Kansas State Football vs. UCF: Breakdown, Preview

UCF Scout

Head Coach

Head Coach Scott Frost | 3rd season at UCF; 8th as HC | 22-7 (.759) at UCF; 38-38 (.500) Career Record | 1x AAC Championship (2017) | Paul “Bear” Bryant Award, AP College Football Coach OTY, Eddie Robinson Coach OTY, AFCA Coach OTY, Woody Hayes Trophy, Home Depot Coach OTY, FCA Grant Teaff Coach OTY, AAC Coach OTY | Previous head coach at Nebraska | Previous assistant at Oregon, Northern Iowa, Kansas State and Nebraska.   

2024 Finish

• Did not qualify for the postseason. 

2024 Record & Awards

4-8 (2-7 Big 12, T-13th)  | 1x All-American | All-Big 12: 1x First Team, 1x Second Team, 4x Honorable Mentions.  

All-Time Series

• Kansas State leads 2-0 (Sept. 23, 2023 last matchup; 44-31 Kansas State).  

Key Departures

• RJ Harvey | WR | Drafted | Second round pick of the Denver Broncos after leaving UCF as the program’s leader in career touchdowns (48) and a Third Team All-American pick in 2024. 
• Mac McWilliams | CB | Drafted | Graded out as UCF’s best defender in 2024 with an 81.6 PFF grade; Taken by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. 
• KJ Jefferson | QB | Graduated | Dual-threat quarterback employed by Gus Malzahn in his final season at UCF; Battled injuries and was later benched in his final college season. 
• Dylan Rizk | QB | Transferred (Stanford) | Finished with the most pass attempts of all UCF quarterbacks in 2024 before transferring. 
• Kobe Hudson | WR | Graduated | Team high 770 receiving yards on 47 catches with four touchdowns as the Knights’ leading receiver in 2024. 
• Jacoby Jones | WR | Graduated | Averaged 14.9 yards per catch on 22 receptions with 327 yards and two touchdowns as the second or third option on UCF’s offense. 
• Ethan Barr | LB | Graduated | Recorded a team-high 72 total tackles as the Knights’ starting linebacker. 
• Xe’ree Alexander | CB | Transfer (Washington) | Long, rangy corner that was second on UCF with 68 tackles alongside six TFLs as a true sophomore. 
• Randy Pittman Jr. | TE | Transfer (Florida State) | Followed Malzahn to Florida State after being second on UCF with 416 yards as a sophomore last year. 
• Daylan Dotson | DT | Graduated | Interior game wrecker that totaled 9.5 TFLs and four sacks in his final college season. 
• Lee Hunter | DT | Transfer (Texas Tech) | Formed a dynamic duo with Dotson on the interior defensive line with an additional 9.5 TFLs, one sack, and six quarterback hurries. 
• Ricky Barber | DT | Graduated | Collected a team-leading nine quarterback hurries in 2024 with six TFLs, 2.5 sacks, and 34 total tackles. 
• BJ Adams | CB | Graduated | Broke up four passes as a senior with a team-high two interceptions. 
• Deshawn Pace | CB | Graduated | Tied Adams with a team-leading two picks while finishing tied for third with 61 tackles. 

Top Returners

• Myles Montgomery | RB | R-Sr. | Third on the team with 293 yards last season before stepping into the starting role in 2025. 
• Nyjalik Kelly | DE | Sr | A key holdover from Malzahn’s regime that led the Knights with 9.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks in 2024. 
• Malachi Lawrence | DE | R-Sr. | Another key edge holdover who tallied five sacks in 2024, which was second on the Knights.  
• Paul Rubelt | OL | Gr. | 6-foot-10 fifth-year tackle that started all 12 games in 2024 before returning for his final season in 2025. 

