ORLANDO — UCF generated plenty of buzz, and plenty of praise, for its work in the transfer portal this offseason.
Chris Hummer (247Sports) and Pete Nakos (On3 Sports) each declared the Knights a winner for their efforts to patch short-term holes and acquire young talent to build a roster that can realistically contend in the Big 12. Head coach Gus Malzahn expects his team to be deeper and more physical to withstand the nine-game conference slate, as well as a much anticipated non-league trip to Florida.
UCF enters the fall with 24 transfers on the team, making significant additions in both the winter and spring windows. But which players will make the biggest impact in the months ahead?
The News-Journal predicted the Knights' top 10 additions, listed in ascending order, entering the 2024 season.
UCF football opens fall camp:5 position battles to monitor before New Hampshire opener
10. WR Ja'Varrius Johnson
Malzahn has done well, for the most part, when recruiting his former players at Auburn. Kobe Hudson posted a 900-yard, eight-touchdown receiving season, and Lee Hunter finished third on the team with 69 tackles as a redshirt sophom*ore.
He'll hope to get similar production from Johnson, the Knights' final portal addition upon his commitment May 14.
Johnson (5-10, 180) has one year of eligibility remaining and an opportunity to crack the Knights' starting lineup alongside Hudson and Xavier Townsend. He suited up 35 times for Auburn, catching 64 passes for 1,114 yards and eight touchdowns.
9. DE Daylan Dotson
Malachi Lawrence blossomed into a pass-rushing force last season, pairing with Tre'Mon Morris-Brash to give UCF one of the better edge duos in the Big 12. Morris-Brash signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Chargers after wrapping up a five-year Knights career, and former captain Josh Celiscar transferred to Texas A&M to create a significant void.
Dotson (6-3, 255) dominated the past two campaigns at the Football Championship Subdivision level with Tennessee-Martin with 34 tackles for loss and 16½ sacks.
"He's got a pass-rush bag already," Lawrence said of Dotson.
Dotson proved stout against the run as well, receiving a 90.7 grade in that department from Pro Football Focus. He'll compete with and mentor two of the Knights' prized 2023 recruits: sophom*ore Kaven Call and redshirt freshman Isaiah Nixon.
8. S Bryon Threats
UCF plucked three players from one of its biggest rivals, Cincinnati. Threats (5-10, 195), who made 19 starts for the Bearcats the last two seasons, is in the mix to step in at safety for the Knights.
In the 2022-23 campaigns, Threats made 115 tackles with seven TFLs, 2½ sacks, four interceptions and 12 pass breakups.
Malzahn said Monday that Demari Henderson is "a little bit away" due to a knee injury, leaving the door open for several newcomers to earn the nod against New Hampshire. Sheldon Arnold, an FCS All-American at East Tennessee State, and Titusville native Cedrick Hawkins (Ohio State) joined the roster after spring ball.
Similarly, the cornerback vacancy opposite Brandon Adams is another race too close to call at this moment. Mac McWilliams (UAB), Antione Jackson (East Carolina) and Tre'Quon Fegans (USC) will each look to impress first-year position coach Trovon Reed.
7. LB Xe'Ree Alexander
One of the biggest overhauls on UCF's roster this offseason came at linebacker, where starters Jason Johnson and Walter Yates graduated.
Alexander (6-2, 215) drew substantial portal interest after a strong freshman season for FCS quarterfinalist Idaho, in which he made 75 tackles with four TFLs and was the Vandals' highest-graded defensive player per PFF. UCF landed Alexander's commitment ahead of California and Michigan State.
Alexander should see plenty of time at the weakside linebacker, and he has a chance to be a key piece for the Knights' defense for the foreseeable future with three years of eligibility left.
"I'm really excited. It doesn't matter who we play; every team's got players that can play," Alexander said. "When I step on the field, I'm here to do my job and to take someone's head off."
6. IOL Jabari Brooks
UCF rolled out seven different starting combinations along the offensive line in its Big 12 debut. Four players — Drake Metcalf (now at Virginia), Bula Schmidt, Caden Kitler and Lokahi Pauole — made at least two starts at center.
Beefing up in the interior became an immediate portal priority, and Brooks (6-3, 335) was the Knights' first verbal commit in the winter. He started all 11 games for Samford last fall, earning All-Southern Conference first-team recognition and producing a career-best 71.2 PFF overall grade.
