with 80+ pass blocking grades this past season but was called for eight penalties, three alone in a November loss to Miami (Ohio). Blind-side protection stood out as a major portal need for UCF, given the graduation of sixth-year senior Paul Rubelt.
• Signed: Jan. 6

Tackett Curtis

– Previous school: Wisconsin
– Position: Linebacker
– Height/Weight: 6-2, 235
– Years of eligibility remaining: 1
– Hometown: Many, La.
– 2025 stats: 7 starts, 29 total tackles (15 solo), 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 pass breakup
– Analysis: UCF defensive coordinator Alex Grinch will know Curtis well from his time at USC (2023) and Wisconsin (’24). Coming out of high school, the Louisiana native was the No. 110 ranked recruit in the nation, per the 247Sports’ composite. He started eight times as a true freshman for USC, and seven games this past fall for the Badgers. Curtis has recorded 96 career tackles, 6½ TFLs, three sacks, four pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
– Signed: Jan. 6

Tyler Gibson

• Previous school: Charlotte
• Position: Offensive tackle
• Height/Weight: 6-5, 310
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Alpharetta, Ga.
• 2025 stats: 12 appearances, 6 starts, 53.2 PFF overall grade, 71.9 pass block grade, 45.1 run block grade
• Analysis: Gibson started Charlotte’s final six games at right tackle and largely held up in pass protection, allowing one sack and seven pressures during a stretch that featured matchups against Georgia and Tulane. He played 377 of his 484 career snaps last season, according to PFF, including two seasons at Georgia Tech (2022-23).
• Signed: Jan. 6

Caleb Flagg

– Previous school: Missouri
– Position: Safety
– Height/Weight: 5-10, 192
– Years of eligibility remaining: 1
– Hometown: Houston, Texas
– 2025 stats: 4 tackles, 2 pass breakups
– Analysis: Flagg spent two years at Houston Christian and two years at Mizzou. During his two seasons in the SEC, he played 15 games. He declared intentions to sit out the rest of the fall and enter the portal in late September.
– Signed: Jan. 6

Brady Wayburn

• Previous school: Connecticut
• Position: Guard
• Height/Weight: 6-5, 300
• Years of eligibility remaining: 2
• Hometown: Gastonia, N.C.
• 2025 stats: 6 starts, 71.0 PFF overall grade, 42.9 pass block grade, 77.0 run block grade
• Analysis: UConn, which had the No. 3 run blocking unit in the nation per Pro Football Focus, had several coveted linemen depart when Jim Mora Jr. accepted the Colorado State job. Wayburn made five of his six starts at right guard and was called for just two penalties in 445 snaps.
• Signed: Jan. 5

Kahmel Johnson

• Previous school: Wayne State (Neb.)
• Position: Safety
• Height/Weight: 6-2, 200
• Years of eligibility remaining: 3
• Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
• 2025 stats: 37 tackles (18 solo), 0.5 TFLs, 3 interceptions, 9 pass breakups
• Analysis: Johnson blossomed into a starter for D-II Wayne State after getting into two games as a true freshman in 2024. He tied for third among all Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference athletes in passes defended (12) and interceptions (three).
• Signed: Jan. 4

Landen Chambers

– Previous school: Central Arkansas
– Position: Running back
– Height/Weight: 5-11, 215
– Years of eligibility remaining: 2
– Hometown: Keller, Texas
– 2025 stats: 242 carries, 1,273 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs; 27 receptions, 238 yards
– Analysis: Named to the All-United Athletic Conference’s first team, Chambers topped the 100-yard rushing mark nine times in 2025. He also fared well in his lone outing against Power Four opposition, gaining 44 of his 63 yards after contact in a loss to Missouri. The biggest back on the squad as things stand, Chambers averaged 3.3 YAC per attempt as a redshirt sophomore.
– Signed: Jan. 4

Cooper Terpstra

– Previous school: Michigan State
– Position: Center
– Height/Weight: 6-4, 313
– Years of eligibility remaining: 2
– Hometown: Holland, Mich.
– 2025 stats: 1 start, 74.8 PFF overall grade, 79.6 run block grade, 61.8 pass block grade
– Analysis: Terpstra got the nod at center in Michigan State’s regular-season finale against Maryland, a 38-28 home win. It was his first career start for the Spartans, though he participated in 10 games. He also logged 36 offensive snaps during the 2024 season, playing against both Prairie View A&M and Ohio State.
– Signed: Jan. 4

Alonza Barnett III

– Previous school: James Madison
– Position: Quarterback
– Height/Weight: 5-11, 216
– Years of eligibility remaining: 1
– Hometown: Whitsett, N.C.
– 2025 stats: 14 starts, 58.4% completion rate, 2,806 passing yards, 23 TDs, 8 INTs; 589 rushing yards, 15 TDs
– Analysis: Quarterback topped the shopping list for Frost’s staff, and UCF pulled in a proven College Football Playoff-caliber starter. Barnett earned Sun Belt Player of the Year honors as JMU went 12-2, won the conference and snatched the fifth and final automatic bid away from ACC champ Duke. He’s accounted for 6,508 career yards of total offense and 72 touchdowns.
– Signed: Jan. 4

UCF Transfer Portal Withdrawals

Horace Lockett Jr.

