2025 UCF Knights football team

2025 UCF Knights football
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Record	3–1 (0–1 Big 12)
Head coach	Scott Frost (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Steve Cooper (1st season)
Offensive scheme	No-huddle spread option
Defensive coordinator	Alex Grinch (1st season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Acrisure Bounce House
Uniform
Seasons ←  2024 2026 →

2025 Big 12 Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 14 Iowa State		2	–	0					5	–	0
Arizona State		2	–	0					4	–	1
No. 25 BYU		1	–	0					4	–	0
Houston		1	–	0					4	–	0
No. 12 Texas Tech		1	–	0					4	–	0
Cincinnati		1	–	0					3	–	1
Utah		1	–	1					4	–	1
Baylor		1	–	1					3	–	2
Kansas		1	–	1					3	–	2
Kansas State		1	–	1					2	–	3
Arizona		0	–	1					3	–	1
No. 24 TCU		0	–	1					3	–	1
UCF		0	–	1					3	–	1
Oklahoma State		0	–	1					1	–	3
Colorado		0	–	2					2	–	3
West Virginia		0	–	2					2	–	3
Championship: December 6, 2025
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant As of September 28, 2025 Rankings from AP Poll

The 2025 UCF Knights football team represents the University of Central Florida (UCF) as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Knights are led by third-year head coach Scott Frost in the first-year of his second stint. The Knights play their home games at Acrisure Bounce House, located in Orlando, Florida. ^[a]

After compiling a 28–24 record during four years as head coach, Gus Malzahn resigned on November 30, 2024 to take the offensive coordinator position at Florida State. ^[1] One week later, after a brief coaching search, the university re-hired Scott Frost, who coached the Knights football team in 2016–2017. ^[2]

Shawn Clark, previously the head coach of Appalachian State, joined the coaching staff as offensive line coach. On September 10, four days after the second game of the season, Clark was hospitalized after suffering a medical emergency. ^[3] Clark died on September 21, 2025 at the age of 50. ^[4] The team announced that they would wear an "SC" decal on their helmets for the remainder of the season. ^[5]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 28	7:00 p.m.	Jacksonville State *	Acrisure Bounce House Orlando, FL	ESPN+	W 17–10	43,043
September 6	7:00 p.m.	North Carolina A&T *	Acrisure Bounce House Orlando, FL	ESPN+	W 68–7	44,009
September 20	3:30 p.m.	North Carolina *	Acrisure Bounce House Orlando, FL	FOX	W 34–9	44,206
September 27	12:00 p.m.	at Kansas State	Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium Manhattan, KS	FS1	L 20–34
October 4	7:30 p.m.	Kansas	Acrisure Bounce House Orlando, FL	ESPN2
October 11		at Cincinnati	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH (rivalry)
October 18		West Virginia	Acrisure Bounce House Orlando, FL
November 1		at Baylor	McLane Stadium Waco, TX
November 7	8:00 p.m.	Houston	Acrisure Bounce House Orlando, FL (Space Game)	FS1
November 15		at Texas Tech	Jones AT&T Stadium Lubbock, TX
November 22		Oklahoma State	Acrisure Bounce House Orlando, FL
November 29		at BYU	LaVell Edwards Stadium Provo, UT
*Non-conference game Homecoming All times are in Eastern time

• Source ^{[6] [7]}

Offseason

Transfers

Incoming

Name	Position	Old school
Anthony Venneri	P	Ohio State
Mason Denaburg	P	NA
Dominick Campbell	C	Howard
Anthony Coaxam	DE	West Virginia Wesleyan
Rodney Lora	DL	North Carolina
Max Drag	TE	Appalachian State
Jayden McDonald	LB	Virginia Tech
Chris Domercant	WR	Chattanooga
Jayden Williams	DB	Florida Atlantic
Jeffson Lafontant	DL	BC
Davi Belfort	QB	Virginia Tech
Noe Ruelas	K	James Madison
Owen Spell	OL	Limestone
Aymeric Koumba	EDGE	Michigan
Connor Meadows	OL	Tennessee St.
Dalton Riggs	LS	BYU
Keli Lawson	LB	Virginia Tech
Lewis Carter	LB	Oklahoma
Marcus Burke	WR	Florida
Duane Thomas Jr.	WR	Charlotte
Jaden Nixon	RB	Western Michigan
Carter Miller	IOL	Colorado
Tayven Jackson	QB	Indiana
Sincere Edwards	EDGE	Pittsburgh (Pitt)
DJ Black	WR	Limestone
Cole Kozlowzki	LB	Colgate
Jyaire Brown	DB	LSU
Jayden Bellamy	DB	Syracuse
Jaeden Gould	DB	Syracuse
Horace Lockett	DL	Georgia Tech
Phillip Dunnam III	DB	Florida Atlantic
Phil Picciotti	LB	Oklahoma
Dylan Wade	TE	Maryland
Justin Royes	IOL	Virginia Union
Preston Cushman	OT	Ole Miss
Ric'Darious Farmer	WR	West Virginia
DJ Bell	S	Memphis
Isaiah Reed	WR	Brown
Cam Fancher	QB	Florida Atlantic
Gaard Memmelaar	IOL	Washington
RJ Jackson	DL	Tulsa

