Breaking Down UCF Knights' Strengths, Weaknesses, & 1 Thing That Could Beat Oklahoma State
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys have played the UCF Knights twice. Both times have ended in a loss. They would like to change that this season.
The Cowboys will host the Knights on Oct. 10 at Boone Pickens Stadium, the second of back-to-back road games for the Knights.
In two of the last three seasons, UCF has played OSU in conference play and both times the Knights claimed a victory. One came in 2023 in a blowout in Orlando. The other was a tight affair in Orlando last year.
Here are UCF’s strengths, weaknesses and the one thing that could beat Oklahoma State.
Strengths
Defensive Experience
The Knights are coming off a 5-7 season but unlike many other teams in the Big 12 they’re returning a wealth of experience on the defensive side of the football, and it should be better in 2026.
Six starters are returning, including defensive tackle RJ Jackson and linebackers Lewis Carter. But the most significant experience is on the back line of UCF’s 4-2-5 defense. Cornerbacks Jayden Bellamy and Antoine Jackson return, along with safety Demari Henderson and nickelback Braeden Marshall.
All four returning secondary starters were key parts of last year’s unit and Carter led the team with 92 tackles.
The Receivers
Whoever the quarterback is they’ll have an array of weapons to use, most of which were with UCF last season and all of which were productive.
That starts with wide receiver Duane Thomas Jr., who led the Knights with 53 catches for 528 yards. Tight end Dylan Wade is back after catching 43 passes for 523 yards and five touchdowns. Plus, Waden Charles produced as a freshman with 23 catches for 290 yards. The Knights even pulled a quality transfer at wide receiver in Monmouth’s Josh Derry.
Weaknesses
The Offensive Line
The Knights only have one returning starter up front and its right tackle Preston Cushman, who enters his senior season. From there, Oklahoma State will have to figure out what the rest of the line will look like.
Based on the two-deep, UCF will probably lean on transfers to start the season. The key piece to the puzzle will be left tackle Henry Tabansi, who played at Buffalo last year. He was a two-year starter for the Bulls and in 2025 he was the fourth-highest graded offensive lineman in the MAC by Pro Football Focus last year. But he and the other transfers must quickly gel with Cushman.
Who’s Rushing the Passer?
The Knights lost one of the best pass rushers in the Big 12 last season in Malachi Lawrence. The Dallas Cowboys selected him No. 23 overall in the NFL Draft after he finished the season with seven sacks and finished his four-year career at UCF with 28 sacks. He wasn’t the only one that left, either. UCF also lost Nyjalik Kelly, who added three sacks last season.
The Knights have the depth to lean on at the edge with returning ends Isaiah Nixon and Sincere Edwards, but it’s unproven. One newcomer that is proven is Bruno Dall. He was a third-team all-MAC performer at Akron and the 6-7 edge rusher from Germany had four sacks.
The One Thing That Could Beat Oklahoma State
Alonza Barnett III
The Knights landed one of the prizes of the transfer portal in the former James Madison quarterback. The Sun Belt Conference player of the year helped the Dukes reach the College Football Playoff for the first time. He threw for 2,806 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions and rushed for 589 yards and 15 touchdowns. He finished with 3,385 yards of total offense with 38 total touchdowns.
UCF believes he’ll be the straw that stirs the drink when it comes to its offense. If he is, he’ll be trouble.
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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