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. We are going to go through the Knights' roster in reverse jersey-number order, with the day each player's entry is published corresponding to the number of days remaining until UCF's season-opener on Sep. 3 at 7 p.m. against Bethune-Cookman.
For this entry, we have two players with the same jersey number. So, with 14 days to go, let's meet UCF quarterback Alonza Barnett III and defensive back Kahmel Johnson:
Position:Quarterback
Class:Redshirt Senior
Height/Weight:5-foot-11 / 210 pounds
Hometown:Whitsett, North Carolina
High School:Grimsley High School
Alonza Barnett III is not the first college football player in his family. While his uncle, Troy Barnett, played on the defensive line for North Carolina before playing for three years in the NFL, his father, Alonza Barnett Jr., played for North Carolina A&T and was inducted into the Aggies' Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.
Barnett Jr. was initially brought in as a quarterback, the same position his son would later play. However, after the coach who recruited him left for the NFL, his successor moved Barnett Jr. to defensive back, where he went on to snag a program-record 11 interceptions during his junior season and was named a team captain for his senior season, according to his Hall of Fame biography. He was named an All-MEAC First Teamer twice and an All-American in 1992 by Sheridan Broadcasting News.
While Barnett Jr. did not get the chance to be a college football quarterback, his son did. After being part of Grimsley High School's National Honor Society, Spanish Honors Society and Chess Club, according to his UCF Athletics profile page, Barnett III committed to James Madison, led by coach Curt Cignetti, where he made his first start as a redshirt freshman in 2023 before becoming the Dukes' full-time starter in 2024, their first season of the Post-Cignetti era.
Despite a torn ACL ending Barnett's season at JMU's regular-season finale, he once again assumed the starting quarterback role in 2025.
Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; James Madison Dukes quarterback Alonza Barnett III (14) rushes during the fourth quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With his arm, Barnett completed 216 of his 370 passes for 2,806 yards and 23 touchdowns with eight interceptions. With his legs, he ran 127 times for 589 yards and 15 touchdowns. These helped James Madison earn its first-ever College Football Playoff berth and earned him the Sun Belt's Player of the Year honor.
Coming off a College Football Playoff appearance, it was apparent Barnett was the Knights' 2026 starting quarterback nearly from the minute he joined the program. They even held him out of spring practice in order to ensure he was healthy going into preseason camp, something that did not stop him from becoming a team leader in the locker room.
"He's been a sponge just in terms of learning our offense and getting the guys around him to compete at a high level," UCF quarterbacks coach McKenzie Milton said during the Knights' local media day. "So excited for what he's already brought. Excited for what he's going to bring, and you know he's just been fun to coach so far."
Considering Frost deployed a quarterback run 117 times last season between all four of the Knights' quarterbacks, expect Barnett to have a sizable share of the rushing attack as well.
Position:Defensive Back
Class:Redshirt Sophomore
Height/Weight:6-foot-2 / 200 pounds
Hometown:Jacksonville, Florida
High School:Riverside High School
After spending his first two seasons of college football playing in Wayne, Nebraska, with the Division II Wayne State Wildcats, Johnson is returning to his home state in 2026. According to X posts Johnson made, he received offers from Buffalo, New Mexico State, UTSA, FIU, New Mexico State, Arkansas State and Akron.
Johnson started all 11 games he played in for Wayne State last season, recording 37 tackles, 18 of them solo, 0.5 tackles for loss, nine pass breakups and three interceptions. He was named an All-NSIC South First Teamer for his efforts.
While the UCF defensive back room, specifically at safety, is bringing back the likes of Demari Henderson, Braeden Marshall and Jayden Williams, who are among the most likely to earn starting roles, the rest of the rotation comes courtesy of the transfer portal: Ty Bartrum , Caleb Flagg , Matt Irwin , TJ Branch and Johnson.
Among these new additions in the Knights' secondary, Johnson is the only one arriving from the Division II level. Of course, if Owen Spell and DJ Black showcased anything last season, it's that just being from the Division II level does not mean playing time in your first FBS season is impossible.
Similar to Spell, Johnson is most likely not going to be a starter in his first season in Orlando, barring injuries. There's too much experience above him on the depth chart, and it's still his first season in the FBS. However, given the talent he showed last season at Wayne State, he could still very much factor into defensive coordinator Alex Grinch's rotation at the position, especially given how he said he was "building a defense that allows for as many guys as possible to play at a high level," after an Aug. 11 practice session.
There's also the matter of the position group's future to think about. With all of its likely returning starters, and even a couple of transfers, entering their senior or fifth-year seasons, a redshirt sophomore like Johnson has the opportunity to use the 2026 season as a developmental year to get acclimated to the FBS level before vying for a larger snap count in 2027.
So, while Johnson may not see the field as often as other safeties, it is likely it's still going to be enough to help get his feet wet at a new level of college football to prepare him for seasons to come.
Catch up on the rest of the list below:
No. 15 Will Stone and Preston Hall
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucf as Meet The 2026 UCF Knights: Countdown To Kickoff - No. 14 Alonza Barnett III and Kahmel Johnson .
