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Injured UCF quarterback Alonza Barnett III reportedly won’t start vs. BYU
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- Injured UCF quarterback Alonza Barnett III reportedly won’t start vs. BYU
(Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS)
UCF quarterback Alonza Barnett III reportedly won't start Saturday's big game against No. 2 BYU.
ESPN's Pete Thamel first reported the news on Tuesday, as Barnett continues to recover from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him the last four games. In his absence, backup Keyone Jenkins has stepped in and led the Knights to a 2-2 record over that span.
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Despite UCF having a bye week to regroup, there was some hope that Barnett might be ready to return. However, that apparently won't be happening.
Coach Scott Frost said Barnett has been making progress in his rehabilitation, but he wants to be cautious about rushing his return.
"He looks good and is doing a lot of things, but I want to make sure he's ready to go if we put him out there," Frost said on Monday. "That's a position where you might not have to run for 10 plays and then you've got to run away from some really big guys trying to get you.
"I just want to make sure if he's out there, he's not going to get hurt again."
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Offensive coordinator Steve Cooper wouldn't confirm or deny the report, saying only that Barnett has been practicing with the team on a limited basis.
"He's getting closer," Cooper said on Tuesday. "I'm really pleased with the progress that he's made since the Pitt game and we're still working through it. We still have a couple more days of practice, but we're getting closer.
"There's a fair chance that he'll be ready to go if everything goes well this week in practice. That's still to be decided."
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram at @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com . Sign up for the Sentinel's Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