Outgoing

Name	Position	Destination
Chasen Johnson	DB	USC
Jakiah Leftwich	OT	TBD
Kevin Carrigan	P	South Dakota State
Jashad Presley	LB	UTSA
Andrew Harris	LB	Arkansas
Elijah Brown	TE	Kentucky
Quinten Johnson	EDGE	Delaware State
Cedrick Hawkins	DB	South Florida
Grant Reddick	K	TBD
Chase Malamala	OL	Southern Miss
Brandon Jacob	S	UTSA
Derrick McCormick	LB	South Florida
Kason Stokes	WR	Middle Tennessee
Qua Birdsong	LB	ETSU
Aidan Fedigan	LS	Tulsa
Marcus Downs	DL	Georgia Southern
Tre'Quon Fegans	CB	Jacksonville State
Waltclaire Flynn Jr.	OL	Georgia
Dylan Rizk	QB	Stanford
Chauncey Magwood	WR	Purdue
EJ Colson	QB	Incarnate Word
Xe'ree Alexander	LB	Washington
Lee Hunter	DL	Texas Tech
Adrian Medley	IOL	Florida State
Randy Pittman	TE	Florida State
Riley Trujillo	QB	Delaware
Mitch McCarthy	P	Indiana
Keyon Cox	OT	Oregon State
Matthew Alexander	DL	Georgia Tech
Jack Bernstein	LS	Kennesaw State
Marcellus Marshall	IOL	Minnesota
Caden Kitler	IOL	Arkansas
Reece Adkins	TE	UMass
Johnathan Cline	IOL	ETSU
Tyree Patterson	WR	Middle Tennessee
Wes Dorsey	OT	TBD
William Wells	DB	ETSU
Colton Boomer	K	Boise State
Xavier Townsend	WR	Iowa State
Kaven Call	DE	ETSU
Byron Threats	S	UCLA
Zavier Carter	EDGE	Georgia State

• Sources: ^{[8] [9]}

2025 Recruits

Main article: 2025 college football recruiting class

See also: American football positions, Glossary of American football, and Recruiting (college athletics)

College recruiting information

Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	Commit date
Taevion Swint Running back	Kissimmee, FL	Osceola High School	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Apr 23, 2023
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Tony Williams Safety	Miami, FL	Miami Central High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Mar 15, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Rukeem Stroud Cornerback	Tampa, FL	Tampa Bay Technical High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Jun 24, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
LaParka Langston Offensive tackle	Senatobia, MS	Northwest Mississippi Community College	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	325 lb (147 kg)	Dec 10, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Caden Piening Tight end	Cincinnati, OH	Anderson High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	246 lb (112 kg)	Mar 13, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Carl Jenkins Jr. Wide receiver	St. Augustine, FL	St. Augustine High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Dec 4, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Malakhi Boone Linebacker	Bushnell, FL	South Sumter High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	May 1, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Waden Charles Wide receiver	Boynton Beach, FL	Somerset Academy High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Jul 3, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Jaquez Joiner Offensive tackle	Cocoa, FL	Cocoa High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	260 lb (120 kg)	Sep 2, 2023
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Jacob Maiava Offensive guard	Kahuku, HI	Kahuku High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Feb 2, 2025
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Camp Lott Offensive tackle	McComb, MS	Parklane Academy	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	Jan 31, 2025
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
RyShawn Perry Defensive tackle	Covington, GA	Newton High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	274 lb (124 kg)	Apr 7, 2024
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:      ESPN:
Raishaun McHaney Offensive tackle	Indianapolis, IN	Lutheran High School of Indianapolis	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	260 lb (120 kg)	Feb 4, 2025
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:     ESPN:
Trenton Turner Defensive line	Lakeland, Florida	Lakeland High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	311 lb (141 kg)	Feb 5, 2025
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:      247Sports:     ESPN:
Chance Nixon Running back	Oviedo, Florida	Oviedo High School	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	May 13, 2025
	Recruit ratings: Rivals:     247Sports:     ESPN:
Overall recruit ranking:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "UCF Football Commitment List". Rivals. Retrieved July 24, 2025. "2025 Player Commitments - UCF". ESPN. Retrieved July 24, 2025. "2025 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved July 24, 2025. "UCF Football 2025 Commits". 247Sports. Retrieved July 24, 2025.

*= 247Sports Composite rating; ratings are out of 1.00. (five stars= 1.00–.98, four stars= .97–.90, three stars= .80–.89)
†= Despite being rated as a three star recruit by ESPN, On3.com, and 247Sports.com, Stroud received a four star rating by Rivals.com.
Δ= TBD left the UCF program following signing but prior to the 2025 season.

