In his first season back with the UCF Knights, head coach Scott Frost dealt with a revolving door at the quarterback position. Now, the hope is he’s found a veteran starter in 2026 with the addition of James Madison Dukes transfer Alonza Barnett.
Still, Barnett ran into some issues when he first got to UCF. In particular, an injury that limited his ability to take live reps during the Spring, when he was working to learn a new offense with the Knights. That sparked some level of concern among UCF fans that the quarterback position would still be an issue.
Speaking at Big 12 Media Days, Frost took some time to praise Barnett. He also, importantly, noted that he should be “full go” by the time Fall Camp rolls around.
“He’s been out on the field and we got to see him do a lot with some of the OTA’s and things that we’re allowed to do now,” Frost said. “Man, I’m impressed with his ability, but also his command and presence. We look like a different team with him in there. … He’ll be full go come Fall Camp.”
In 2025, Barnett won the Sun Belt and led James Madison to the College Football Playoff. A veteran, he was a one-time Curt Cignetti recruit to James Madison, and he’s been the Dukes primary starting quarterback for the past two seasons.
“We’ve liked him for a long time and had our eye on him. It’s been a little rocky getting him established as the leader, because he missed a lot of spring ball. We were just being cautious with him. He was ready to practice toward the end of spring ball, and we just decided to wait,” Frost said.
UCF Knights HC Scott Frost on Having a Clear Starter
GettyAlonza Barnett with James Madison
The quarterback position was, charitably, a mess for the UCF Knights last season. Four different quarterbacks earned extensive playing time, with veterans Cam Fancher and Tayven Jackson earning most of the reps. Jacurri Brown and Davi Belfort also played a significant amount too.
That wasn’t because Frost had too many starter-quality quarterbacks to choose from. It was a matter of looking for anyone who could spark the struggling UCF offense. UCF ended up being ranked 76th nationally in passing offense, averaging 220.8 yards per game. That was also good for 10th in the Big 12. Worse, UCF was tied 97th in interceptions with 12 on the season.
Now, with Barnett in Orlando, that shouldn’t be an issue for UCF. He’s the clear starter, and it’s one less problem for Frost to deal with in the offseason.
“It’s nice and refreshing having someone that everyone knows he’s the guy. He’s in charge. The guys can see that. He’s the clear leader on offense. We didn’t have that a year ago,” Frost said at Big 12 Media Days.
Quarterback was far from UCF’s only issue in 2025, of course. So, there’s plenty more for Frost to figure out, but getting the most important position done was vital.
The Backup QB Slot at UCF
GettyUCF Knights head coach Scott Frost
If UCF needs to break glass in case of emergency at the quarterback position, Frost will have a few different options to choose from.
UCF lists four other quarterbacks on its roster. There are Keyone Jenkins, Kaleb Annett, Dante Carr, and Rocco Marriott.
Carr and Marriott are both freshmen. Notably, Marriott is the highest-ranked high school quarterback recruit in school history, with 247 Sports ranking him 22nd nationally. Then, Annett is a redshirt sophomore who transferred in from Boise State without playing there, while Jenkins is a senior transfer from FIU. He offers the most college-level experience for UCF.
It’s also been reported that Annett is performing very well in the battle to become UCF’s backup quarterback. This comes after UCF offensive coordinator Steve Cooper was previously an analyst at Boise State. It could also put him in line to play if a backup is needed or even for future seasons.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post UCF HC Scott Frost Shares Latest on QB Alonza Barnett Amid Injury Concerns appeared first on HEAVY.