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For the second straight year, UCF is projected to finish eighth in the Big 12 Conference's preseason football media poll, released Tuesday afternoon.
Utah, one of four Pac-12 defectors set to join the league officially next month, is the favorite after taking 20 of 51 first-place votes. Kansas State (19), Oklahoma State (14), Kansas (five) and Arizona (three) also received first-place consideration, a sign of the expected parity in the 16-team conference this fall and beyond.
UCF placed ninth in the Big 12 in its debut campaign, salvaging a 3-6 record in league play after dropping each of its first five games. The Knights were the lone newcomer to achieve bowl eligibility in 2023 as BYU, Houston and Cincinnati combined to win just 12 games overall and posted a 5-22 mark against Big 12 opponents.
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The Knights had three players gain Preseason All-Big 12 recognition. Wide receiver Kobe Hudson and defensive tackle Lee Hunter were selected onto the conference's preseason team, and quarterback KJ Jefferson was chosen as Newcomer of the Year.
Hudson (6-foot-1, 200 pounds), an All-Big 12 honorable mention last fall, caught 44 passes for 900 yards and eight touchdowns — including a hat trick in a 45-3 blowout victory over No. 15 Oklahoma State. Hunter (6-4, 320) recorded 69 tackles with 11 tackles for loss as a redshirt sophomore, his second year with the program.
Jefferson (6-3, 248), a three-year starter at Arkansas, committed to the Knights out of the NCAA transfer portal on New Year's Day. The dual-threat grad transfer threw for 7,911 yards (8.2 per attempt) with 67 touchdown passes against 18 interceptions for the Razorbacks, and he added 1,876 rushing yards with 21 touchdowns.
UCF plays just two of the expected top five teams in the Big 12 — Utah and Arizona, with both games taking place in the Bounce House (FBC Mortgage Stadium). The Knights also face three of the bottom four squads — BYU, Cincinnati and Arizona State.
The Knights open their 2024 season at home with a Thursday night matchup against New Hampshire on Aug. 29.
Big 12 Media Football Preseason Poll
- Utah (20 first-place votes), 906 points
- Kansas State (19), 889
- Oklahoma State (14), 829
- Kansas (5), 772
- Arizona (3), 762
- Iowa State, 661
- West Virginia, 581
- UCF, 551
- Texas Tech, 532
- TCU, 436
- Colorado, 400
- Baylor, 268
- BYU, 215
- Cincinnati, 196
- Houston, 157
- Arizona State, 141
Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team
Offensive Player of the Year: Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State
Defensive Player of the Year: Travis Hunter, Colorado
Newcomer of the Year: KJ Jefferson, UCF
OFFENSE
QB: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
RB: Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State
RB: Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
FB: Stevo Klotz, Iowa State
WR: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
WR: Kobe Hudson, UCF
WR: Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
WR: Brennan Pressley, Oklahoma State
TE: Brant Kuithe, Utah
OL: Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona
OL: Luke Kandra, Cincinnati
OL: Dalton Cooper, Oklahoma State
OL: Joe Michalski, Oklahoma State
OL: Wyatt Milum, West Virginia
K: Tyler Loop, Arizona
KR/PR: Drae McCray, Texas Tech
DEFENSE
DL: Tyler Batty, BYU
DL: Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
DL: B.J. Green II, Colorado
DL: Lee Hunter, UCF
DL: Junior Tafuna, Utah
LB: Jacob Manu, Arizona
LB: Nick Martin, Oklahoma State
LB: Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State
DB: Tacario Davis, Arizona
DB: Travis Hunter, Colorado
DB: Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State
DB: Cobee Bryant, Kansas
DB: Mello Dotson, Kansas
P: Jack Bouwmeester, Utah
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