The 2026-27 UCF Knights Baseball Transfer Portal Tracker

Following a bounce-back season that saw it return to an NCAA Regional, the UCF Knights baseball team is assembling its 2027 squad to help maintain its positive momentum.

This article breaks down all the program's offseason transfer portal activity, covering every addition and departure and, when applicable, poses a question or two about what they could mean for the team’s future.

Incoming Transfers
Outgoing Transfers
Position-by-Position Breakdown
Biggest Winners
Questions Still Remaining

Incoming Transfers

Name	Position	Years of Eligibility Remaining	Previous School	2026 Stats
Cooper Clapp	2B/SS	1	Middle Tennessee St.	57 G, 56 GS, slashed .320/.417/.558. Recorded 12 HRs, 34 RBIs and 7 SBs.
Collin Priest	DH	1	Clemson	Redshirted season due to injury. Was All-ACC 3rd Teamer in 2025.
Talan Bell	Pitcher	2	Clemson	13 App, 5 GS, 7.82 ERA, 23 strikeouts.
Andrew Lepine	Pitcher	2	Stetson	Pitched in 23 games from bullpen. 4.88 ERA, 4 SVs, 23 SOs
Jake Gorelick	Pitcher	2	Stetson	Pitched in 7 games in injury-shortened season.
Sachem Ramos	Pitcher	1	Florida Southern (DII)	14 App, 13 GS, 6-3, 3.92 ERA, 84 SOs.
Shamaar McDuffie	SS	2	Kennesaw State	49 G, 47 GS, slashed .289.379/.329, 16 RBIs, .966 FLD%.
Jackson Miller	Outfielder	2	Wake Forest	34 G, 29 GS, slashed .304/.374/.451, 22 RBIs.
Alejandro Ludeiro	Catcher	2	Lipscomb	35 G, 27 GS, slashed .268/.354/.341, .986 FLD%
Manny Lantigua	Pitcher/SS	3	Florida State	5 App, 2.45 ERA, struck out 5 of 19 batters faced.
Cade Brown	OF/INF	2	Georgia Tech	11 G, went 3-12 at plate.
Riley Leatherman	Pitcher	3	North Carolina	Pitched 1 inning.
Ryan Taffe	Pitcher	1	Siena	14 App, 5 GS, 2-1, 3.82 ERA, 32 SOs.
Ethan Puig	3B	2	Appalachian State	53 GP, 52 GS, slashed .326/.378/.438, 3 HRs, 45 RBIs, 7 SBs.
Chase Williams	Outfielder	1	Florida State	42 G, 34 GS, slashed .269/.349/.331, 12 RBIs, 17 SBs.

Position Group	# of Additions	% of P4 Transfers
Infielder/DH	5	20%
Outfielder	2.5	100%
Catcher	1	0%
Pitcher	6.5	38.5%

Outgoing Transfers

Name	Position	Years of Eligibility Remaining	2026 Stats	Destination
Jordan Lodise	Shortstop	3	Named to All-Big 12 Freshman Team. 55 G, 54 GS, slashed .243/.338/.400, 5 HRs, 12 2Bs, 29 RBIs	Georgia Tech
Elijah Buffaloe	Infielder	4	Redshirted 2026 season	Bethune-Cookman
Kiernan O'Neill	Infielder	4	Redshirted 2026 season	?

By the Numbers

Position Group	# in Transfer Portal	% of Group in Portal
Infielders	3	37.5%
Outfielders	0	0
Catcher	0	0
Pitcher	0	0

Position-by-Position Breakdown

Infielder

The Knights are poised for a near-full revamp in the infield in 2027, as thanks to a combination of graduations and departures via the transfer portal, second baseman Austin Jacobs is set to be the only returner from 2026. So, considering coach Rich Wallace already had a pair of true freshman infielders set to arrive, he emphasized adding experience from the transfer portal. Cooper Clapp, Shamaar McDuffie and Ethan Puig are all coming off full seasons with their previous programs, while Collin Priest was an All-ACC Third Teamer in 2025 before an injury ended his 2026 campaign before it began.

At the corner bases, Puig would be at home at either one, given he split time between first and third base at App State this past season. However, given James Hankerson and Collin Priest’s experience playing first base, Puig serving as UCF’s everyday third baseman seems like the likeliest outcome. As for Hankerson and Priest, the decision between them at first base role could end up coming down to whether the coaching staff thinks Priest is better off being a near-exclusive designated hitter like he was at Clemson or not.

Meanwhile, the keystone positions look a bit more nebulous. Both Clapp and McDuffie are coming off seasons in which they were the everyday second baseman and shortstop, respectively, of their previous schools. So, with the return of Jacobs, who started most of the games he played in last season at second base, a position battle could very well be in store at either position.

Catcher

Similar to the rest of the infield, the Knights also went for an experience behind the plate in the portal with Alejandro Ludeiro, who led a platoon at the position for Lipscomb last season. He could very well have to do so again in 2027 with an added mentorship element, given that both Dallas Brooks and Sebastian Hurtado are coming off their true freshman seasons. Both players got at least one start behind the plate in 2026, so both could be under consideration for more next season.

