Big 12 football preseason poll picks UCF to finish in middle of pack — again

For the second straight season, UCF has been tabbed to finish in the middle of the pack in Big 12 football.

The Knights were picked to finish eighth in this year’s media preseason poll , with coach Gus Malzahn ‘s team finishing with 551 points and zero first-place votes.

Utah received 20 first-place votes and 906 points to take the No. 1 spot in the rankings, edging Kansas State with 19 first-place votes and 889 points. Oklahoma State (14), Kansas (5) and Arizona (3), who were third, fourth and fifth in the poll, also received first-place votes.

The rest of the rankings also featured Iowa State, West Virginia, Texas Tech, TCU, Colorado, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and Arizona State.

It’s UCF’s first Big 12 anniversary, and greater things could be ahead and come quicker than anyone expected

The Big 12 has expanded its membership to 16 schools with the addition of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. At the same time, longtime blueblood members Texas and Oklahoma have left for the Southeastern Conference.

UCF was ranked No. 8 in last year’s preseason poll, finishing ahead of then-fellow newcomers BYU (11), Houston (12) and Cincinnati (13). At the end of the season, the Knights finished in ninth place with a 6-7 overall record, including 3-6 in the conference.

Wide receiver Kobe Hudson and nose tackle Lee Hunter also were named to the preseason All-Big 12 team along with quarterback KJ Jefferson, who was named Newcomer of the Year.

Hudson, who was second on the team in receiving yards (900) last season, takes over for Javon Baker as UCF’s primary receiver. Hunter finished second on the team in tackles for loss (11) and third in total tackles (69), while Jefferson joined the roster as a fifth-year senior following time at Arkansas.

The Big 12 is set to host its football media days next Tuesday and Wednesday in Las Vegas. Coverage will air on ESPNU and Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

BIG 12 FOOTBALL PRESEASON MEDIA POLL

1. Utah (20), 906

2. Kansas State (19), 889

3. Oklahoma State (14), 829

4. Kansas (5), 772

5. Arizona (3), 762

6. Iowa Stat, 661

7. West Virginia, 581

8. UCF, 551

9. Texas Tech, 532

10. TCU, 436

11. Colorado, 400

12. Baylor, 268

13. BYU, 215

14. Cincinnati, 196

15. Houston, 157

16. Arizona State, 141

First-place votes in parenthesis.