While a season might end up coming down to one single game, one single game does not make an entire season. To make the College Football Playoff, teams are not only assessed by their own performances, but also by the strengths of their opponents.
UCF hits the road to take on Pittsburgh in a Big 12 vs. ACC match up this Saturday. The Knights are fresh off a blowout 73-6 win over Bethune-Cookman, while Pitt handled Miami (OH) 59-14 in their season opener.
While a season might end up coming down to one single game, one single game does not make an entire season. To make the College Football Playoff, teams are not only assessed by their own performances, but also by the strengths of their opponents.
Welcome to UCF Knights on SI's countdown to kickoff! In this series, we are going to introduce you to every single player on the 2026 UCF football roster so that you can know what to expect from them or even pinpoint the ones you want to follow throughout the coming season.
Last season was year 10 for Johnny Dawkins as UCF’s head coach and it was year 3 for the program as members of the Big 12. All things considered, it was certainly a breakthrough for the Knights, with last year’s team making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
UCF Knights coach Scott Frost appreciated having more time to put together his football team than he did an offseason ago. It allowed him to build a more targeted roster.
The Dallas Cowboys landed one of the biggest steals of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Getting Caleb Downs past the top 10 was a big win for Jerry Jones and company. However, they didn't fare that well with their second selection of the night, at least on paper.