UCF Coaching Staff Gives Latest Update On Defensive Backs Competition
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Quarterback is not the only position in the middle of competition during the UCF Knights' fall camp.
Coach Scott Frost said all defensive back positions remain open. Defensive backs coach Brandon Harris reiterated that recently.
"They're all taking strides, and they all want to make sure they put themselves in position to help the team this season," Harris said on the day players reported for fall camp. "So, if they see one guy starting to take off a little bit, that kind of makes everybody else like, 'Alright, cool. Let me catch up,' so nobody's able to separate, and that's the beauty of going into this training camp, that it's going to be competitive the entire time."
Here are some defensive backs to watch going into this season:
1. Phillip Dunnam
A transfer out of Florida Atlantic, Phillip Dunnam recorded 54 tackles, 28 of them solo, three interceptions and one forced fumble last season. Harris said he had a "knack for the ball" and said that a player like him can get other guys to respond when he makes a play.
2. Braeden Marshall
Marshall was held back in spring camp due to an injury, but he still played in nine games last season and started six of them. He recorded 17 tackles, five of them solo, three tackles for loss, three pass breakups and an interception. Frost said on Friday that he has made "some really good plays" since coming back and that he has been good at the nickelback spot in particular.
3. Antione Jackson
Antione Jackson is another defensive back coming off an injury for the Knights. Despite not starting, he played 10 games last season, recording 13 tackles, seven of them solo, three pass breakups and one interception. His former high school teammate, defensive end Nyjalik Kelly, said, "he's back, he's healthy and he's ready to contribute."
All three of these defensive backs get their first chance to make an impact on the field in UCF's season-opener on Aug. 28 against Jacksonville State.
"The Program" Helps Bring UCF Knights Together In Offseason
In the 2000 film Remember the Titans, a high school football team comprised of players from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds had to find a way to come together and succeed in the upcoming season.
In 2025, the UCF Knights football team had to find a way to integrate 70 new players, each with their own college football backgrounds onto its roster. If running back Myles Montgomery's comments are any indication, it seems it has done just that.
"The coming together part is kind of over because we're already together," Montgomery said after Friday's practice. "We're a team. This is our team for the 2025-26 season."
When players reported for camp on Sunday, Frost said The Program, run by former U.S. Marine Eric Kapitulik, was a "huge part" in jumpstarting the team's connection with each other.
"It's really hard to build a team when you have a collection of new guys, I hate to call it this, but a collection of mercenaries to some degree, because guys are getting paid now and some of them are here for those reasons," Frost said. "I think the teams that are going to be able to rise above that and make team the most important and bring guys together are going to be even more successful. I think that's even more important than it used to be."
It's a strategy that has seemingly produced positive results, according to transfer running back Jaden Nixon.
"I'm not gonna lie, we've been growing quick," Nixon said on Monday. "We're always doing stuff together outside of football and stuff like that. So, I'm loving that."
It's not just the new additions responding positively. Frost said that, during a punishment run, he took the time to speak with an unnamed returning player who will have a leadership role this season. He asked him what was different.
The player's response: "'Everybody's together now.'"
"I hope that holds true, because I think there's enough talent here to really surprise some people if we come together as a football team," Frost said.
Check out more UCF news below:
Scott Frost Provides Latest Update On UCF Quarterback Competition
UCF Running Backs Rotation Could Have A New Feel This Season
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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