Award watch lists

Player	Position	Award(s)
Jaden Nixon	RB	Maxwell Award Paul Hornung Award Doak Walker Award Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award
Miles Montgomery	RB	Doak Walker Award
Paul Rubelt	OL	Wuerffel Trophy
Cam Fancher	QB	Comeback Player of the Year
John Walker	DT	Comeback Player of the Year
SOURCE

Preseason

For 2025, UCF elected to not conduct their annual spring exhibition game. This was due to ongoing construction at the stadium, and to protect the roster during the spring transfer portal window. ^[10] As a substitute, the Knights arranged for two practice sessions to be open to the public. ^[11]

The Big 12 officially discontinued their annual preseason media poll, ^[12] but various other outlets predicted the Knights to finish 15th–16th in the conference. ^{[13] [14]}

On August 25, head coach Scott Frost named former Marshall and FAU transfer Cam Fancher as the starting quarterback for Week 1. Fancher, a redshirt senior, beat out Jacurri Brown and Tayven Jackson for the starting job. ^[15] Fancher, however, suffered an injury in the first half of the first game, and Jackson would be named the starter beginning in Week 2.

Game summaries

vs Jacksonville State

See also: 2025 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team

Pregame line	Over/under	Win Probability
UCF -20½	52½	UCF 89.3%

Jacksonville State Gamecocks (0–0) vs UCF Knights (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Gamecocks	0	0	3	7	10
Knights	0	0	3	14	17

at Acrisure Bounce House • Orlando, Florida

• Date: Thursday August 28, 2025
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 81° F, rain
• Game attendance: 43,043
• Referee: Kevin Boitmann
• TV announcers (ESPN+): A. J. Ricketts, Rene Ingoglia
• Preview • Recap • Gamecast

Game information

First quarter None Second quarter None Third quarter UCF – Anthony Venneri 24-yard field goal, 8:03, Knights 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:06. JVST – Garrison Rippa 42-yard field goal, 5:28, Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 2:35. Fourth quarter JVST – Andrew Paul 10-yard run (Garrison Rippa Kick), 12:01, Gamecocks 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 5:17. UCF – Dylan Wade 39-yard pass from Tayven Jackson (Noe Ruelas Kick), 9:30, Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 2:25. UCF – D. J. Black 33-yard pass from Tayven Jackson (Noe Ruelas Kick), 1:03, Knights 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 0:32.

Statistics	JVST	UCF
First downs	18	23
Total yards	332	424
Rushing yards	165	110
Passing yards	157	314
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	28:04	31:56

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Jacksonville State	Passing	Gavin Wimsatt	15/29, 139 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Cam Cook	17 carries, 75 yards
	Receiving	Cam Cook	4 receptions, 43 yards
UCF	Passing	Tayven Jackson	17/24, 282 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Myles Montgomery	21 carries, 79 yards
	Receiving	Myles Montgomery	3 receptions, 71 yards

The Knights hosted defending Conference USA champions Jacksonville State on Thursday night. It marked the first game of Scott Frost's second tenure as head coach. Former Marshall and FAU transfer Cam Fancher started at quarterback, but was knocked out of the game early in the second quarter on a Targeting hit by Tre'Quon Fegans. The game was then halted due to lightning. After a two-hour and seven-minute weather delay, the game resumed with Tayven Jackson taking over at quarterback for the Knights.

The game was tied 10–10 late in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville State was driving into UCF territory with less than two minutes left in regulation. Facing a 4th & Inches at the UCF 36 yard line, the Gamecocks tried a hurry-up play. Cam Cook was tackled for no gain by Jayden Williams which turned the ball over on downs. A few plays later, the Knights were facing a 3rd & 10 at their own 36. Tayven Jackson scrambled for a 15-yard gain, then a late hit Targeting call on Trevor Woods tacked on an additional 15 yards. Three plays later, Jackson threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to D. J. Black with 1:03 left, and the Knights won 17–10.

The victory marked UCF's 10th consecutive win on opening day, Frost's 14th consecutive win with the Knights, and the milestone 300th claimed victory for the program. ^{[b] [c]}

vs North Carolina A&T (FCS)

See also: 2025 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team

Pregame line	Over/under	Win Probability
UCF -56½	61½	UCF 99.0%

North Carolina A&T Aggies (FCS) (0–1) at UCF Knights (1–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Aggies (FCS)	0	0	0	7	7
Knights	28	12	14	14	68

at Acrisure Bounce House • Orlando, Florida

• Date: Saturday September 6, 2025
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT, delayed until 8:12 p.m. due to weather
• Game weather: 80° F, rain
• Game attendance: 44,009
• Referee: Luke Richmond
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Peter Sousa, Todd Doxson
• Preview • Recap • Gamecast

