In many respects, quarterback Alonza Barnett had nothing left to prove with the James Madison Dukes. A two-year starter, he already took them to the College Football Playoff. So, Barnett made the decision to transfer to the UCF Knights.
At UCF, Barnett is going to have the opportunity to do two things. Show that he can win in the Power Four and that he can run head coach Scott Frost’s offense.
“Obviously, the opportunity to play in the Big 12,” Barnett said recently. “I’m not naive. I’m a smaller quarterback in stature, so the thing that they want to see is, what is it going to look like when he plays the Oregons week in and week out in a competitive conference like the Big 12? So I think that was part of the lure that got me there, and then the pedigree of Coach Frost, his time spent at Oregon, and then being coached by Coach (McKenzie) Milton and playing in this system — in a similar system — at a high level.”
That is also the concern for some UCF fans in turning to Barnett. He succeeded in the Sun Belt, but there is no proof he can succeed week in and week out in the Big 12. Of course, proving that is exactly why he made the jump.
UCF made sense for Barnett because of the offense that Frost runs. It’s one that he should fit into nicely moving forward.
“I’m excited about the variety of the offense,” Barnett said. “It’s a pro-style offense. They ask me to go under center. They ask me to go gun. I’m responsible for many things at the line of scrimmage. Like I said, I was looking forward to the opportunity to prove myself at a high stage. Now, operating an NFL-like offense, I think the cards are stacking.”
UCF Knights QB Alonza Barnett Thrived in the Sun Belt
Coming out of high school, Alonza Barnett was an overlooked prospect. Rivals had him rated as the 116th quarterback in his recruiting class, and he landed at James Madison where he was originally recruited by Curt Cignetti.
By 2024, Barnett earned the starting job with the Dukes. He quickly took off and put together a pair of strong seasons. In the end, Barnett played 26 games over the last two seasons, throwing for 5,404 yards and 49 touchdowns. A dual threat, he also rushed for 1,031 yards and 22 touchdowns during those two seasons.
Now, Barnett has started to earn praise at UCF. In particular, from offensive coordinator Steve Cooper for the poise he’s bringing to the offense.
“AB’s demeanor is what you see from the film,” Cooper said. “He’s got a good demeanor, and it’s our job as coaches to try to get him excited.”
If Barnett can bring that poise from practice to games, then the UCF offense should be in good shape this season.
“Because what’s going to happen in a game is there’s going to be some natural passion that comes out. There’s going to be a heightened sense of stress, in a good way or a bad way. So we’re trying to emulate that in practice and put him in situations,” Cooper said.
UCF HC Scott Frost on the Backup QB
UCF doesn’t want to think about the worst-case scenario as it relates to Alonza Barnett. However, head coach Scott Frost does need to be ready with a capable backup, as UCF proved a season ago when they played four quarterbacks.
Boise State transfer Kaleb Annett seems to be leading the charge to be the backup. However, he’s far from Frost’s only option.
“Kaleb had a great spring,” Scott Frost said. “He’s had a really good fall camp. I’m really comfortable with his abilities right now.”
There’s competition, though. That includes veteran transfer Keyon Jenkins, to go along with freshmen Rocco Marriott and Dante Carr. Notably, Marriott is the top-ranked quarterback recruit in UCF history.
“That being said, Rocco’s done great. Lights (Keyone Jenkins) has done great. Dante’s done great when he’s got reps,” Frost said. “So there’s a lot of guys there that I trust, and I think we’ll have that conversation after this three-practice block.”
Once you get past Barnett, UCF certainly has a lack of experience in its quarterback room. Still, Frost has interesting options who look to be developing for the program’s future.
UCF QB Alonza Barnett Looking to Prove Himself in 2026