The UCF football team is certainly going to have a very different look in 2025 than they have in years past. First of all, for the first time in four years, running back RJ Harvey won't be on the field, but also the Knights have a new head coach and have had to replace the majority of their roster after the hire of Scott Frost.
Frost already took over UCF at its lowest point once before when he was hired first back in 20216 after UCF went winless the season before. He led the team to a bowl game in 2016 and then to an undefeated National Championship season in 2017 before leaving to coach his Alma Mater, Nebraska. Every UCF fan knows the story from there, but now Frost is back in Orlando and may have an even tougher job than he did before.
In the world of the transfer portal, it has made coaching college football even tougher. The turnover of the roster has become so frequent as players come and go much more easily. Frost has a lot of work cut out for him when it comes to UCF's roster and especially the depth chart. The majority of the players on UCF's roster have come from the transfer portal, so not many names are going to be recognizable to Knights fans.
So, looking at the 2025 season, here is a projected depth chart for UCF and how Frost could potentially line up his players.
Offense
QB:
1. RS JR Tayven Jackson
2. RS SR Cam Fancher
RB:
1. RS SR Jaden Nixon
2. RS SR Myles Montgomery
WR-X:
1. RS SR Marcus Burke
2. RS FR Jordyn Bridgewater
WR-Z:
1. RS SR DJ Black
2. RS FR Bredell Richarchson
WR-SL:
1. JR Duane Thomas Jr.
2. SO Ric'Darious Farmer
TE:
1. JR Dyln Wade
2. SO Kylan Fox
RT:
1. RS SR Paul Rubelt
2. RS JR Connor Meadows
RG:
1. RS SR Keegan Smith
2. RS JR Preson Cushman
C:
1. RS JR Carter Miller
2. RS SR Cameron Kinnie
LG:
1. RS SR Gaard Memmelaar
2. RS SR Jabari Brooks
LT:
1. RS SR Jakiah Leftwich
2. JR Justin Royes
Almost the entire potential starting lineup for UCF is new and from the transfer portal. The only two returning players on this projected starting lineup are right guard Paul Rubelt and right tackle Keegan Smith. The rest of the players are all new, which makes sense with Frost being a new head coach this season.
There is hope around the quarterback position as Frost was able to bring in Tayven Jackson from Indiana. Jackson took over for the Hoosiers for two games last season when their starter Kurtis Rourke went out with a thumb injury. At the time, Indiana was undefeated, and Jackson was able to keep the team that way before handing the reins back to Rourke.
Defense
LDE:
1. SO Sincere Edwards
2. RS SO Isaiah Nixon
NT:
1. RS JR Horace Lockett
2. RS FR Tyreek'e Robinson
DT:
1. RS SO John Walker
2. JR RJ Jackson Jr.
RDE:
1. RS SR Nyjalik Kelly
2. RS SR Malachi Lawrence
WLB:
1. JR Lewis Carter
2. SR Cole Kozlowski
MLB:
1. RS SR Keli Lawson
2. RS SO Phil Picciotti
LCB:
1. RS JR Jayden Bellamy
2. SR Isaiah Reed
SS:
1. RS JR Demari Henderson
2. RS JR Jaeden Gould
FS:
1. SR Phillip Dunnam
2. SO Christian Peterson
RCB:
1. RS JR DJ Bell
2. RS FR Chasen Johnson
NB:
1. RS JR Jyaire Brown
2. JR Braeden Marshall
Like the offense, the defense is riddled with new players from the transfer portal, but the biggest returners for UCF on the defensive side of the ball are defensive tackle John Walker and defensive end Nyjalik Kelly. Walker had his season cut short in 2024 due to a knee injury and it seems he is back and ready to get back to chasing down opposing quarterbacks.
The secondary is the true area of concern for UCF, as last season it was the biggest Achilles heel for the Knights. The defense line was able to play well, but quarterbacks were just to chuck the ball down the field, and receivers would be left wide open. The secondary has to play better complementary defense with the defensive line this season in order to help out a young puzzle-pieced offense.