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

• Gaard Memmelaar | OL | Gr. | Spent his previous four seasons at Washington, where he started 11 of 12 games at left guard for the Huskies last year. 
• Carter Miller | C | R-Jr. | Two-time transfer that’s spent time at James Madison and Louisiana Monroe, where he started 20 of 21 games played in the last two years.
• Preston Cushman | OL | R-Jr. | Appeared in 18 games across three seasons at Ole Miss before coming to Orlando to start at right tackle. 
• Tayven Jackson | QB | R-Jr. | Transfer from Indiana that’s taken the reins at quarterback after the injury of regular starter Cam Fancher. 
• Cam Fancher | QB | R-Sr. | Two-time transfer from Marshall and Florida Atlantic, who won the starting job in fall camp before getting injured in week one against Jacksonville State, where he hasn’t played since. 
• Marcus Burke | WR | R-Sr. | Four seasons at Florida before transferring to UCF, where he’s caught five passes for 78 yards so far in 2025. 
• Duane Thomas Jr. | WR | Jr. | Spent his first two seasons at Charlotte; Team-high 148 yards on 12 catches for UCF. 
• DJ Black | WR | R-Jr. | Freshman season at South Carolina, before two seasons at Limestone prior to joining the Knights. 
• Dylan Wade | TE | Jr. | Transfer from Maryland who now starts at tight end for UCF. 
• RJ Jackson Jr. | DT | Jr. | Appeared in 19 games across two seasons at Tulsa before transferring to Orlando to start at defensive tackle. 
• Lewis Carter | LB | Jr. | The Knights’ leading tackler in 2025 with 19 after playing in a reserve role at Oklahoma in 2023 and 2024. 
• Phillip Dunnam | S | Sr. | Played two seasons at Indiana and one at Florida Atlantic, where he was a preseason All-AAC selection in 2024.
• Sincere Edwards | DE | Soph. | Team-leading 4.5 TFLs with 1.5 sacks in 2025; Spent his freshman season at Pittsburgh. 
• Anthony Venneri | P | R-Jr. | Averaging over 38 yards per punt for UCF after spending two seasons at Buffalo (2023 & 2024) and one at Ohio State (2024). 
• Noe Ruelas | K | R-Sr. | UCF’s starting kicker; Played at James Madison in 2024 following three seasons at UConn. 

Key Storylines

How does UCF look following the passing of offensive line coach Shawn Clark? 

The UCF community is mourning the loss of the Knights' offensive line coach Shawn Clark, who passed away last Sunday evening after being admitted for a medical emergency on Sept. 9th. The former head coach at Appalachian State joined UCF in December 2024 as an addition to head coach Scott Frost's staff, and his unit was recently named the Big 12 Offensive Line of the Week after steamrolling Bill Belichick's North Carolina team 34-9.

The emotional toll is massive for a Knights program that's nearly matched its whole win total from last year already. A road game may be exactly what UCF needs as it mourns the loss of a loved figure, but it's anyones guess on how the Knights will look on its first Saturday without Clark.

Can Kansas State gets production from its running backs? 

Dual threat quarterback Avery Johnson has been a bright spot — 851 passing yards, 124 gained rushing yards and eight total touchdowns — but his running back teammates have yet to pull their weight. The Wildcats are averaging 4.4 yards per carry (13th in Big 12) with sophomore Joe Jackson the leading back with 136 yards on 30 carries. That won't do it in an offense that Johnson can't carry by himself if KSU intends to replicate its 2024 success.

The Wildcats were thrown for a loop after the injury of Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards in the season opener against Iowa State, but head coach Chris Klieman said that Edwards is "hopeful" to return against UCF, but that doesn't sound like he would be 100% healthy if he played. The Knights are 57th in the country in rushing yards per game (129.3) so they're vulnerable, but there will have to be another playmaker besides Johnson to find success on the ground.

Don't be fooled — Scott Frost is back in his comfort zone calling the UCF offense. 

Despite an embarrassing tenure at Nebraska that failed to see his explosive offensive scheme come to light, Frost is back calling plays for a UCF offensive unit that's averaging nearly 450 yards and 40 points per game. And that's without first-day starter Cam Fancher, who was knocked out of the season opener against Jacksonville State.

Tayven Jackson joined Frost in Orlando after serving as the backup to College Football Playoff qualifier Indiana in 2024, and he's run with the opportunity to direct the Knights. He's thrown for 694 yards and three scores while scurrying for 72 more yards on the ground and another three touchdowns. UCF is as well-balanced as any offense you'll see, with an average of eight different players catching passes and six different Knights running the ball through three contests.

With a methodical offense that's not afraid to churn out sustained drives while not turning the ball over, getting on top of UCF quickly and early will be a key emphasis for Kansas State. If not, the Knights have shown that they have the talent to control games up front, which could spell even disaster for a Wildcats team desperate for its second victory of the season.