Game information

First quarter UCF – Jaden Nixon 96-yard kickoff return (Noe Ruelas kick), 14:57, Knights 7–0. UCF – Tayven Jackson 1-yard run (Noe Ruelas kick), 9:46, Knights 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 2:56. UCF – Tayven Jackson 4-yard run (Noe Ruelas kick), 7:16, Knights 21–0. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:45. UCF – Rodney Lora fumble recovery in endzone (Noe Ruelas kick), 2:06, Knights 28–0. Second quarter UCF – Jaden Nixon 87-yard run (kick failed), 9:46, Knights 34–0. Drive: 1 play, 87 yards, 0:09. UCF – Noe Ruelas 34-yard field goal, 3:37, Knights 37–0. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 2:10. UCF – Noe Ruelas 36-yard field goal, 0:00, Knights 40–0. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 0:57. Third quarter UCF – Jaden Nixon 66-yard run (Noe Ruelas kick), 6:56, Knights 47–0. Drive: 3 play, 74 yards, 1:10. UCF – Jacurri Brown 60-yard run (Noe Ruelas kick), 6:56, Knights 54–0. Drive: 1 play, 60 yards, 0:11. Fourth quarter UCF – Jacurri Brown 15-yard run (Noe Ruelas kick), 14:42, Knights 61–0. Drive: 4 plays, 25 yards, 1:41. UCF – Stacy Gage 23-yard run (Noe Ruelas kick), 7:41, Knights 68–0. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:56. NCAT – Shimique Blizzard 17-yard run (Andrew Brown kick), 3:00, Knights 68–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:41.

Statistics	NCAT	UCF
First downs	13	20
Total yards	200	560
Rushing yards	160	356
Passing yards	40	204
Turnovers	3	0
Time of possession	36:15	24:04

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Carolina A&T	Passing	Champ Long	3/7, 26 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Shimique Blizzard	11 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Elijah Kennedy	2 receptions, 20 yards
UCF	Passing	Tayven Jackson	12/21, 189 yards
	Rushing	Jaden Nixon	4 carries, 156 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Duane Thomas Jr.	3 receptions, 68 yards

The Knights hosted North Carolina A&T on Saturday night. Kickoff was delayed 70 minutes due to weather. Jaden Nixon returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, and the Knights routed the Aggies. Tayven Jackson started at quarterback, and ran for two touchdowns in the first quarter. Nixon added an 87-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and UCF built a 40–0 halftime lead. Jacurri Brown took over at quarterback in the second half. The Knights cruised to a 68–7 victory.

Nixon was the offensive standout for the night with three total touchdowns and 156 yards rushing on just four carries. Nixon was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. ^[25] UCF improved to 2–0 for the third straight season, and head coach Scott Frost won his 15th consecutive game with the Knights.

vs North Carolina

See also: 2025 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

Pregame line	Over/under	Win Probability
UCF -7½	45½	UCF 84.4%

North Carolina Tar Heels (2–1) at UCF Knights (2–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tar Heels	0	3	6	0	9
Knights	10	10	7	7	34

at Acrisure Bounce House • Orlando, Florida

• Date: Saturday September 20, 2025
• Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT; kickoff pushed to 3:45 p.m.
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: SW 10 mph
• Game attendance: 44,206
• Referee: Nate Black
• TV announcers (FOX): Eric Collins, Spencer Tillman
• Preview • Recap • Gamecast

Game information

First quarter UCF – Tayven Jackson 13-yard run (Noe Ruelas kick), 8:23, Knights 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:37. UCF – Noe Ruelas 36-yard field goal, 4:51, Knights 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:26. Second quarter UCF – Noe Ruelas 41-yard field goal, 10:03, Knights 13–0. Drive: 14 plays, 42 yards, 7:44. UNC – Rece Verhoff 40-yard field goal, 1:23, Knights 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 1:48. UCF – Kylan Fox 17-yard pass from Tayven Jackson (Noe Ruelas kick), 0:13, Knights 20–3. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 1:04. Third quarter UCF – Myles Montgomery 1-yard run (Noe Ruelas kick), 9:51, Knights 27–3. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:57. UNC – Kobe Paysour 8-yard pass from Max Johnson (pass failed), 1:06, Knights 27–9. Drive: 19 plays, 80 yards, 8:40. Fourth quarter UCF – Jaden Nixon 5-yard run (Noe Ruelas kick), 1:54, Knights 34–9. Drive: 18 plays, 93 yards, 10:26.

Statistics	UNC	UCF
First downs	14	23
Total yards	217	366
Rushing yards	63	143
Passing yards	154	223
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	26:13	33:47

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Carolina	Passing	Gio Lopez	11/14, 87 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Demon June	10 carries, 50 yards
	Receiving	Jordan Shipp	3 receptions, 44 yards
UCF	Passing	Tayven Jackson	25/32, 223 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Tayven Jackson	10 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Dylan Wade	5 receptions, 47 yards

The Knights hosted North Carolina, the first meeting between the two teams. Tayven Jackson threw for 223 yards, and one touchdown pass, and also ran for a touchdown, as the Knights defeated the Tar Heels 34–9. UCF improved to 3–0 for the third straight season, and head coach Scott Frost won his 16th consecutive game with the Knights.

A scheduled meeting between the two teams in 2018 was cancelled due to Hurricane Florence, then another scheduled meeting in 2020 was also cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The game was part of a new replacement home-and-home series, with a matchup in Chapel Hill set for 2027.

