UCF TRANSFER TRACKER: 4-star defensive lineman Derrick Leblanc arrives from Oklahoma

The NCAA's second transfer window is set to swing open Saturday following the conclusion of spring practices, a final chance for UCF to patch roster holes ahead of its debut Big 12 campaign.

In the winter, the Knights lost a handful of key players — quarterback Mikey Keene (Fresno State), wide receiver Ryan O'Keefe (Boston College), linebacker Jeremiah Jean Baptiste (Ole Miss), cornerback Davonte Brown (Miami) and center Matt Lee (Miami) among them.

However, the Knights gained nearly a dozen new athletes, several of whom project as immediate starters. Safeties Jireh Wilson (East Carolina) and DeJordan Mask (Texas State) and center Bula Schmidt (Fresno State) have impressed and seen extensive first-team reps throughout spring camp.

Below is an up-to-date list — with spring transfers listed first, and winter additions following suit in chronological order — of departures and commitments, one that figures to expand until the window closes April 30.

Additions

WR Corey Gammage

The Delray Beach native originally planned to attend Purdue for his final year of eligibility, but instead flipped his commitment to join the Knights for their first Big 12 campaign.

Gammage, a sizable target at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, led Marshall in receiving yards each of the last two seasons. He caught 52 balls for 774 yards and six touchdowns in 2022, topping the century mark on three separate occasions and earning an All-Sun Belt Conference honorable mention.

In 45 career games for the Thundering Herd, Gammage totaled 178 receptions for 2,239 yards and 13 scores. He will look to make an immediate impact for a receiving corps expected to be led by Javon Baker, Kobe Hudson and Xavier Townsend.

DL Derrick Leblanc

Five months after enrolling at Oklahoma, Leblanc entered the portal due to "unforeseen circumstances back home," he said last week in a Twitter post. The 6-foot-5, 278-pound true freshman from Kissimmee committed to the Knights on June 19, and will reunite with former high school teammate and prized Knights recruit John Walker in the trenches.

Leblanc would need a hardship waiver from the NCAA in order to play this season since he entered the portal after the spring window closed. Regardless of his status for 2023, Leblanc figures to be an important addition for the defensive line in the years to come.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Leblanc was the No. 246 overall player in this year's graduating class of high school athletes. A consensus four-star prospect with a nearly 83-inch wingspan, he registered a team-high 11 sacks last fall for Class 4S state semifinalist Osceola.

UCF already restocked its defensive front in a big way during the 2023 cycle, signing Walker, Lakewood's Isaiah Nixon, Apopka's Kaven Call and Palmetto's Andrew Rumph. It's not difficult to envision that group becoming one of the Big 12's best in due time.

EDGE Shaun Peterson Jr.

A veteran of 39 college games, Peterson switched positions last fall after playing running back his first four years at Florida International. It's a move that has suited the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder well.

Peterson entered the NCAA's transfer portal on May 31 despite starting 10 games for the Panthers at outside linebacker and leading the team with six sacks, highlighted by a three-sack performance against Charlotte on Oct. 22. The six sacks rank 10th all-time in a single season in FIU history.

He totaled 28 tackles with eight TFLs, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Offensively, Peterson ran for 478 yards and four touchdowns between 2018-21.

Athlon Sports selected Peterson to its 2023 All-Conference USA preseason second team last month.

LB Isaiah Paul

After a short stay at Washington State, former Incarnate Word standout Paul re-entered the transfer portal and committed to UCF.

Named second-team All-Southland Conference while in 2021, Paul battled injuries for the majority of last season. He played in four games and shined in the Cardinals' FCS semifinal loss to North Dakota State, making 14 tackles (10 solo) with three TFLs and a sack.

Paul is a veteran of 35 FCS games, all with Incarnate Word, and he will enter the mix at linebacker with Walter Yates, Kam Moore, Rian Davis and others.

QB Xavier Williams

It's easy to connect the dots for Williams' decision to commit to UCF out of the portal; the former Charlotte quarterback reunites with ex-49ers head coach Will Healy, a senior offensive analyst on Gus Malzahn's staff.

Williams played in six games during the 2022 season, making one start. He completed 34 of 67 attempts for 420 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and he rushed 26 times for 108 yards and another pair of scores.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound redshirt sophomore was considered the No. 126 QB in the 2021 recruiting class according to 247Sports' composite rankings, a consensus three-star prospect at Colquitt County in Moultrie, Ga.

LB Rian Davis

Winner of back-to-back national championships at Georgia, Apopka native Davis returns home with intentions to make an immediate impact at the second level for the Knights.

