As college football teams gear up for preseason camp, one thing they all share is optimism.<\/p>\n
At this stage, every team is riding high on the hope of an undefeated season, and none have yet experienced the disappointment of that first loss.<\/p>\n
There is plenty of optimism around the UCF<\/a> program as the Knights set to enter their fourth season in the Big 12. However, not everybody shares that assessment, as national expectations for the team aren\u2019t high.<\/p>\n The Knights were picked to finish 14th in the conference, according to a preseason poll<\/a> organized by the Tulsa World newspaper and featuring the media members covering the league.<\/p>\n Experts from around the country have weighed in on UCF\u2019s prospects for the upcoming season.<\/p>\n Predictions vary widely in preseason publications, with Phil Steele projecting a seventh-place finish, Lindy\u2019s Sports seeing them land in 13th, and Athlon Sports predicting they might even drop to 15th.<\/p>\n In the coaches\u2019 preseason top 25 poll, the Knights didn\u2019t receive a single vote.<\/p>\n Coach Scott Frost<\/a> isn\u2019t concerned, at least at the moment, about what this team can accomplish this season.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not worried about that. I want a team with a chip on their shoulder that understands that UCF\u2019s not going to get a lot of attention or respect until we earn it,\u201d Frost said after the first preseason practice on Monday. \u201cI don\u2019t want our guys thinking big picture. I want our guys thinking about today\u2019s practice and the first game and the chips will fall where they may.\u201d<\/p>\n Even so, the players themselves believe this team can accomplish big things.<\/p>\n \u201cA Big 12 Championship,\u201d defensive end Sincere Edwards said of UCF\u2019s ceiling this season. \u201cEverybody is bought in and I really believe that we could go accomplish something new here and something that hasn\u2019t been done in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese are the hungriest guys I ever played with on all three levels,\u201d added defensive tackle Horace Lockett Jr.<\/a> \u201cNobody wants to be complacent. Nobody wants to be average.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked about expectations this season, many of the Knights quickly point to the parity in the Big 12.<\/p>\n The league has had six different champions since 2019: Oklahoma (2020), Baylor (2021), Kansas State (2022), Texas (2023), Arizona State (2024) and Texas Tech (2025).<\/p>\n \u201cThe Big 12 is a really open conference; we\u2019ve seen that. Six different championship teams in the past six years, so why not? Why can\u2019t it be us? We have the talent, the infrastructure and the ability. It\u2019s really in the palms of our hands,\u201d said quarterback Alonza Barnett III<\/a>.<\/p>\n Added safety Demari Henderson: \u201cWe were talking about this in a team meeting. Arizona State, the year they won it, they were (projected) at the bottom of the Big 12. Anybody can win.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s that optimism that has fueled this team and provided plenty of motivation for the players.<\/p>\n \u201cPreseason awards aren\u2019t won in the postseason. We just got to keep stacking days and becoming the best team we can possibly be,\u201d said safety Braeden Marshall.<\/p>\n Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com<\/a>. Sign up for the Sentinel\u2019s Knights Weekly<\/a> newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As college football teams gear up for preseason camp, one thing they all share is optimism. 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