For the third time in as many games, the Knights defense held their opponent scoreless on the opening possession. They also kept alive their streak by not allowing a touchdown in the first half. The Knights defense had one interception and one fumble recovery, and both turnovers led to points. North Carolina finally found the endzone in the third quarter, at which point the score was 27–9. UCF put the game away in the fourth quarter with an 18-play, 93-yard touchdown drive, which consumed 10 minutes and 26 seconds of game clock.

at Kansas State

See also: 2025 Kansas State Wildcats football team

Pregame line	Over/under	Win Probability
KSU -5½	48½	KSU 55.3%

UCF Knights (3–0) at Kansas State Wildcats (1–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	0	7	10	3	20
Wildcats	0	17	14	3	34

at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas

• Date: Saturday September 27, 2025
• Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT / 12:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 73° F, sunny
• Game attendance: 53,013
• Referee: Luke Richmond
• TV announcers (FS1): Connor Onion, Mark Helfrich
• Preview • Recap • Gamecast

Game information

First quarter None Second quarter KSU – Luis Rodriguez 38-yard field goal, 13:03, Wildcats 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:17. KSU – Joe Jackson 1-yard run (Luis Rodriguez kick), 3:52, Wildcats 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:35. UCF – D. J. Black 82-yard pass from Jacurri Brown (Noe Ruelas kick), 2:54, Wildcats 10–7. Drive: 2 plays, 77 yards, 0:51. KSU – Will Anciaux 3-yard pass from Avery Johnson (Luis Rodriguez kick), 0:45, Wildcats 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 2:04. Third quarter KSU – Garrett Oakley 1-yard pass from Avery Johnson (Luis Rodriguez kick), 9:58, Wildcats 24–7. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:46. UCF – Noe Ruelas 53-yard field goal, 2:01, Wildcats 24–10. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 4:02. KSU – Dylan Edwards 75-yard run (Luis Rodriguez kick), 1:50, Wildcats 31–10. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:11. UCF – Jaden Nixon 54-yard run (Noe Ruelas kick), 0:20, Wildcats 31–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:30. Fourth quarter UCF – Noe Ruelas 40-yard field goal, 9:34, Wildcats 31–20. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:03. KSU – Luis Rodriguez 48-yard field goal, 2:41, Wildcats 34–20. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:35.

Statistics	UCF	KSU
First downs	13	21
Total yards	402	434
Rushing yards	205	266
Passing yards	197	168
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	27:51	32:09

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCF	Passing	Tayven Jackson	12/24, 115 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Myles Montgomery	10 carries, 119 yards
	Receiving	D. J. Black	1 reception, 82 yards, 1 TD
Kansas State	Passing	Avery Johnson	18/25, 168 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Dylan Edwards	20 carries, 166 yards, 1 TS
	Receiving	Jaron Tibbs	8 receptions, 72 yards

UCF traveled to Kansas State for their Big 12 conference opener. The Wildcats defeated the Knights 34–20. Quarterback Tayven Jackson was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury in the second quarter, but he would return in the second half. The UCF offense managed some explosive plays, including an 82-yard touchdown reception by D. J. Black, and a 54-yard touchdown run by Jaden Nixon. But three turnovers, and a turnover on downs resulted in several drives coming up empty. The Wildcats put up 266 yards on the ground, and turned the ball over only one time – an interception on the first drive of the first quarter.

UCF dropped to 3–1 on the season (0–1 in the Big 12). The loss was head coach Scott Frost's first loss with the Knights program since the 2016 Cure Bowl on December 17, 2016.

vs Kansas

See also: 2025 Kansas Jayhawks football team

Pregame line	Over/under	Win Probability
TBA	TBA	KU 53.9%

Kansas Jayhawks (3–2) vs UCF Knights (3–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jayhawks	0	0	0	0	0
Knights	0	0	0	0	0

at Acrisure Bounce House • Orlando, Florida

• Date: Saturday October 4, 2025
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers (ESPN2):  
• Preview • Recap • Gamecast

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	KU	UCF
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Kansas	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UCF	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Cincinnati (rivalry)

See also: 2025 Cincinnati Bearcats football team and Cincinnati–UCF football rivalry

Pregame line	Over/under	Win Probability
TBA	TBA	TBA

UCF Knights (0–0) at Cincinnati Bearcats (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Knights	0	0	0	0	0
Bearcats	0	0	0	0	0

at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: Saturday October 11, 2025
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UCF	CIN
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCF	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Cincinnati	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs West Virginia

See also: 2025 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

Pregame line	Over/under

West Virginia Mountaineers (0–0) vs UCF Knights (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Mountaineers			0
Knights			0

at Acrisure Bounce House • Orlando, Florida

• Date: October 18
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	WVU	UCF
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
West Virginia	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UCF	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Baylor

See also: 2025 Baylor Bears football team

Pregame line	Over/under

UCF Knights (0–0) at Baylor Bears (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Knights			0
Bears			0

at McLane Stadium • Waco, Texas

• Date: November 1
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UCF	BAY
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCF	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Baylor	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Houston