Davis — a former four-star recruit at Wekiva High — played in 14 games last season, making two starts. The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder registered 15 tackles with 0.5 for loss.

Injuries have mounted for Davis dating back to his high school days. He tore his ACL as a senior at Wekiva, then his labrum in 2019 and his quadriceps in '21. This gives Davis at least two years of NCAA eligibility remaining, should he choose to do so.

DB Decorian Patterson

Tied for the nation's lead in interceptions, Ocala native Patterson should immediately enter the mix at cornerback when he arrives in the summer.

Known as a ballhawk, Patterson snagged seven picks last season at Middle Tennessee and broke up a further 12 passes to earn an All-Conference USA honorable mention. The 6-foot, 193-pound cornerback turned in a signature performance in the Blue Raiders' upset win at Miami, making eight solo tackles with an interception and two PBUs.

Boundary cornerback remains a mystery for the Knights, though incumbents Brandon Adams and Corey Thornton have combined to make 60 appearances. Fred Davis joined the squad from Clemson in January; as did Ja'Maric Morris from the JUCO ranks.

DB Fred Davis II

Once a top-10 national cornerback prospect, Davis played more than 500 snaps over three seasons (27 games) at Clemson. The Jacksonville native, who attended Trinity Christian Academy, recorded 32 tackles and four pass breakups in his Clemson career.

Davis (6-0, 200) will bring length and athleticism to UCF's group of cornerbacks, an option to replace the outgoing Davonte Brown on the boundary.

LS Gage King

Alex Ward, one of the nation's top long snappers, is departing for the NFL. He's already committed to participate in the Reese's Senior Bowl.

King (6-2, 245) will be brought in to add experience and to compete for the starting role next season on the Knights' special teams unit.

DB DeJordan Mask

Mask (5-11, 190) played in 44 games for Texas State and set a career-high with three interceptions during the 2022 season. The Texarkana, Texas, native totaled 136 tackles (85 solo) and 13 pass breakups across four seasons.

Per 247Sports, Mask was a two-star recruit out of Arkansas High. He was ranked 3,064th overall and 224th among safeties.

WR Chauncey Magwood

A mid-year enrollee in January 2021, Magwood appeared in 25 games for Kentucky the past two seasons but logged just eight receptions for 104 yards. He caught his first career touchdown in the Wildcats' opener against Miami (Ohio) and had two catches apiece against Florida and South Carolina.

Magwood, who visited UCF the weekend of Dec. 16-18, held 24 Division I offers out of Leesburg (Ga.) High. The consensus three-star recruit was 86th among wide receivers in the 2021 graduating class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

OL Marcellus Marshall

Marshall (6-6, 330) started every game at left tackle for Kent State this season and earned All-MAC first team honors.

UCF emerged victorious in a recruiting battle that also included Colorado, where former Kent State head coach Sean Lewis is now offensive coordinator, and West Virginia, the Knights' soon-to-be Big 12 rivals and Marshall's hometown team.

The Knights have at least two offensive line vacancies; left guard Samuel Jackson and right tackle Ryan Swoboda are out of eligibility. Marshall, meanwhile, said he has three years remaining.

OL Amari Kight

For the second time since the transfer portal opened, UCF dipped into Alabama's depth chart and plucked a former prized Crimson Tide recruit.

Kight (6-7, 318) was a top-10 national recruit at offensive tackle for the graduating class of 2019, earning All-State honors at Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson. He was the No. 2 option on the blind side for Alabama this fall, logging more than 80 offensive snaps and serving as a regular on special teams.

Offensive line is a huge need for the Knights, who have shown a preference to shop in the portal at the position. Last year, UCF brought in both of its bookends — Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State) and Ryan Swoboda (Virginia) — from other Division I programs.

WR Trent Whittemore

A soon-to-be-second-generation Knight, Whittemore (6-4, 211) spent the previous four seasons at Florida. He logged 33 career receptions in 29 games for 425 yards and two touchdowns.

Whittemore appeared in seven games in 2022, but fell down the depth chart under first-year head coach Billy Napier. He started eight of 10 appearances the previous campaign for Dan Mullen, and Greg Knox following Mullen's dismissal.

Whittemore's father, Mark, played wide receiver for the Knights in the Division I-AA days of the mid-90s and was a primary target of Darin Hinshaw, hired Wednesday as UCF's offensive coordinator. Talent runs deep in the family; younger brother Creed, a 2023 recruiting target for the Knights before he signed with Mississippi State, was selected Friday as Mr. Football after a stellar two-way season at Buchholz High in Gainesville.

DB Jireh Wilson

Wilson played, arguably, his best game of his junior season against UCF this fall.