Fall ball is likely going to end up determining the catching situation, not just in terms of who has what it takes to start, but also if one catcher is going to start a majority of the season or if the position is going to be a platoon.

Outfield

The Knights are also in for a near-full revamp in the outfield with both Andrew Williamson and John Smith III getting drafted and DeAmez Ross and JD Rogers graduating.

Chase Williams and Jackson Miller both bring some experience into the room. Williams, who split time between center field and left field with Florida State, brings some speed to Orlando with 17 stolen bases in 2026. Meanwhile, Miller, who started as Wake Forest’s primary left fielder before becoming more of a designated hitter/fourth outfielder last season, has the experience and bat to try to become an everyday player once again.

The Knights also brought in utility player Cade Brown from Georgia Tech, though he's only played in 27 games in two seasons at the college level. He could factor into the outfield situation if he impresses in fall ball, but it's hard to say definitively given the lack of looks he's had up to this point in his career.

However, UCF has a trio of returning players, and perhaps even a pair of true freshmen that could make outfield starting decisions quite difficult for Wallace and the coaching staff.

Pitcher

As far as transfer portal activity went, pitcher is where the Knights brought in most of their additions that would be based more on talent evaluation than on their performance last season.

Of course, successful 2026 arms can still be found here: Sachem Ramos becomes UCF's latest addition from the Division II ranks after Braden Smith last season, Ryan Taffe arrives in Orlando after a breakout junior season with Siena and Andrew Lepine brings in another potential closing option for the Knights alongside a returning Evan Jones.

Another Stetson arm, Jake Gorelick, is coming down the I-4 corridor, but unlike his fellow former Hatter, he missed most of last season with an injury. However, given his success in 2025, he could be in for a bounce-back season if his rehab went well.

Talan Bell was UCF's lone southpaw addition from the transfer portal. He served as both a starter and reliever while at Clemson, which could make him an option for a lefty starter for the Knights alongside Kaniel Rosado.

Finally, Riley Leatherman and Manny Lantigua were a pair of ACC arms that did not get much time on the mound in 2026, so their development in fall ball is going to be central to how much time they get on the mound in 2027.

Taffe, Ramos and Bell have the experience to become contenders for the Knights’ starting rotation, but with Matt Sauser confirmed to be returning, Mateo Gray likely to join him, and Joey Trombley potentially getting a medical redshirt after his 2026 season was cut short by injury after four starts, it’s not going to be a sure bet.

Biggest Winners

James Hankerson: Considering Collin Priest served as more of a DH at Clemson than a first baseman, Hankerson might still have an opportunity to claim UCF’s starting first baseman role in 2027 after losing out to Landon Moran this past season.

Dallas Brooks: The arrival of Alejandro Ludeiro, a catcher who was not the everyday option for Lipscomb last season, leaves the door open for Brooks to still have an avenue to earn the starting catching job in 2027.

Stephen Chucka: Chucka served as the Knights’ go-to pinch hitter in 2026. The addition of just two outfielders who had significant playing time for their respective schools, it provides a larger opportunity for him to earn a starting spot in 2027.

Hagerty High School: Located just a six-minute drive from John Euliano Park, last season’s squad featured three alums, all of whom had some kind of spotlight, from Chucka’s clutch hits to Austin Jacobs being the primary second baseman to Max Murray being one of its go-to relief arms. In 2027, the arrival of Talan Bell adds a fourth.

Questions Still Remaining

Is this a deep enough pitching group?

The injury bug hit the Knights’ pitchers particularly hard last season, draining them of arms that could have been beneficial during the late stages of last season. This season, they return some of those injured arms and have brought in several more from the transfer portal, but the question is whether it is enough to withstand another wave of injuries should they strike.

Who is bringing the power?

UCF’s only double-digit home run hitters, Andrew Williamson and John Smith III, are both in the professional ranks aftergetting selected in the 2026 MLB Draft. However, the only transfer it added that did so in 2026 was Cooper Clapp. So, unless the Knights are able to better manufacture runs in 2027, another power bat is going to either need to transfer in or develop during fall ball.

Will there be an everyday catcher or a platoon?

Pitcher Kris Sosnowski, one of the Knights’ captains last season, said Dallas Brooks was his number one freshman on the squad and is well-liked in the locker room. However, the coaching staff still brought in an experienced catcher, Alejandro Ludeiro, to join the catching room, yet while he was the primary catcher for Lipscomb, he was still the leader of the platoon.

This adds an extra dimension to a starting catcher battle, as there is a chance it’s not necessarily a battle for the starting job and instead one for the most starts.

Who emerges in the infield?

With the versatility of the Knights’ infielders, from Ethan Puig being able to play first and third to Austin Jacobs getting some time at third base and shortstop in 2026, just because a player could lose a battle for one position does not mean they are out of contention for a starting spot entirely.

The pieces are there; however, it remains to be seen how they are going to fit together.

Check out more transfer portal trackers below:

The 2026 UCF Knights Transfer Portal Tracker

The 2026-27 UCF Knights Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker

The 2026 UCF Knights Softball Transfer Portal Tracker

The 2026 UCF Knights Olympic Sports Transfer Portal Tracker

Add us as a preferred source on Google