With the season winding down to the final two regular season games, UCF coaches are focused on finishing strong. A win against either Texas Tech or Houston could send the Knights to their eighth consecutive bowl game.
But even with much attention paid to the present, there is always an eye toward the future.
The first window for players to enter their name into the NCAA transfer portal begins Dec. 4 and runs through Jan. 3. It always coincides with the three-day, early signing period for high school recruits, which starts on Dec. 20.
“It’s always going to be out there, so we will be looking right now,” said offensive coordinator Darin Hinshaw. “Who’s in the portal? Who’s not in the portal? Who could go in? All of those situations. It’s a daily basis and a daily grind.”
UCF has been active in the transfer market, signing 42 transfers since 2021. This includes 18 players in the 2023 recruiting class, ranked as the No. 32 transfer class in the country by 247Sports. Additionally, the Knights signed 14 transfers in 2022 which ranked as the No. 15 transfer class.
Receivers Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson, offensive linemen Bula Schmidt, Marcellus Marshall, Drake Metcalf and Amari Kight, safety DeJordan Mask and quarterbacks John Rhys Plumlee and Timmy McClain have made an impact this season.
“The goal will be keeping our top players here,” said coach Gus Malzahn. “We know who they are identifying and all that. Once you get past that last game, things happen quickly.”
First-year defensive coordinator Addison Williams said the coaches have plenty of help from a recruiting support staff that monitors the portal.
“Big picture-wise, at some point, you do have guys behind the scenes that are going to evaluate the roster,” said Williams. “‘We need to be better at this spot. We need to be bigger at this spot. Maybe we need to add some depth at this spot.’ We have several guys that do a phenomenal job.
“They work closely with coach Malzahn on roster management. Those guys are always just looking ahead and seeing the forecasts we need moving forward.”
The Knights will have plenty of needs in 2024, specifically on the offensive line, where they’ll need to replace a handful of experienced players. There also will be needs on the defensive front and at linebacker.
“Once you get into that world, you must recruit,” said Hinshaw. “If there’s a great receiver in the portal, everybody will go after him. What’s the situation if there’s a great quarterback versus a great defensive lineman?
“We will be on it. We’ve gotten a lot of kids from the portal and the bottom line is to keep our players here. And again, continuing to see what pieces we need to build the program.”
Malzahn emphasized that UCF has a stellar 2024 recruiting class that will help fill some needs, but in some areas the Knights will need to move quickly.
“Last year was a learning experience,” he said. “We have to learn from that and we should be better off knowing how to operate in that short period and make quick, important decisions. We should be better than we were last year.”
Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.