• Position: Defensive tackle
• Height/Weight: 6-6, 355
• Years of eligibility remaining: 2
• Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
• 2025 stats: 13 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack
• Analysis: On Jan. 5, Lockett pulled a somewhat surprising U-turn after reported visits to Nebraska and Notre Dame, announcing he plans to “run it back” with the Knights for 2026. On3 Sports’ Pete Nakos and CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz first reported the news, speaking to Lockett’s agent, Ali Barnes. Lockett had further visits planned for Ohio State, South Carolina and Ole Miss. He racked up 13 tackles, one sack, two pass breakups and one QB hurry in four games before suffering a torn pectoral in a Sept. 27 loss to Kansas State. It’s a huge retention for the Knights, with Lockett projected to start alongside RJ Jackson Jr. Five other members of the interior D-line rotation previously declared plans to enter the portal, including 12-game starter John Walker.

UCF Transfer Portal Losses

Max Drag

• Position: Tight end
• Height/Weight: 6-4, 250
• Years of eligibility remaining: 2
• Hometown: Chapin, S.C.
• 2025 stats: 3 catches, 19 yards
• Analysis: Drag spent just one season in Orlando, arriving after two years at Appalachian State. He returned to his home state of South Carolina on Jan. 18. Once a three-star high school recruit, Drag made three catches for 19 yards with UCF.
• New school: South Carolina (Signed, Jan. 18)

Josh Dorsainvil

• Position: Edge rusher
• Height/Weight: 6-5, 230
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Orange Park, Fla.
• 2025 stats: 1 tackle
• Analysis: Dorsainvil withdrew from the portal last April and stayed a second season at UCF. The former Savannah State transfer appeared in two games for the Knights, making a tackle in their September win over North Carolina A&T.

Davi Belfort

– Position: Quarterback
– Height/Weight: 5-11, 195
– Years of eligibility remaining: 3
– Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– 2025 stats: 4-of-6 passing, 53 passing yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT; 94 rushing yards, 1 TD
– Analysis: Belfort opened the fall as UCF’s QB4, but got onto the field six times — and in a handful of key spots. He stepped in for an injured Tayven Jackson for the final drive versus Houston, but threw a game-ending interception in the end zone. The son of MMA legend Vitor Belfort, Davi found the end zone for the first time in his college career Oct. 18 with a 10-yard TD run against West Virginia. With his Jan. 12 departure, Frost will need to find an experienced backup to bridge the gap between Alonza Barnett III and true freshmen Rocco Marriott and Dante Carr.

Patrick Barnett

• Position: Guard
• Height/Weight: 6-6, 305
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Key West, Fla.
• 2025 stats: 35 offensive snaps, 82.3 PFF pass block grade, 54.1 PFF run block grade
• Analysis: Barnett arrived at UCF in 2020 but did not play a single game between 2022-24. He got into all 12 for the Knights this past fall, occasionally slotting in at right guard. He saw his most extensive action in blowout wins over North Carolina A&T and West Virginia.

Isaiah Reed

• Position: Cornerback
• Height/Weight: 6-0, 190
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
• 2025 stats: 1 tackle
• Analysis: The former Brown captain missed most of fall camp due to injury and did not see the field until the Knights’ Oct. 11 trip to Cincinnati. He was utilized on the kickoff units for four games, making his lone tackle against Houston.
• New school: UMass (Signed, Jan. 13)

Keshaun Hudson

• Position: Defensive tackle
• Height/Weight: 6-1, 320
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• 2025 stats: No stats available
• Analysis: Hudson spent four years with the Knights and appeared in two games apiece during the 2023 and ’24 seasons. He totaled three assisted tackles.
• New school: Jackson State (Committed, Jan. 15)

Thomas Gearity

• Position: Interior offensive lineman
• Height/Weight: 6-4, 295
• Years of eligibility remaining: 3
• Hometown: St. Cloud, Fla.
• 2025 stats: 1 game, 59.3 PFF run blocking grade
• Analysis: Gearity, a former walk-on, checked in for three snaps in UCF’s blowout win over North Carolina A&T. He played center and right tackle at Osceola High in Kissimmee, where he earned all-county honors in 2023.
• New school: Colgate (Signed, Jan. 13)

Carl Jenkins Jr.

• Position: Wide receiver
• Height/Weight: 6-2, 185
• Years of eligibility remaining: 3
• Hometown: St. Augustine, Fla.
• 2025 stats: 3 receptions, 32 yards
• Analysis: Jenkins played 196 snaps as a true freshman in the Knights’ revamped receiving corps, making his first — and longest — catches of the season against Kansas (21 yards). UCF signed Jenkins last December, getting him back into the 2025 class after he decommitted following the team’s loss to Colorado.

