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UCF WR Duane Thomas Jr. Upgraded To Questionable in Week 6
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- UCF WR Duane Thomas Jr. Upgraded To Questionable in Week 6
(Rob Gray/Imagn Images)
Duane Thomas Jr. may make his season debut against the No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, as he was upgraded to questionable on UCF's injury report.
Thomas has been dealing with a hamstring injury that he sustained before UCF 's home opener against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. Coach Scott Frost said the senior was "day-to-day" when reporters asked about his availability over the season.
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His potential return adds more speed and versatility to the Knights' receiving corps. Josh Derry leads the group with 220 yards after a season-high 101-yard performance against the then-No. 20 Houston Cougars last Saturday, and Waden Charles tops the position with three touchdowns.
Thomas was UCF's most reliable receiver last season. He led the team with 53 receptions (10 more than tight end Dylan Wade) and 528 yards.
Frost deployed the 5-foot-8 speedster in various ways. The Knights' coach ran jet sweeps for him and started him in the slot, making him the No. 1 target for short and intermediate passes.
Keyone Jenkins, the starting quarterback until star transfer Alonza Barnett III returns from injury, excels at those passes. Frost and offensive coordinator Steve Cooper tailored their play calling to Jenkins' strengths in Week 4's win over the TCU Horned Frogs .
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He set a new program record , completing 19-for-20 passes (95% completion rate), surpassing McKenzie Milton's 92.3% (24-for-26 passing) against Austin Peay on Oct. 28, 2017.
UCF quarterbacks have spread the wealth throughout the season. Eight Knights have five or more receptions, with Derry (17) and Charles (14) as the only players with double-digit catches.
Thomas may be behind schedule, but his reliable hands could make him the ninth Knight pretty quickly.
The Knights need all the reinforcements they can get during this stretch. Injuries have hampered the team and tested its depth, which has performed well.
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They face No. 18 Oklahoma State this Saturday and the No. 8 BYU Cougars on Oct. 24 after their bye week. Thomas had his second-best performance of the season, catching four passes for 74 yards before the Cougars sealed the Knights' bowl hopes shut.
Thomas said that he has improved as a route runner in the offseason. He used to rush routes last season and focused on becoming more detailed, reading the defenses to find a weak spot and get over the top.
UCF's passing offense has struggled with consistency in conference play, especially lacking a deep passing game. Thomas' potential return gives Jenkins another receiving threat and opens the playbook for the coaching staff to be more versatile.