Brooks rotated in at right guard during the open portion of Monday's practice, though he has extensive experience at center as well. Marcellus Marshall is expected to occupy one of the starting slots on the right side of the line, whether it's at tackle next to Brooks or at guard alongside Paul Rubelt.
5. RB Peny Boone
The Mid-American Conference's Offensive Player of the Year for Toledo in 2023, Boone re-entered the portal after spending the spring at Louisville. He ranked eighth in the FBS with 1,400 rushing yards last season — two spots and 16 yards behind new teammate RJ Harvey — and 15 touchdowns.
A native of Detroit, Boone (6-1, 242) gained 793 yards after contact and had 40 carries of 10 yards or more. He added 15 receptions for 219 yards and another TD.
UCF finished last season as the No. 4 rushing offense the nation (228.2 yards per game), averaging 5.6 per carry. Pro Football Focus ranked the Knights second in its list of college football's best backfields — only to Ohio State — with Harvey, Boone, Johnny Richardson and Myles Montgomery in the fold.
4. S Ladarius Tennison
Rockledge native Tennison split four seasons evenly between Auburn and Ole Miss, leading the Rebels with 10 TFLs two seasons ago. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound fifth-year senior was utilized primarily as a weakside linebacker last season, but UCF views him as a starting boundary safety.
In an interview with ESPNU during Big 12 media days, Malzahn described the former four-star recruit as an "NFL-type guy" and raved about his contributions on special teams. Defensively, he collected 94 tackles with 13½ the previous two years at Ole Miss.
Return coverage was an overlooked weakness last season for the Knights. They allowed 22.8 yards per kickoff return (110th in FBS) and 11.8 yards per punt (107th).
3. LB Ethan Barr
Washington's coaching change in January gave UCF a second chance at bringing in Barr, a two-time captain at Vanderbilt. He has earned that honor with the Knights as well, reuniting with former defensive coordinator and position coach Ted Roof in Orlando.
"He's always had that good inside of him. It takes time," said Roof, who coached Barr as a true freshman during the 2020 season. "You don't just step in there as a freshman and run the team. That's not the way it goes. You've got to earn your stripes, earn your respect, earn your marks. He did that (at Vanderbilt), and he's done that here.
"When you recruit those type of guys, you help your locker room."
Barr (6-3, 245) made 55 tackles, with 21 solo stops and three TFLs, in 507 defensive snaps for Vanderbilt during his senior season. His best statistical campaign was 2021 when he registered 85 tackles, seven passes defensed and three interceptions.
2. S/LB Deshawn Pace
Malzahn and his staff knew exactly what they were getting in Pace from an ability standpoint, considering they had seen him head-to-head with Cincinnati in each of the past three seasons. In 46 games for his hometown Bearcats, Pace recorded 247 tackles, 25½ TFLs, three sacks, 14 pass breakups and six interceptions.
Pace told the Cincinnati Enquirer it "wasn't really a decision" for him to enter the portal as opposed to a parting of ways with the program at the conclusion of Scott Satterfield's first year as head coach. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder was suspended for Cincinnati's high-profile home game against Oklahoma due to a "violation of team rules" last September.
A movable chess piece with his size and coverage skills, Pace lined up 331 times in the slot and played another 254 snaps at the line of scrimmage or in the box.
1. QB KJ Jefferson
UCF shopped around in the portal for John Rhys Plumlee's immediate successor throughout December, entertaining Texas Tech's Tyler Shough and Coastal Carolina's Grayson McCall on visits before they chose Louisville and N.C. State, respectively. Five days after McCall entered the portal, KJ Jefferson announced plans to depart Arkansas after five years, including the last three as starter, and UCF pivoted and pressed for the 6-foot-3, 248-pound dual-threat.
Physically, Malzahn said during Big 12 media days, Jefferson is the closest match to Cam Newton he has coached since the Carolina Panthers great led Auburn to its most recent national championship in 2011. He also has a ton of experience in the SEC, throwing for 7,911 yards, rushing for 1,876 yards and accounting for 88 touchdowns in 44 career games (38 starts).
Named the Big 12's Newcomer of the Year in the conference's preseason media poll and one of four captains by his teammates this weekend, Jefferson could push the Knights toward the top of the conference if he hits the ground running this fall.
