Key losses - DE Tre'Mon Morris-Brash, DE Josh Celiscar
Top returners - DT Ricky Barber (34 career starts at UCF), DT Lee Hunter (13 career starts at UCF), DT John Walker (1 career start), DE Malachi Lawrence
New additions - DE Daylan Dotson (transfer from UT-Martin), DE Nyjalik Kelly (transfer from Miami, 3 career starts), DT Marcus Downs (6-5/300, top rated HS DT in South Carolina, three-star)
This group is as deep as it has ever been over the football, returning all four defensive tackles that played in UCF's rotation last season. Hunter - who was selected pre-season All-Big 12 - anchors the unit, while Barber is a veteran with tons of experience (sixth-year in college, first-team All-AAC in '22) who was banged-up for a decent chunk of last season. Walker, who was named to the On3 True Freshmen All-American Team, will look to build upon his first year as a Knight. Further down the depth chart, a couple of very interesting developmental prospects could see snaps for UCF this season in Derrick LeBlanc (6-5/295) and Andrew Rumph (6-3/305). LeBlanc (a high school teammate of Walker's at Osceola) - who played in the Under Armour All-American game in 2022 - was rated as a four-star prospect and top-150 player in the nation coming out of high school by 247Sports. Rumph - a former top-100 player in FL in the class of 2023 - redshirted last season.
The defensive end position lost a lot of experience this off-season with Morris-Brash (NFL) and Celiscar (transfer) moving on. Lawrence broke out last season, earning an All-Big 12 honorable mention pick (7.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss). UCF brought in Dotson - an FCS All-American last season - to try and shore up their room after Celiscar announced he was entering the portal. The Knights also brought in former four-star edge rusher Kelly (class of 2022) from Miami to add additional depth. UCF also boasts two prized recruits from the '23 class - Isaiah Nixon and Kaven Call - at the defensive end position.
