The Pros and Cons of Each Alonza Barnett III Backup
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It's deja vu for UCF Knights football fans.
Last season, coach Scott Frost had to choose between three contenders for UCF's starting quarterback role. Now, after he confirmed during his Monday press conference that Alonza Barnett III suffered a "fairly significant hamstring injury" that is going to cause him to "miss some time for sure," he is going to have to choose between three quarterbacks once again to determine who is going to step up as the Knights' starter in his stead.
"I felt like he was, you know, getting more and more comfortable in our scheme," Frost said. "He did some really good things in the second half. I love to see him run around and look like he was just playing football and making some throws and runs late, and we brought him here for a reason because we believed in him, and it's sad to see something like this happen."
Frost did not explicitly name who the Knights' starter for their next game on Saturday against Georgia State, saying there were "a lot of guys I think are capable" and that the team was still putting together a game plan.
So, as the Knights' coaching staff puts together its plans, here are the advantages and disadvantages of each of Frost's options at the quarterback position among Barnett's listed backups on the Knights' depth chart:
1. Keyone Jenkins
A transfer from FIU, senior Keyone "Lights Out" Jenkins sits as the favorite to take over the starting role, considering he was the quarterback the Knights sent out for their final play from scrimmage on Saturday night after Barnett's injury. Aside from that play, Jenkins completed all four of his passes against Bethune-Cookman for 42 yards and a touchdown.
Pros:
- Experience: Of the Knights' remaining options at quarterback, Jenkins is the only one of them with previous playing experience, coming from three seasons as a starter at FIU, with the best of which seeing him complete 188 passes on 304 attempts for 2,557 yards and 22 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2024.
During his press conference, Frost said that "experience helps you no matter what," and the more a player has, the better off he is.
- Rushing Ability: Jenkins has shown his ability to make plays with his legs like Barnett can. Last season with the Panthers, he ran 51 times for 132 yards and five touchdowns.
Cons:
- Interceptions: Turnovers have plagued Jenkins throughout his career. In just 33 games played before this season, he has thrown 25 interceptions, tied for the 11th-most among active FBS players. Of 83 active FBS quarterbacks that have thrown more than 325 passes, Jenkins is 53rd in passing efficiency. For comparison, one of UCF's quarterbacks last season, Tayven Jackson, is 62nd.
- Holding up the Future: While Jenkins' experience can provide the Knights with a short-term solution, it does hold up their younger options at the position from getting in-game opportunities that could help with their development.
2. Kaleb Annett
Transferring in from Boise State, redshirt sophomore Kaleb Annett made his college football debut in the Knights' game against Bethune-Cookman, rushing twice for nine yards.
Pros:
- Familiarity: UCF offensive coordinator Steve Cooper first met Annett in 2024, when he was an offensive analyst at Boise State. Annett said the two of them were "grinding that playbook together" back then following the Knights' 2026 spring football open practice.
Back on Aug. 12, Cooper said Annett has gotten bigger, faster and stronger since he last saw him at Boise State and was a guy that had "a lot of good leadership traits."
- Balance of Fresh, but Experienced: Annett might not have taken an in-game snap before the 2026 season, but he still has been in a college football program for two seasons. This could provide a balance between using a quarterback opponents have not seen before, but still having someone who is acclimated to the world of college football.
Cons:
- Under the Lights: Annett may have had a remarkable fall camp performance, but it is not guaranteed that what was seen there can translate to in-game situations.
- Short Term or Long Term?: Thanks to being a redshirt sophomore, choosing Annett could put UCF in an odd spot from a continuity perspective. Since he still has multiple years of eligibility remaining, does that put him as the favorite to hold the starting job come 2027? If so, where would that leave freshmen like Rocco Marriott and Dante Carr?
Considering Barnett was not ruled out for the rest of the season, the Knights might not want to give too much of an indication on which quarterback they are going to try to commit to for the long term. So, Annett is in the position of not being experienced enough to be a short-term solution, but also has fewer years of eligibility remaining than even a longer-term solution.
3. Rocco Marriott
We are officially on school record watch 👀
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) September 4, 2026
Most points in a game in program history: 73 vs. Austin Peay (10/28/2017) pic.twitter.com/Tdkzepd1Og
A true freshman out of Platte County High School, Rocco Marriott also made his college football debut in the Knights' opener against Bethune-Cookman, rushing twice for 18 yards and a touchdown.
Pro:
- Commitment to the Future: Entrusting the offense to Marriott would mark the first time a UCF starting quarterback was a non-transfer since Dylan Rizk in 2024. It would also help Marriott gain some more in-game experience that could serve him well in the future.
Cons:
- Advertisement for Other Programs: Letting Marriott amass multiple reels of in-game film this early in his career could increase the likelihood that he could enter the transfer portal to leverage it to get a higher payday.
- Injury Risk: Just like how Barnett handling most of the Knights' snaps against Pittsburgh left him open to be injured, Marriott could be just as vulnerable if Frost starts him now; and an injury to Marriott could end up having even longer-ranging consequences than Barnett's.
- Sacrificing the Short-Term: The double-edged sword of committing to the future. While not a guarantee, the Knights putting in Marriott could still give off the signal of the program shifting its emphasis from a "win now" to a "win later" approach, which at least some older players in the locker room might not be fans of.
The Knights' new starting quarterback is going to lead the offense against the visiting Georgia State Panthers on Saturday at 7 p.m.
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Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.
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