UCF

The Knights' offseason hinged entirely on finding a quarterback after losing Tayven Jackson to North Texas and watching the entire depth chart scatter through the portal. Enter Alonza Barnett III from James Madison, whose 91.1 PPA arrival headlined a transfer class that added 143.3 PPA while losing 130.5 from 35 departures. UCF's offense grades out 67th nationally at -0.1 points, held back by a defense that ranks 87th at -1.8 points and contributed to last year's 5-7 finish. The quarterback competition remains unsettled with Barnett joined by Keyone Jenkins from FIU, while receiver Jonathan Bibbs transferred in from ULM to provide a new target.

JP+ projects 6.8 wins for UCF, banking on offensive stability despite mixed continuity across the roster and a defense that returns most of its core pieces. Road trips to Oklahoma State, Houston, and Colorado represent the season's steepest climbs, while home games against TCU, Georgia State, and Bethune-Cookman offer the clearest paths to victories in Big 12 play. If the new signal-caller can quickly establish chemistry with a retooled receiving corps, the Knights push toward bowl eligibility. If the quarterback competition drags into conference play, another sub-.500 season becomes the likely outcome.