The third in an occasional position-by-position preview of the UCF football team heading into the offseason:
TODAY: WIDE RECEIVERS
What to expect
The Knights face a significant challenge this season as they bring back only 4% of their receiving production from the previous year. Notably, none of this returning production comes from the receivers unit, leaving new receivers coach Sean Beckton Sr. with a fresh start and a blank canvas.
Fortunately, he steps into this role armed with a roster that boasts speed and talent in young players like Jordyn Bridgewater, Bredell Richardson and Caleb Rollerson. To compensate for their inexperience, UCF turned to the transfer portal, welcoming several seasoned veterans to the team.
Among the new additions are DJ Black, Marcus Burke, Duane Thomas Jr. and Chris Domercant. Each is anticipated to take on substantial responsibilities this season. Unfortunately, Day Day Farmer, poised to make an impact, suffered a season-ending injury during spring camp, sidelining him for the rest of the year.
Freshmen Carl Jenkins and Waden Charles, both early enrollees, showcased their potential as early contributors.
What they’re saying
“The standard for me is always being accountable in everything you do, on and off the field; every rep goes as hard as you can, even if you don’t know or are unsure whether to go hard. The standard is the standard, and the kids know it now. … Understand what their responsibility is within this building, within this program and every single play, what their responsibility is on every single play.” — UCF receivers coach Sean Beckton Sr.
On roster
Dwartney Wortham, redshirt juniorJordyn Bridgewater, redshirt freshmanBredell Richardson, redshirt freshmanAndrea Parisi, redshirt freshmanCaleb Rollerson, redshirt freshmanCarson Hinshaw, redshirt freshman
Arrivals
Day Day Farmer (West Virginia), sophomoreDJ Black (Limestone), seniorMarcus Burke (Florida), redshirt seniorDuane Thomas Jr. (Charlotte), juniorChris Domercant (Chattanooga), seniorCarl Jenkins (Saint Augustine), freshmanWaden Charles (Somerset Academy), freshman
Departures
Kobe HudsonJacoby JonesTrent WhittemoreChauncey MagwoodJa’Varrius JohnsonJarrad BakerXavier TownsendTyree PattersonKason Stokes
Projected depth chart (offseason)
WR1 — DJ BlackWR1 — Duane Thomas Jr.WR1 — Chris DomercantWR2 — Marcus BurkeWR2 — Bredell RichardsonWR2 — Jordyn BridgewaterWR3 — Carl JenkinsWR3 — Waden CharlesWR3 — Caleb Rollerson
Previous
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.