Dalton Riggs

• Position: Long snapper
• Height/Weight: 6-3, 225
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Eagle, Idaho
• 2025 stats: 12 games played, 102 special teams snaps played
• Analysis: Expected to be the leader among UCF’s specialists, Riggs quietly entered the portal and committed to Ohio State during the opening-weekend flurry. The Knights’ punting and field goal kicking operation was consistently clean in 2025, and Noe Ruelas benefitted with a Lou Groza Award semifinalist season.
• New school: Ohio State (Signed, Jan. 6)

Cam Fancher

– Position: Quarterback
– Height/Weight: 6-2, 205
– Years of eligibility remaining: 1
– Hometown: Dayton, Ohio
– 2025 stats: 2 starts, 56.9% completion rate, 333 passing yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs; 170 rushing yards, 1 TD
– Analysis: Fancher broke fall camp as the Knights’ starter behind center, but back and rib injuries limited him to just three appearances; he checked into the Kansas game in the third quarter after Tayven Jackson reaggravated a shoulder injury. According to Jeff Love, Fancher’s agent and UCF’s former executive director of player personnel, the southpaw quarterback obtained a medical waiver granting him an extra year of eligibility. He’s made 25 starts across three schools: UCF, Florida Atlantic and Marshall.
– New school: Michigan State (Committed, Jan. 6)

Troy Ford Jr.

• Position: Linebacker
• Height/Weight: 6-2, 225
• Years of eligibility remaining: 2
• Hometown: Savannah, Ga.
• 2025 stats: 3 solo tackles, 1 PBU
• Analysis: In his third year with the program, Ford got his first crack on the field as a contributor on special teams coverage and a third-team reserve. He played 146 total snaps as a redshirt sophomore and should be able to find a landing spot that can offer an elevated role.

Tyler Wrenn

• Position: Running back
• Height/Weight: 5-11, 185
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Fort Pierce, Fla.
• 2025 stats: 1 carry, 8 yards; 1 catch, 11 yards
• Analysis: A former walk-on who began his college career at D-II Chowan in North Carolina, Wrenn got both of his touches this season in the late stages of a comprehensive blowout win over West Virginia. Wrenn, who joined the Knights in the spring of 2024, will have one year of eligibility to complete his college career.

DJ Black

– Position: Wide receiver
– Height/Weight: 6-3, 205
– Years of eligibility remaining: 1
– Hometown: Inman, S.C.
– 2025 stats: 22 catches, 273 yards, 2 touchdowns
– Analysis: Black jumped from Division II Limestone to UCF as a redshirt junior and made 11 starts. He appeared in all 12 games, but his first was his most memorable. He snagged the game-winning touchdown reception with a minute left in the Knights’ opener against Jacksonville State.

Jaeden Gould

• Position: Defensive back
• Height/Weight: 6-2, 210
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Somerset, N.J.
• 2025 stats: 5 tackles, 1 pass breakup
• Analysis: During his lone campaign in Orlando, Gould appeared in a reserve role in all 12 games. He made five tackles, with a season-high two against North Carolina A&T, and blocked a punt in a Big 12 win over West Virginia. Gould will look to join his fourth school following stints at Nebraska, Syracuse and UCF.
• New school: Temple (Committed, Jan. 7)

Ja’Cari Henderson

• Position: Defensive back
• Height/Weight: 6-0, 180
• Years of eligibility remaining: 1
• Hometown: Sanford, Fla.
• 2025 stats: 3 tackles (2 solo)
• Analysis: Henderson arrived at UCF as a four-star prospect out of Sanford Seminole High. But contrary to his twin brother, Demari, who started all 12 games in 2025, Ja’Cari never found the same footing. In four years, the cornerback compiled 30 tackles and two pass deflections.
• New school: Appalachian State (Committed, Jan. 8)

Stacy Gage

• Position: Running back
• Height/Weight: 5-11, 200
• Years of eligibility remaining: 3
• Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
• 2025 stats: 13 carries, 63 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
• Analysis: A three-star prospect out of St. Thomas Aquinas, Gage redshirted as a freshman in 2024. He contributed 63 rushing yards and his first college touchdown on 13 carries this fall, playing seven games before suffering an injury vs. West Virginia and missing the final month-plus.
• New school: LSU (Committed, Jan. 17)

Rodney Lora

• Position: Defensive tackle
• Height/Weight: 6-3, 300
• Years of eligibility remaining: 2
• Hometown: North Arlington, N.J.
• 2025 stats: 22 tackles, 3½ TFLs, 1 sack
• Analysis: Added from North Carolina via the portal last spring, Lora quickly became a solid contributor to UCF’s defensive line, playing 289 snaps per Pro Football Focus. He even earned gameday captain status against the Tar Heels, a game UCF won 34-9.