Scott Frost's UCF football staff patched dozens of roster holes through the transfer portal. Which Knights transfers will make the biggest impact?
ORLANDO — The mere mention of the words "transfer portal" still gives Scott Frost nightmares.
"That was not a fun period in my life," Frost said July 27, the day before the Knights opened fall camp. "And I think that's the case with most coaches without speaking for them."
When Frost accepted the head coaching position at UCF on Dec. 7, he and a skeleton crew of assistants and off-field staffers patched as many roster holes in the portal as possible. Nearly 30 players committed to the Knights in the winter, and another dozen athletes transferred in after spring camp closed.
In total, Frost says the Knights have 69 new players on the squad from this time last year, factoring in both transfers and signees from the high school and junior college ranks. Returning production is sparse — particularly at wide receiver, linebacker, cornerback and on special teams — but Frost believes the group does not lack overall talent.
"I feel really good about the talent level on our team, but we're largely unproven," Frost said. "It's really going to be how fast these guys can operate at a level where they can compete in a game against good teams in the Big 12 and make plays. We have guys with the ability to do that, but ability is different than being able to do it consistently.
"We have some growing up to do and some maturing to do fast to make sure the talent shines through and guys aren't just out there; they're out there to make plays in a consistent manner."
Here are 10 potential playmakers that Frost, UCF's coaches and fans will hope develop into difference-makers over the next four months.
1. Tayven Jackson or Cam Fancher, QB
Obviously this comes with a huge asterisk that Jacurri Brown could win the starting quarterback job, but Frost is giving both newcomers a fair shot to run with it.
Jackson flashed dual-threat upside in limited opportunities at Indiana last season. He went 7-of-8 passing for 91 yards and two touchdowns against Nebraska, and had 124 passing yards with one touchdown apiece through the air and on the ground versus Washington, his lone start in 2024.
Fancher has made 26 starts over three seasons, splitting time between Marshall and Florida Atlantic. The left-handed redshirt senior has a 60.6% career completion rate, throwing for 5,294 yards, 27 touchdowns and 23 interceptions and rushing for 1,122 yards with eight scores.
The Knights rotated through four quarterbacks a season ago, and Frost wants to find a consistent signal-caller to tailor his offense around. That could go a long way to determine whether UCF can have a higher degree of success this fall.
2. Phillip Dunnam, S
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior drew rave reviews for his ballhawking in the spring, and he played for new defensive backs coach Brandon Harris at Florida Atlantic. He registered 56 tackles and three interceptions in his lone year for the Owls.
Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch came away impressed with Dunnam's instinctiveness and ability to quickly grasp the concepts of his scheme.
"Those two things were pretty evident pretty early," Grinch said. "Getting hands on football and putting himself in positions where he could be a playmaker defensively. To do that, you have to show an understanding of where you need to be, when you need to be there and understanding what's around you as well."
3. Duane Thomas Jr., WR
UCF does not have a wide receiver on its roster that caught a pass for the team in 2024. Thomas will get his chance to put hands on the football in a variety of ways, position coach Sean Beckton said.
"He's a young kid, but the way he plays and his physicality has helped him emerge as one of the guys that other guys look up to," Beckton said of the 5-foot-8, 175-pound junior. "He's built small in stature, but plays big. … He'll be very productive as a receiver, and also possibly getting carries in the running back spot because of his versatility."
Thomas caught 24 balls for Charlotte as a freshman, but registered just six receptions in eight games last fall. He did, however, snag his first touchdown — a 13-yard grab against Navy.
4. Sincere Edwards, EDGE
UCF struggled to convert pressure into production last year, finishing with 22 sacks — tied for 78th in the Football Bowl Subdivision on a per-game basis. But the Knights boast a talented, experienced quartet of edge defenders, adding Apopka native Edwards to the mix from Pittsburgh in January.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound sophomore played in 13 games for Pitt, collected three sacks and swatted a pair of passes. Edwards graded positively as a pass-rusher and a run-stopper, according to Pro Football Focus, and he could become a three-down player for his hometown team.