See also: 2025 Houston Cougars football team

Pregame line	Over/under

Houston Cougars (0–0) vs UCF Knights (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Cougars			0
Knights			0

at Acrisure Bounce House • Orlando, Florida

• Date: November 7
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers (FS1):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	HOU	UCF
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UCF	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Texas Tech

See also: 2025 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team

Pregame line	Over/under

UCF Knights (0–0) at Texas Tech Red Raiders (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Knights			0
Red Raiders			0

at Jones AT&T Stadium • Lubbock, Texas

• Date: November 15
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UCF	TTU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCF	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Texas Tech	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Oklahoma State

See also: 2025 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team

Pregame line	Over/under

Oklahoma State Cowboys (0–0) vs UCF Knights (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Cowboys			0
Knights			0

at Acrisure Bounce House • Orlando, Florida

• Date: November 22
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	OKST	UCF
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Oklahoma State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UCF	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at BYU

See also: 2025 BYU Cougars football team

Pregame line	Over/under

UCF Knights (0–0) at BYU Cougars (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Knights			0
Cougars			0

at LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, Utah

• Date: November 29
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UCF	BYU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCF	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
BYU	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Personnel

Roster and coaching staff

2025 UCF Knights Football
Quarterbacks  2 Tayven Jackson – Jr. 10 Davi Belfort – Fr. 11 Jacurri Brown – Jr. 14 Cam Fancher – Sr. 17 Brock Hansel – Jr. Running backs  4 Taevion Swint – Fr.  5 Jaden Nixon – Sr.  21 Stacy Gage – Fr.  22 Myles Montgomery – Sr.(C) 32 Tyler Wrenn – Sr. 35 Agyeman Addae – Fr. 42 Chance Nixon – Fr. Wide receivers  3 Marcus Burke – Sr.  6 Ric'Darious "DayDay" Farmer – So.  7 Duane Thomas Jr. – Jr.  8 Bredell Richardson – Fr.  9 DJ Black – Jr. 12 Carl Jenkins Jr. – Fr. 13 Chris Domercant – Sr. 19 Waden Charles – Fr. 39 Andrea Parisi – Fr. 81 Zack Palmer – Fr. 82 Jordyn Bridgewater – Fr. 85 Carson Hinshaw – Fr. 86 Chase Hinshaw – Fr. 87 Dwartney Wortham – Jr. 89 Caleb Rollerson – Fr. Tight ends  0 Dylan Wade – Jr.  1 Kylan Fox – So. 18 Caden Piening – Fr. 80 Max Drag – So. 83 Dallan 'Deebo' Coleman – 5th-Sr. 84 Thomas Wadsworth – Jr.		Offensive Lineman 50 Patrick Barnett – 5th–Sr. 52 Carter Miller – Jr. 53 LaParka Langston – Jr. 55 Cameron Kinnie – 5th–Sr. 57 Camp Lott – Fr. 58 Connor Meadows – Jr. 61 Owen Spell – Jr. 62 Jabari Brooks – 5th–Sr. 63 Shaheem Hill – Jr. 64 Gaard Memmelaar – 5th–Sr. 65 Jaquez Joiner – Fr. 66 Colin Cook – 5th–Sr. 67 Noah Senka – Fr. 68 Ethan Higgins – So. 69 Paul Rubelt – 5th–Sr.(C) 70 RaiShaun McHaney – Fr. 71 Thomas Gearity – Fr. 72 Dominick Campbell – Jr. 73 Jacob Maiava – Fr. 74 Matthew Prigmore – So. 75 Andrew Phelan – So. 76 Justin Royes – So. 77 Keegan Smith – Sr. 78 Preston Cushman – Jr. Kickers/Punters 16 Noe Ruelas – Sr. 31 Noah McGough – Fr. 40 Anthony Venneri – Jr. 97 Mason Denaburg – Fr. Long snappers 37 Rocklyn Kelley – Fr. 47 Dalton Riggs – Jr.		