UCF WR leaders rave about QB room, stronger team chemistry for 2026
The UCFast Cast, hosted last season by running backs Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon, has turned things over to a new podcast duo for season two: wide receivers Waden Charles and Duane “Speedy” Thomas Jr.
And based on the first episode, which dropped last Tuesday, it’s clear Scott Frost is trying to build a more connected team this offseason.
The most notable takeaways came in the pair’s comments about UCF’s revamped quarterback room, a deeper wide receiver group, and the chemistry they believe is forming inside the program after a difficult 2025 season. Here’s a review of the episode:
Why they stayed
To start things off, Charles and Thomas both addressed why they returned to UCF.
For Charles, who emerged as a true freshman in 2025 and started six games (including the final five), the decision to stay out of the transfer portal was about both football development and the broader environment at UCF.
“Why I stayed a Knight? … I just love it here at UCF, like, everything about it,” Charles said. “I feel like the fans, the team, the coaching staff, just the community as a whole, like, it’s just a big family around here. It’s just a great place to build your career as a player.
“And outside of your own sport too, it’s just a great place for opportunities and just meeting great people. So, I just thought it was a great place to stay and continue to develop my game.”
Thomas, UCF’s leading receiver in 2025 and an All-Big 12 honorable mention pick, described his return in more personal terms, tying it back to his South Florida roots and longtime familiarity with UCF through camps and 7-on-7 events.
“UCF got a special place in my heart,” Thomas said. “I grew up in Miami … playing 7-on-7, we used to come to UCF camps. We used to be in the Bounce House … so when I got that call that UCF had interest, my heart completely dropped.
“It was a full-circle moment. I appreciate everything that happened last year, and we got some good stuff coming this year.”
After spending his first two seasons at Charlotte, Thomas became one of UCF’s most reliable playmakers in 2025, finishing with 53 catches for 528 yards while also contributing in the run game and on kick returns.
Charles, meanwhile, flashed late-season growth as a freshman, finishing with 26 catches for 290 yards, including a six-catch, 76-yard outing against Oklahoma State and several key-chain moving grabs in pressure moments.
QB room is the biggest offseason headline
No surprise, the most intriguing segment of the episode centered on the quarterbacks.
UCF’s offseason additions at the position are a major storyline, headlined by James Madison transfer Alonza Barnett III, the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year, and FIU transfer Keyone “Lights Out” Jenkins, a proven, versatile veteran from South Florida.
Charles indicated the receivers are excited about what’s coming.
“Y’all already seen the additions we made this year … we got some guys,” Charles said. “We got some guys that’s gonna spin it, we got some guys that’s gonna stretch the field.
“It’s gonna be a great season, for sure.”
Thomas took it a step further, highlighting the room now has a proven winner and leader.
“Biggest thing, quarterback, they gotta lead,” Thomas said. “We got leaders, we got proven leaders, we got proven winners. As Coach Frost already said.”
Charles also gave Barnett a strong endorsement, emphasizing his demeanor and résumé.
“AB, great dude. Laid back, chill. Like you said, proven winner,” Charles said. “Just took his team to the playoffs, so definitely a great addition to our team … definitely good for the goals we want this year as a team.
“All the quarterbacks that came, I feel like they’re a great addition to our team to help us accomplish those goals.”
Barnett arrives at UCF after a huge 2025 season at James Madison, where he led the Dukes to a Sun Belt title and College Football Playoff appearance while throwing for 2,806 yards and 23 touchdowns and adding 589 rushing yards and 15 scores on the ground.
Thomas also made a point to mention that the excitement extends beyond Barnett.
“I love our QB room right now,” Thomas said. “We worked out on the side a couple times, and just the leadership … it’s amazing already.
“They tell us exactly what they want — concepts they want, how deep they want it, if they want it high. I appreciate it already. As a receiver, that’s kind of what you need, because we like to freestyle a lot.”
Thomas then highlighted the room’s overall depth, naming not just Barnett, but Jenkins and the younger quarterbacks as well. Thomas was already familiar with Jenkins, who is also from Miami.