5. Keli Lawson, LB
Lawson was the only incoming transfer sent to Big 12 media days, joining Paul Rubelt, Myles Montgomery and Nyjalik Kelly. The 6-foot-4, 223-pound linebacker is two seasons removed from earning an All-ACC honorable mention at Virginia Tech, and he has 144 career tackles, 3½ sacks and three interceptions to his name.
"Keli's been around, and he's had success," UCF linebackers coach Mark D'Onofrio said. "He knows what it is to be a starter in the Power Four. He's smart, and he wants to be really good. He works really hard at it, and I think that is what showed up to his teammates. They saw that it matters to him.
"He's got a good personality. He is a connector, a guy that communicates with his teammates. He's going to be a guy that they like in the locker room, and goes out and plays to a high standard. … And he's not afraid to speak up when he needs to."
UCF will be transfer-dependent in its linebacker corps. Lewis Carter and Cole Kozlowski are frontrunners for the other starting spot in the Knights' base defense, and Jayden McDonald arrived in the spring from Virginia Tech to add depth to the unit.
6. Jaden Nixon, RB
Named to the Maxwell Award watch list July 28, former Oklahoma State running back Nixon returns to the Big 12 after gaining 921 yards and scoring 12 times for Western Michigan.
Nixon possesses home-run speed and extensive experience in the return game — the kind of explosiveness and threat to score from anywhere reminiscent of Frost's UCF offenses of the past. He and Montgomery are eager to prove they can carry the load in this conference in their last years of eligibility.
7. Carter Miller, C
All-Sun Belt honorable mention Miller was a coveted portal entry in the winter, with the Knights flipping him away from Big 12 rival Colorado on Jan. 6. PFF issued the 6-foot-2, 300-pound redshirt junior a 76.7 grade in pass protection across 12 starts for Louisiana-Monroe.
Miller made eight starts at left guard in 2023 for James Madison. The Dukes ranked among the top-30 in the FBS in six major statistical categories, including passing yards (284.8 per game) and scoring (34.1 ppg).
8. Jayden Bellamy, CB
UCF must replace a pair of starting cornerbacks currently competing for spots in NFL training camps, Mac McWilliams and BJ Adams. Chasen Johnson vacated one potential spot on the boundary after re-entering the portal and transferring to USC.
Bellamy, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound redshirt junior, made six starts for Syracuse in its turnaround under Fran Brown. He picked off two passes, broke up another six and allowed an NFL passer rating of 74.2 as the nearest defender in coverage.
9. Horace Lockett Jr., DT
Lockett's most recent college game was a matchup against UCF, forcing a key fumble in Georgia Tech's 2023 Gasparilla Bowl win. The 6-foot-6, 355-pound defensive lineman missed all of last season recovering from a hand injury.
UCF lost its three top interior linemen; Ricky Barber, Lee Hunter and Matthew Alexander combined for more than 1,500 snaps. Lockett, John Walker and Tulsa transfer RJ Jackson Jr. are among those hungry to pick up the slack.
"You hear a lot of, 'last year, last year, last year.' You've got to look at it as this roster isn't last year," UCF defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin said. "We closed the book and turned the chapter from last year. We're focused on right now. All those guys in the room, they have that chip on their shoulders and they're ready to roll. They want something to prove. I want something to prove, that I am a developer. I can't wait to show the world and the conference what my group has to offer."
10. Noe Ruelas, K
UCF overhauled its specialists unit over the last three months, finding two long snappers and replacing its placekickers and punters.
Ruelas knocked through a career-best 80% of his field goal attempts, scoring a career-high 14 points in a win over North Carolina. He converted a two-point pass in that same game against the Tar Heels, who will visit the Bounce House on Sept. 20.
Ruelas tied for the second-longest make in James Madison football history, a 52-yarder against Appalachian State last November.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football: Top 10 transfer players ranked by impact in 2025
Category: General Sports
