ORLANDO — UCF's first taste of Big 12 football was "not good enough," Gus Malzahn declared following Monday's opening fall practice. Last year was the first in which the Knights' 58-year-old head coach endured a losing record.
To remedy the situation, Malzahn and his assistants sought experience in the transfer portal and premium talent from the high school ranks to build a roster capable of withstanding the conference's weekly rigors. Whether that comes to fruition, and whether the Knights exceed their eighth-place league expectations, could well be determined over the next month.
"Competing brings out the best in everybody," Malzahn said. "As a coaching staff, every day, that depth chart is fluid and moving, which I think is really good."
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KJ Jefferson, assuming he stays healthy, will break the huddle as UCF's starting quarterback for the Aug. 29 home opener against New Hampshire. RJ Harvey returned for his final year of eligibility after rushing for 1,416 yards and 16 touchdowns. Beyond that, few spots are set in stone.
Let's look at five position battles to monitor throughout the preseason for UCF.
Wide receiver
Two starting receivers return to the fold for the Knights in Kobe Hudson and Xavier Townsend, who combined for 1,225 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. However, Javon Baker chose to forego his final year of eligibility after leading the Big 12 with 1,139 receiving yards, ultimately being selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the NFL draft.
Townsend worked on the perimeter throughout the spring, creating additional flexibility for the Knights in their alignment. Malzahn and first-year offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Tim Harris Jr. have a number of options available, both experienced and youthful.
Second-generation UCF receiver Trent Whittemore garnered praise for his run blocking, and he offers versatility as an outside receiver or a bigger slot at 6-foot-4 and 211 pounds. Chauncey Magwood appeared in four games last year before redshirting, hauling in four passes for 40 yards, while Jarrad Baker played 12 times and tallied seven catches for 45 yards.
Ja'Varrius Johnson (Auburn) and Jacoby Jones (Ohio) provide veteran presence from the transfer portal, while Tampa native Bredell Richardson impressed in his first spring camp after enrolling early.
Offensive line
Though UCF finished last season as a top-five rushing team and averaged 31.3 points per game, Malzahn rolled out seven different starting combinations along the offensive line. Continuity could go a long way toward the Knights' pursuit of improvement.
Amari Kight and Adrian Medley appear locked on the left side, and Caden Kitler saw the majority of first-team reps at center during the open portion of Monday's practice. Marcellus Marshall, named one of UCF's four captains Sunday night, will occupy another starting slot, but it remains to be seen whether he'll man the tackle spot or kick inside.
"I trust in (offensive line coach Herb) Hand that he's going to put the five best guys on the field," Marshall said. "Whatever that looks like, I'll play where he needs me to play, and we'll go from there."
Jabari Brooks was one of UCF's first major winter additions from the portal, logging 801 snaps last fall at Samford and earning All-Southern Conference first-team honors. He's in the mix to start at guard, while redshirt senior Paul Rubelt is competing for the right tackle spot after playing in 27 games the previous two seasons as a reserve.
Defensive end
Malachi Lawrence shined early in 2023 as a situational pass-rusher and saw a higher percentage of snaps as the season wore on. He finished his redshirt sophom*ore campaign with 7½ sacks and 27 tackles (17 solo) and tops the depth chart this year on the edge.
Second-team FCS All-American Daylan Dotson dominated the last two years for Tennessee-Martin, combining for 34 tackles for loss and 16½ sacks. He's also stout against the run, earning a 90.7 grade in that department last year from Pro Football Focus.
Sophom*ore Kaven Call and redshirt freshman Isaiah Nixon, two of UCF's prized signees in its 2023 recruiting cycle, are expected to see significant upticks in playing time. Miami transfer Nyjalik Kelly could also provide a huge amount of juice, provided he is fully recovered from a shoulder injury.
"I like Kaven's (game). He uses power when he pass-rushes, so he'll use a long arm or a bull (rush)," Lawrence said. "Isaiah is similar to me with the length, so he'll use a long arm or put in a spin. I just like how they are trying out new moves so they can work them in practice.
"Dot, shoot, he's got experience from last year coming from UT-Martin. He's got a pass-rush bag already."
Linebacker
Considering he played for new defensive coordinator Ted Roof at Vanderbilt and that he is one of UCF's four captains, Ethan Barr can safely be penciled in as a starter at one linebacker spot in the blitz-heavy 4-2-5 scheme.
Barr captained the Commodores twice and racked up 219 tackles, seven TFLs, one sack, three interceptions and eight pass breakups across 45 career games (39 starts). Malzahn said Barr has brought maturity and accountability to the position group since arriving in the spring.
"He's earned that," Malzahn said. "He's just showed up. He was a captain at the last place he was at, and it doesn't surprise me at all. He's got the respect of the offense, defense, special teams, coaches. He's been very consistent, and his leadership will be really good to have on defense."
Deshawn Pace will figure heavily into Roof's plans — either at linebacker or in the slot where he lined up 331 times last season for Cincinnati, per PFF. Fellow transfer portal additions Xe'Ree Alexander (Idaho) and Jesiah Pierre (Texas Tech) will immediately compete for reps in the rotation, along with holdovers Kam Moore, Andrew Harris and TJ Bullard.
Cornerback
Demari Henderson will miss an unspecified period of time due to a knee injury, Malzahn confirmed Monday at the end of his press conference. His absence creates a dilemma at safety, but there is also a competition at cornerback opposite three-year starter Brandon Adams.
It will likely come down to three transfers and two Seminole High grads: Antione Jackson (East Carolina), Mac McWilliams (UAB), Tre'Quon Fegans (USC), redshirt sophom*ore Ja'Cari Henderson and true freshman Chasen Johnson.
McWilliams, a redshirt senior, started all 12 games for UAB last season. He had 52 tackles, nine pass breakups and served as the Blazers' primary punt returner. Jackson drew three starts as a true freshman for East Carolina, a former UCF conference rival, and grabbed his first college interception against Appalachian State.
"He came in when I came in and learned the system fast and is just buying in," safety Ladarius Tennison said of Jackson.
Injuries cut Ja'Cari Henderson's 2023 season in half, as he missed six games, but he set a career-high with four tackles at Boise State. Johnson, a consensus three-star prospect UCF flipped away from Pittsburgh, emerged as one of spring camp's standout performers.
"I'll tell you what, he's been very impressive," Malzahn said in April. "He doesn't seem like a true freshman. … He can run, and he doesn't shy away from contact. He's been a very bright spot."