“Not just AB, though — ‘Lights Out’ (Keyone Jenkins),” Thomas said. “Amazing. One of my best friends growing up. Kaleb (Annett) has been great. The two freshmen (Dante Carr and Rocco Marriott) have been great. They’ve been great, so I really appreciate all of them.”
Jenkins, a veteran transfer from FIU, accounted for 14 total touchdowns (nine passing, five rushing) in 2025 and helped lead FIU to its first bowl appearance since 2019.
Freshman QBs already earning respect
Charles and Thomas also praised the freshman quarterbacks, Dante Carr and Rocco Marriott, for how they’ve handled the transition to college ball since arriving in January.
Charles pointed to the mental workload, noting how much is being thrown at them immediately compared to veterans who are reloading existing knowledge.
“For us, guys like us, we just refreshing our brains on stuff we learned, but them boys, they already getting accustomed to everything,” Charles said. “All this is new to them.
“Definitely salute them boys, for sure.”
Thomas added that they’re responding well to coaching.
“They take coaching very well,” Thomas said. “Especially, you know, you see how hard Coach KZ is with them boys, so they taking it well. They learning to be a college quarterback … I really like that room.”
Revamped WR room
The duo were excited about the new additions at wide receiver, particularly transfers Josh Derry (Monmouth) and Jonathan “SlimJim” Bibbs (Louisiana-Monroe) and freshman Tyren Hornes.
“Our room? Come on now, we got it,” Charles said. “We got some great dudes in there that’s gonna be able to stretch the field.
“We brought back great core guys that we needed to keep, starting with me and Speedy … Caleb (Rollerson), got a lot of young guys that’s gonna step up this year, and then we brought in two great additions of Slim Jim Bibb … Josh Derry … and Tyren Hornes, a freshman.
“It’s definitely gonna be a great year. We’re gonna stretch the field a lot — a lot of touchdowns in the Bounce House, for sure.”
Thomas said Derry’s tape gave him a very different impression of his size.
“J.D., Josh Derry … he ready to work. He ready to put in that pain,” Thomas said. “He’s in here early, leaving late … I feel like he embracing the moment.
“When I watched his tape, I thought J.D. was 6-5, 220.”
He’s actually 5-foot-9, 182 pounds.
Charles quickly agreed, laughing about how Derry’s play style makes him look bigger than his listed size.
“Big boy. The way he stretches the field … J.D. one of them ones,” Charles said. “He plays big. 220. I thought that too.”
Derry arrives with major production after a breakout season at Monmouth, where he posted 76 catches for 1,123 yards and 13 touchdowns and earned FCS All-America recognition.
Thomas also praised Bibbs and freshman Tyren Hornes, focusing on confidence and ball skills.
“Bibbs, I like Bibbs too. You can tell he really want it,” Thomas said. “He one of those who got confidence in himself … and also Tyren too. Tyren got confidence in himself. You can tell how he move.
“All of them pretty much showed they got really good hands.”
Charles chimed in with a receiver-room phrase.
“Palm angels,” Charles said. “That’s what we say in the receiver room.”
Thomas later identified what he sees as the biggest improvement in the room.
“I think the biggest improvement in the receiver room is probably confidence,” Thomas said. “And we also got some really good people … they putting in that work.
“They don’t feel like they made it. Like I wrote in there, comfort destroys progress. They never comfortable.”
Offseason work and a stronger push for leadership
Both players also detailed how quickly they got back to work after the 2025 season, and both framed their offseason approach around the same motivation: UCF’s additions and the opportunity in front of them.
Thomas said he gave himself a short break before returning to training, with an emphasis on route running, detail work and becoming a better leader.
“I knew I was gonna have to expand my role a little bit more,” Thomas said. “Main thing I focused on was route running … a lot of specific stuff, a lot of detailed stuff.
“I thought a lot about what I need to improve on as far as being a leader in the room. I feel like I was a leader, but I feel like there was a lot I need to improve on.”
