TCU travels to Orlando to face UCF on Saturday, Sept. 26, in the Big 12 opener for both programs. TCU enters 2-1 on the season after wins over Grambling State (63-7) and Arkansas State (31-7) following its Week 1 loss to North Carolina in Dublin, while UCF has also opened strong under second-year head coach Scott Frost. This marks the first time UCF has hosted TCU, and the only previous meeting between the programs came in 2024, when UCF mounted a 21-point comeback to win 35-34. 

The injury report is shaping up to be a major storyline heading into kickoff. TCU is expected to get star wide receiver Jordan Dwyer back for his 2026 debut after he missed the first three games with a foot injury, a significant boost for an offense that has managed to go 2-1 without one of its top returning playmakers. Dwyer finished 2025 with 54 receptions for 730 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns, and he’ll rejoin a receiving corps that has been led capably by Ed Small in his absence. On the other side, UCF will be without starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who is dealing with a hamstring injury and is expected to miss this game as well as UCF’s following matchup against Houston. Barnett, the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year, arrived from James Madison as one of UCF’s biggest offseason additions, and his absence leaves the Knights turning to FIU transfer Keyone Jenkins under center for a critical Big 12 opener. 

Even without Barnett, UCF still has weapons to account for. Running back Duke Watson gives the Knights a dynamic option out of the backfield, while wide receiver Waden Charles has emerged as a go-to target after a promising freshman season. Defensively, linebacker Lewis Carter anchors the unit as UCF’s leading returning tackler, finishing last season with 92 tackles and earning All-Big 12 honorable mention, and Old Dominion transfer Jahleel Culbreath adds another physical presence at linebacker after posting a career-high 71 tackles a season ago. For TCU, the return of Dwyer alongside running back Jeremy Payne gives the offense a more complete look than it’s had all season, while the Horned Frogs’ defense will look to take advantage of UCF’s uncertainty at quarterback. 

Key Players

TCU

• WR Jordan Dwyer — Set to make his 2026 debut after missing the first three games with a foot injury. Finished 2025 with 54 catches, 730 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns.
• WR Ed Small — Has led TCU’s receiving corps in Dwyer’s absence and should continue to see targets even as Dwyer returns.
• RB Jeremy Payne — TCU’s workhorse back through three games, giving the Horned Frogs a physical complement to a now-healthier passing attack.

UCF

• QB Keyone Jenkins — FIU transfer expected to start in place of injured starter Alonza Barnett III, thrust into a critical Big 12 opener with limited buildup.
• RB Duke Watson — Gives UCF a dynamic option out of the backfield regardless of who’s at quarterback.
• WR Waden Charles — Emerging as a go-to target after a promising freshman season, someone TCU’s secondary will need to account for.
• LB Lewis Carter — UCF’s leading returning tackler (92 tackles in 2025) and a defensive anchor who’ll be key to slowing down TCU’s newly healthy offense.
• LB Jahleel Culbreath — Old Dominion transfer who posted a career-high 71 tackles last season, adding another physical presence at linebacker.

The clearest swing factor is how UCF’s offense adjusts on short notice with Jenkins replacing Barnett in a conference opener. TCU’s defense should look to pressure an unproven starting situation early, while UCF’s own defense, anchored by Carter and Culbreath, will be tasked with slowing down a newly healthy TCU offense that now has its full complement of playmakers available for the first time this season.