Transfer Portal: What Offensive Positions Does UCF Need Most?
The UCF Knights are a program that focuses on bringing in top high school and Transfer Portal prospects. Whichever way the program can progress, head coach Gus Malzahn and his staff will be happy to oblige.
National Signing Day for high school prospects will be Dec. 21, and that’s important. UCF will probably add a few key players to the 11 prospects already in the class of 2023 fold. To complement those high school prospects, the Knights need to sign top-notch talent, at specific spots, to help the offense improve.
Below is a look at the Transfer Portal needs for the offensive side of the football.
Quarterback
Why would UCF need a Transfer Portal option here, one may ask? It does not necessarily need one. That being said, adding a veteran that’s okay with being a part of the program, especially one that’s at least seen significant game action at the lower FBS or perhaps even FCS level is not a bad idea. Here’s why.
Injuries happen. Look at the end of the 2022 season. How fortunate to utilize Mikey Keene off the bench. While it appears that Thomas Castellanos will be the backup to John Rhys Plumlee next season, there’s no guarantee. Both of these young men are runners. They will get banged up.
The Knights need to keep their ear to the ground and continuously evaluate the Transfer Portal options at the most important position on the gridiron, even if it’s not a player that’s commonly being discussed among media outlets.
Running Back
This is honestly the hardest offensive spot to evaluate right now. Will any of the current UCF running backs leave because of the depth chart being good? Without definitively knowing that answer, the following is pure speculation.
As of now, no, the Knights do not need a true running back to join the roster via the Transfer Portal. That could change if an underclassman running back from the current roster hit the Portal. Adding a H-back that is an all-around player – blocking and catching in particular – would be great, however.
Malzahn’s offenses work best when there’s a valuable H-back, which is honestly just a combination of a fullback and tight end, but one that's generally shorter than a traditional tight end. Combining a Transfer Portal H-back with Randy Pittman, UCF’s high school commitment that can play tight end or H-back, is certainly an option.
Wide Receiver
After the loss of Ryan O’Keefe to the Transfer Portal, it’s hard to see the Knights not taking at least one pass catcher to transfer into the program. Two would not be out of the question, depending on how the coaching staff feels about younger players.
More about this position when discussing recruiting needs within articles during the next couple of days. This is quite a complex situation. For now, assume at least one wide receiver transfers to UCF, at minimum.
Tight End
One, perhaps? Needs to be an all-around player. As it relates to the above commentary about an H-back, needs to be a flexible player as well. One that’s capable of playing in the hurry-up offense that Malzahn prefers to employ, and do so as an inline tight end and a flex tight end so the Knights do not need to substitute when this player is in the lineup. The perfect scenario stems from this same player being able to at least occasionally play fullback (think goal line and short yardage) as well.
Those types of all-around tight ends are increasingly rare as they are generally much taller than a traditional H-back, and yet still an option to be quality blockers. That being the case, finding a flex tight end can save a scholarship for another position because that tight end is such a versatile talent.
Offensive Line
This is by far the biggest concern on offense. It’s not even close. Two, maybe three from the Portal? Depends on how UCF finishes out the recruiting class as well, especially after losing Jamal Meriweather, a promising offensive tackle.
It’s a veteran offensive line for the Knights, and the starting five from this season – which started every game – will all be gone by the conclusion of the 2023 season – needs to have talent ready and waiting.
From the outside looking in, at least one Transfer Portal addition at offensive tackle and one interior player are likely to be a part of future UCF rosters. This is a critical spot, however, and the competition for Transfer Portal offensive lineman is intense.
Out of the prep ranks, it takes far longer to develop an offensive lineman than say a skill player like a wide receiver. Thus, college programs are relying heavily on signing Transfer Portal players. Keep that in mind as UCF goes on the hunt for the big fellas.
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