Charles said his break was even shorter, and he connected the urgency to the roster additions and the internal standard among returning players.
“I don’t even know if I waited a week for real … I was back to it quick,” Charles said. “I see that in our team too … the additions we added, I feel like the people we added to the team, they want it bad.
“The guys we kept … they still want it bad too.”
Candid reflection on 2025: “We needed that season”
Some of the strongest comments in the episode came when Charles and Thomas reflected on the end of last season.
Charles was direct in saying UCF didn’t have enough togetherness in 2025, and he believes that hurt the Knights in close games.
“Last year we wasn’t together as much. We wasn’t glued all the way together,” Charles said. “I feel like that kind of held us back from a lot of wins, especially close games we were really supposed to win.
“I feel like it starts outside of football. Outside of practice. Outside of the facility. The little things you do … stay disciplined … and just all have the same common goal.”
He specifically referenced close-game shortcomings and said the program is carrying a chip-on-its-shoulder mentality into 2026.
“I feel like we needed that season,” Charles said. “This year, everybody got a chip on their shoulder.
“Everybody probably don’t have that high expectation of UCF right now. But we don’t care what everybody else thinks. We only care about what’s going on inside the facility.”
Thomas echoed that theme while discussing the way the 2025 season ended, including UCF’s loss at BYU after leading by two touchdowns.
“It was a bad feeling after BYU,” Thomas said. “It sucked losing, being up 14 against a big team like that. But I think last season, like you said, we needed it.
“We needed to see the flaws that we had in the team.”
Thomas also suggested the program is in a better place from a team-building standpoint this offseason.
“Moving forward … it’s just team building, getting together, staying together, being glued together,” Thomas said. “I feel like we’re doing a lot more this year.”
The duo said Frost has told the team every Tuesday will include a fun team activity, with bowling already on the list and paintball or golf possible in the future.
Favorite UCF moments & rapid fire questions
Thomas’ favorite memory from last season was his first runout into the Bounce House, though he also singled out the Space Game atmosphere and jersey reveal.
“I don’t even have words for Space Game,” Thomas said. “I was so excited just running out … the light is blue. I had the jersey reveal. That was fire.”
As for favorite play, Thomas picked his diving catch against NC A&T, a 41-yard grab on fourth-and-4 that he said boosted his confidence for the rest of the season.
Charles said he lost it on the sideline watching the play.
“I was going crazy,” Charles said. “When you caught that, I ain’t know what to think. I’m really thinking it’s a touchdown.”
Charles’ favorite 2025 memory was also tied to the Bounce House atmosphere, particularly before the North Carolina game, when he recalled the crowd energy and the doors shaking before the team ran out.
“I walked out, bro, I ain’t see no empty seats,” Charles said. “I’m like, nah, this is crazy.”
For his favorite impact play, Charles pointed to his fourth-down catch against Oklahoma State, one of several clutch moments during his freshman season.
The duo also went through rapid-fire questions, producing a handful of useful (and entertaining) nuggets:
Hardest DB to face: Braeden Marshall (both immediately said it), with Jayden Bellamy also mentioned
Strongest player: Horace Lockett
Best hands: They tried nominating themselves before Charles suggested Caleb Rollerson
Most excited to see in 2026: Thomas said QB Alonza Barnett III and RB Duke Watson
Fastest player: They declined to pick themselves; Thomas named freshman RB Kaj “Nitro” Baker, and Charles noted he played against him in high school
Best blocking WR: Charles gave the nod to Thomas
And in the NIL dream-deal portion, Thomas went big.
“I need a car deal. I need a BMW deal,” Thomas said.
Charles went in multiple directions.
“Jordan. That’s really my favorite brand …” Charles said, before adding, “But really, I want Hey Dudes, bro. I got like five, six pairs of Hey Dudes. Hey Dudes, if you see this, tap in with me.
“Trolli sour gummy worms … my favorite candy. Tap in with me.”
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