The injury bug is continuing to plague the UCF Knights
so far this season.
Below is a breakdown of both the Knights' and TCU Horned Frogs
' first Big 12 player availability reports:
UCF Knights
Out
Four starting UCF players were ruled out for the Knights' Big 12 opener: quarterback Alonza Barnett III
, wide receiver Duane Thomas Jr
., linebacker Lewis Carter
and offensive lineman Owen Spell
.
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Due to an injury he sustained during the Georgia State game, Carter is now confirmed to miss his first game of 2026. Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said he has been "pleased up until this point" with the linebacker room. Carter's absence is going to leave more snaps available for the likes of Jayden Jennings
and Tackett Curtis
, both of whom are listed as starting linebackers alongside Carter, and Jahleel Culbreath
, Carter's listed backup on the Knights' unofficial depth chart.
Barnett has already been
reported to be out for multiple weeks due to what Frost called a "fairly significant hamstring injury" he sustained on UCF's penultimate offensive play against Pittsburgh. Former FIU quarterback Keyone Jenkins
earned the start against Georgia State this past weekend, and Frost indicated he was going to continue with him as the starter going forward while Barnett is out.
With Thomas Jr. being ruled out for Saturday's game, his absence now extends to a fourth straight game. Following the Georgia State game on Saturday, Frost said he had "kind of expected" Thomas to play, but that his injury was "lingering on him." During his absence, DayDay Farmer has been filling in as the Knights' slot receiver, catching seven passes for 80 yards.
Frost said Spell "just wasn't 100%" during the Georgia State game due to a case of plantar fasciitis, which led to Jacob Maiava
making the first start of his collegiate career at center and Connor Meadows
getting shifted to right guard. Whether Spell's condition is now sidelining him on Saturday, or if it's a completely separate issue entirely, the arrangement with Maiava and Meadows seems likely to remain the same against TCU, just now without Spell being available to enter the game as a depth option. Cooper Terpstra
, the Knights' backup at right guard, according to their unofficial depth chart, has the most to gain from Spell's absence.
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Other non-starting Knights ruled out for Saturday's game include quarterback Dante Carr
, defensive back TJ Branch
, defensive tackle Trenton Turner
, wide receiver Zack Palmer
and EDGE Alhassan Iddrissu
.
Per the Big 12's policy on availability reporting, a player who is ruled out for the season will be marked out for at least one game and then not appear on further injury reports. So, if any of these players are not listed on subsequent injury reports, then that is a possibility.
Questionable
Two UCF players were listed as questionable on Wednesday: wide receiver Jonathan Bibbs
and defensive back Kahmel Johnson
.
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Both players have come off the bench in all three of the Knights' games so far this season. Bibbs has caught four passes for 52 yards and a touchdown while Johnson has made three tackles.
UCF's wide receiver and secondary rooms are two of its deeper position rooms. Should Bibbs be out, in addition to Thomas, Caleb Rollerson or Tyren Hornes would end up being the most likely beneficiaries. They both have combined for five receptions so far this season.
As for Johnson, he is the lone listed backup to Braden Marshall at nickelback, so unless the senior takes on more snaps, another backup defensive back like Jailen Duffie, Caleb Flagg or Ty Bartrum would be the likeliest ones to step in.
THURSDAY UPDATE:Bibbs was officially ruled out for Saturday's game in Thursday evening's report. Johnson remains questionable.
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Probable
Five Knights were listed on the injury report as probable, meaning they have a 75-99% chance of playing on Saturday night: quarterback Keyone Jenkins
, defensive back Jayden Bellamy
, tight end Dylan Wade
, linebacker Jayden Jennings and offensive lineman Cooper Terpstra
.
THURSDAY UPDATE:Dylan Wade was not listed in the Knights' Thursday report, indicating his availability for Saturday's game.
FRIDAY UPDATE: Kahmel Johnson
was moved from "Questionable" to "Probable" in the Knights' Friday report.
Out or Doubtful
Six TCU players were ruled out or doubtful for Saturday's game on Wednesday: kicker Kyle Lemmermann, defensive tackle Perry Cole Jr., wide receiver Cooper Reid, linebacker Caleb Cortez and offensive linemen Devan Robison and Creece Brister.
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Lemmermann converted on a 31-yard field goal and one extra point for the Horned Frogs so far this season in his lone game against North Carolina
. Since then, Nate McCashland has taken over field-goal kicking duties, but has also only made one field goal so far this season, a 29-yarder, and gone 13 for 13 on extra points.
THURSDAY UPDATE:In Thursday evening's report, Cortez's designation was shifted from "doubtful" to "out." The Horned Frogs also designated two new players as "doubtful": reserve offensive lineman Ryan Hughes and sophomore defensive back Deon Mays.
Questionable
Three TCU players were listed as questionable: wide receiver Jordan Dwyer
, running back Jon Denman and EDGE Zach Chapman.
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Horned Frogs coach Sonny Dykes said he expects Dwyer to play on Saturday. Dwyer caught 54 receptions for 73-yards and seven touchdowns last season and joins an offense that ranks 22nd in the nation in passing without him.
Denman is a backup running back to starter Jeremy Payne. While he has only amassed 14 carries and 60 yards and two touchdowns across two games, Payne remains the Horned Frogs' primary rushing threat, ranking 18th in the nation in rushing yards.
As for Chapman, the senior edge rusher has yet to see the field this season.
FRIDAY UPDATE:Both Dwyer and Denman were moved from "Questionable" to "Probable" in the Horned Frogs' Friday report.
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Probable
On Wednesday, reserve offensive lineman Ryan Hughes was the only TCU player listed as probable.
THURSDAY UPDATE:Hughes was downgraded to "doubtful" for Saturday's game in Thursday evening's report.
Catch up on more UCF news below:
What UCF's Offensive Line Has Gotten Right (And Wrong) in 2026
B.T.'s Breakdown: Three Takeaways From UCF's Win Over Georgia State
The Pros and Cons of Each Alonza Barnett III Backup
Today's best reads
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucf as UCF Week 4 Wednesday Injury Report Breakdown: Latest Updates and Replacement Options
.
