Will Johnson, who spent the past two seasons at North Dakota State, reunites with UCF defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.

Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.

Former James Madison quarterback Alonza Barnett III commits to UCF from the 2026 college football transfer portal

Some schools are trying to entice players to sign with their college football programs with promises of state income taxes.

That last one is a new one. Freshly new. On Saturday morning, Central Florida tweeted out a recruiting graphic with a caption, “just a reminder.” The graphic shows the UCF mascot holding up a bag of cash, and it says “no state income tax” with a hashtag that reads “the more you know.”

Ranging from stars to practice squad players, here are fifteen UCF alums preparing to tackle the NFL playoffs.