Defensive tackles 13 Horace Lockett – Jr. 54 Trenton Turner – Fr. 55 John Walker – So. 87 Andrew Rumph – So. 88 Derrick LeBlanc – So. 91 Keshaun Hudson – Jr. 92 Jeffson Lafontant – So. 94 Rodney Lora – So. 95 RJ Jackson Jr. – Jr. 98 Tyrek'e Robinson – Fr. Linebacker  0 Keli Lawson – Sr.(C) 16 T.J. Bullard – Jr. 20 Lewis Carter – Jr. 28 Troy Ford Jr. – So. 30 Kam Moore – Jr. 32 Malakhi Boone – Fr. 33 Phil Picciotti – So. 38 Jayden McDonald – Sr. 43 Cole Kozlowski – Sr. Defensive back  1 Ja'Cari Henderson – Jr.  2 Phillip Dunnam – Sr.  3 Tony Williams – Fr.  4 Braeden Marshall – Jr.  5 DJ Bell – Jr.  7 Antione Jackson – Jr.  8 Demari Henderson – Jr. 11 Jaeden Gould – Jr. 14 Isaiah Reed – 5th-Sr. 17 Jaylen "AP" Heyward – So. 18 Jakob Gude – So. 19 Hudson Gibbs – So. 23 Jayden Williams – Sr. 25 Rukeem Stroud – Fr. 26 Christian Peterson – So. 27 Nicholas Antoine – Jr. 29 Jayden Bellamy – Jr. 34 Terrell Jackson – Jr. 36 Chase Jarrett – Fr. 49 Donnell Johnson – So.		Cornerbacks 15 Jyaire Brown – Jr. Defensive ends  6 Isaiah Nixon – So.  9 Nyjalik Kelly – Sr. 10 Sincere Edwards – So. 12 Aymeric Koumba – So. 44 Josh Dorsainvil – Sr. 45 Quentin Hatch – Jr. 51 Malachi Lawrence – Sr.(C) 96 Anthony Coaxum – Sr. 99 Jamaal Johnson – Jr. Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Coaching staff Scott Frost – Head Coach Sean Beckton Sr. – Associate head coach/Wide receivers Alex Grinch – Defensive coordinator/Safeties Steve Cooper – Offensive coordinator/Tight ends Pete Alamar – Special teams coordinator Mike Dawson – Defensive run game coordinator/Edge Shawn Clark – Offensive line Brandon Harris – Defensive backs Mark D'Onofrio – Linebackers Kenny Martin – Defensive Tackles McKenzie Milton – Quarterbacks Jimmy Beal – Running backs Austin Herink – Senior Offensive Analyst Travis Fisher – Senior Defensive Analyst Demeitre Brim – Defensive Analyst/Asst. Defensive Line Drico Johnson – Defensive Analyst/Asst. Defensive backs Jordan Johnson – Offensive Analyst/Asst. Running backs Geron Hargon – Special Teams Quality Control/Specialist Alex Farah – Offensive Quality Control/Asst. Offensive line Alex Ward – Offensive Quality Control Pete Haffner – Defensive Quality Control Jihad Woods – Defensive Quality Control Zach Duval – Director, Sports Performance Andrew Strop – Associate Director, Sports Performance Sean Beckton Jr. – Asst. Dir. of Sports Performance Andrew Sims – Chief of Staff Trent Mossbrucker – General Manager of Football Player Personnel, Acquisitions and Roster Management Jeff Love – Executive Dir. of Player Personnel Ryan Callaghan – Senior Dir. of FB Operations & Recruiting Jeris McIntyre – Dir. High school relations Deshon Lawrence – Senior Director of Player Development, Pro Liaison & Internal Operations Ryan Beer – Dir. of Player Personnel Dan Pirtle – Dir. of Player Personnel Kaelen Skipper – Player Personnel Assistant Lauryn Ford – Asst. Dir. of Operations Jordan Litten – Dir. of FB Creative & Athletic Branding Brad Helton – Asst. AD, Video Operations Brian Lund – Associate AD. Head Football Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine Fred Donnell – Senior Associate Athletic Trainer Elisabeth Bird – Athletic Trainer Diarmuid Christie – Asst. Athletic Trainer Kyle Flora – Asst. Athletic Trainer Brad Anderson – Dir. of Equipment Operations Austin Seymour – Associate Director, Equipment Schuyler Silverglate – Asst. Director, Equipment Operations → Roster updated August, 2025 → Depth chart updated August, 2025

Coaching staff additions

Name	Position	Old team	Old position
Scott Frost	Head coach	Los Angeles Rams	Senior Analyst
Alex Grinch	Defensive coordinator/Safeties	Wisconsin	Co-defensive coordinator/Safeties
Steve Cooper	Offensive coordinator/tight ends coach	Boise State	Asst. to Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks
Pete Alamar	Special teams coordinator	Rice	Asst. Head coach/Special Teams coordinator
Mike Dawson	Defensive run game coordinator/Edge Rush	Kansas	Defensive Assistant
Shawn Clark	Offensive line	Appalachian State	Head coach
McKenzie Milton	Quarterbacks	Tennessee	Offensive Analyst
Jimmy Beal	Running backs	Utah State	Running backs
Mark D'Onofrio	Linebackers	Stanford	Inside Linebackers
Brandon Harris	Defensive backs	Florida Atlantic	Co-defensive coordinator/Secondary
Sean Beckton	Associate Head coach/Wide receivers	UCF*	Senior Analyst
Kenny Martin	Defensive tackles	UCF*	Defensive tackles
Travis Fisher	Senior defensive analyst	Syracuse	Cornerbacks coach
Austin Herink	Senior offensive analyst	Washington	Offensive quality control

• : retained

Coaching staff departures

Name	Position	New team	New position
Gus Malzahn	Head coach	Florida State	Offensive coordinator
Tim Harris Jr.	Offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach		Pass game coordinator/wide receivers coach
Herb Hand	Offensive line coach		Offensive line coach
Ernie Sims	Linebackers coach		Assistant linebackers coach/defensive analyst
Addison Williams	Co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach	Nebraska	Defensive backs coach
Darin Hinshaw	Co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach	Purdue	Quarterbacks coach
Brian Blackmon	Special teams coordinator/tight ends coach	ETSU	Assistant head coach/tight ends coach
Kam Martin	Run game coordinator/running backs coach	Tulsa	Associate head coach/running backs coach
Trovon Reed	Cornerbacks coach	USC	Cornerbacks coach
Ross Newton	Chief of staff/interim linebacker coach	Pelham High School	Head coach
Ted Roof	Defensive coordinator/inside linebacker coach	N/A	N/A
Kenny Ingram	Defensive ends/edge rush coach	N/A	N/A

Rankings

Further information: 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
AP	—	—	—	—	RV
Coaches	—	—	—	—	—
CFP	Not released																Not released

Awards

Player	Position	Award(s)
Jaden Nixon	RB	Week 2 — Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week [25]
Multiple players	OL	Week 4 — Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week [26]

Notes

1. The stadium and the UCF main campus have an Orlando mailing address, but both are located in unincorporated Orange County.
2. As of August 29, 2025, official NCAA Statistics maintained an all-time record of 298–242–1. ^[16] The NCAA does not include one of the Knight's wins from 1979 (vs. Fort Benning, because Fort Benning is not a college team and the NCAA views this game as an exhibition). ^[17] In addition, UCF's 1980 record is disputed. The Carson–Newman Eagles were forced to forfeit their opening day 30–21 victory ^[18] over the Knights due to an ineligible player. ^[19] The official NCAA Statistics (possibly by error) maintain UCF's 1980 full season record as 3–5–1, ^[20] However, the school ^{[21] [22]} and local media ^[23] claim a record of 4–4–1, interpreting the Eagles forfeit as a Knights win.
3. not including one exhibition game victory against the Russia national American football team in 1992 ^[24]

References

1. Thamel, Pete (November 30, 2024). "Sources: UCF's Gus Malzahn joining FSU as offensive coordinator". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
2. Olson, Max (December 7, 2024). "Scott Frost returns as UCF head football coach on 5-year deal". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
3. Adelson, Andrea (September 10, 2025). "UCF: Shawn Clark in stable condition after medical emergency". ESPN . Retrieved September 14, 2025.
4. "UCF Football Mourns the Loss of Offensive Line Coach Shawn Clark". UCF Athletics - Official Athletics Website. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
5. Nivison, Austin (September 25, 2025). "UCF to honor late OL coach Shawn Clark with helmet sticker for remainder of 2025 season". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
6. Ciardello, Keff (July 27, 2024). "UCF 2025 Football Schedule: Full List of Knights' Opponents". College Football Network. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
7. "2025 UCF Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
8. "2025 College Football Transfer Portal". 247sports. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
9. "2025 UCF Football Transfer Portal". On3.com. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
10. Murschel, Matt (January 28, 2025). "UCF most likely won't host spring football game, may open practices and scrimmages to fans". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
11. Boyle, Chris (March 5, 2025). "UCF Knights football: Fans invited to attend 2 spring practices at Bounce House". Daytona Beach News-Journal. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
12. Marcello, Brandon (July 9, 2025). "Big 12 nixes preseason poll to help shape narrative -- should national college football rankings follow suit?". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
13. Nagel, Cody (July 8, 2025). "2025 Big 12 football preseason poll: 247Sports expert panel picks Arizona State to repeat as league champions". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
14. Callihan, Schuyler (July 19, 2025). "Big 12 Preseason Power Rankings and Record Predictions for All 16 Teams". SI.com. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
15. Helwig, Brandon (August 26, 2025). "Scott Frost confirms Cam Fancher as UCF's starting quarterback". MSN.com. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
16. "NCAA Statistics-History". stats.ncaa.org. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
17. "Final 1979 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". NCAA.org. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
18. Carfield, Jim (September 14, 1980). "Carson-Newman pins 30–21 setback on UCF". Orlando Sentinel . p. 14. Retrieved December 2, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
19. Carfield, Jim (October 1, 1980). "Dozen black players boycott UCF drills". Orlando Sentinel . p. 365. Retrieved December 2, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
20. "Final 1980 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". NCAA.org. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
21. "UCF Record Book - 2024 UCF Football" (PDF). UCF Athletics. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
22. Wilson, Justin (November 26, 2024). "UCF Hosts Utah on Senior Knight Friday". UCFKnights.com. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
23. Carfield, Jim (December 23, 1980). "UCF to extend Jonas' pact for 1981 football season". Orlando Sentinel . p. 9. Retrieved December 2, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
24. White, Russ (October 4, 1992). "Knights bad news for Bears". Orlando Sentinel . p. 44. Retrieved December 2, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
25. "Big 12 Football Week Two Honorees Announced". Big12Sports.com. September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
26. "Marquee Performances Highlight Big 12 Football Weekly Awards". Big12Sports.com. September 22, 2025. Retrieved September 24, 2025.