The 6-foot-3, 219-pound safety snatched an interception and secured a fumble recovery in the first half of East Carolina's 34-13 rout over the Knights in October. For his efforts, Wilson was named the American Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Week.

A native of Jacksonville, N.C., Wilson has totaled 190 tackles, 16 TFLs, six sacks, four interceptions and 14 pass breakups in five seasons at East Carolina.

OL Bula Schmidt

Needing to fill a hole at center with Matt Lee's departure to Miami, the Knights plucked All-Mountain West Conference second team selection Schmidt from Fresno State.

The 6-foot-1, 294-pound native of Wahiawa, Hawai'i started all 14 games for the Bulldogs, and opened holes for Jordan Mims, the program's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2014. Fresno State selected Schmidt as an offensive captain for five games this past season, and he even caught a four-yard pass in an October win over New Mexico.

OL Drake Metcalf

Once regarded as one of the nation's premier interior line prospects while attending California high school powerhouse St. John Bosco, Metcalf's role was diminished in his third season at Stanford.

The 6-foot-2, 292-pound center appeared in all 12 games as a sophomore, but just three during the 2022 season before electing to redshirt. Following his visit to UCF, Metcalf told the Orlando Sentinel, "It’s very evident that UCF isn’t tip-toeing over the threshold into the Big 12. They’re preparing to blow the door completely off the hinges."

Metcalf has three years of eligiblity remaining and will compete for a spot along the Knights' rebuilt offensive line.

Losses

DB Jaiden Francois

The Florida City native and former four-star recruit transferred to UCF from Nebraska during the summer of 2020. He saw action in eight games for the Knights last season, primarily on special teams and made two tackles.

Francois can play right away as a graduate transfer and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at his next stop.

New school: Utah State

QB Will Bohn

Brought in as a preferred walk-on after two seasons at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, Kissimmee native Bohn entered the spring fourth on the depth chart behind John Rhys Plumlee, Thomas Castellanos and Timmy McClain.

He'll enter the portal with three years of eligibility remaining after not making an appearance for UCF in a regular season game.

UCF will almost certainly add a QB out of the portal before the summer concludes; the team has just two scholarship passers at the moment (Plumlee, McClain), following Castellanos' commitment to Boston College. Dylan Rizk will become the third when he enrolls in June, and Brock Hansel remains on the roster as a walk-on.

LB Branden Jennings

Once a prized four-star recruit at Sandalwood High in Jacksonville, Jennings will be in search of his fourth school in just over two years.

Jennings signed with Maryland, departed for Kansas State in the spring of 2022 and enrolled at UCF that same summer. He played four games and registered two assisted tackles.

The writing was on the wall in October when Malzahn told reporters that Jennings would miss the remainder of the season to redshirt and preserve his eligibility. UCF since added Rian Davis from Georgia, and will bring in four-star incoming freshman Andrew Harris over the summer from nearby Lake Brantley.

WR Quan Lee

Alachua County's all-time leading receiver after a decorated career at Buchholz, Lee was the second-highest rated recruit of UCF's 2022 signing class. However, he redshirted as a freshman and did not see any playing time for the Knights.

UCF added Trent Whittemore and Chauncey Magwood to its wide receiver room in the winter transfer window. Those additions, along with the returns of Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson, and the steady rise of sophomore Xavier Townsend likely pushed Lee down the depth chart.

He'll have four full years of eligibility wherever he lands.

New school: Florida A&M

OL Miguel Maldonado

An early commitment in 2022, Maldonado eventually joined the Knights as a preferred walk-on instead.

The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder was the No. 59 interior offensive lineman and No. 147 overall recruit in the state of Florida, claiming Power Five verbal offers from Iowa State, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

DL Keahnist Thompson

UCF's third-highest rated recruit from Malzahn's debut class, Thompson rarely got a look in before redshirting as a true freshman.

The Lakeland native (6-3, 255) appeared in two games and assisted on one tackle. However, he was buried on the depth chart at defensive end — behind Tre'mon Morris-Brash, Josh Celiscar, Malachi Lawrence, Jamaal Johnson and K.D. McDaniel off the edge.

Thompson has four full years of eligibility, though, and figures to be an enticing name in the portal.

OL Ethan Mort

An all-state selection as a senior at Venice, Mort stuck with UCF despite a coaching change ahead of the 2021 season.

Able to play tackle or guard, Mort (6-6, 290) worked with the scout team as a freshman and did not see the field this past fall.

QB Thomas Castellanos

Considering he told reporters, "I'm the future of this place," following last Friday's spring game, Castellanos' sudden decision to enter the portal comes as a bit of a shock.

The dual-threat from Waycross, Georgia, played in five games as a true freshman, including a start in the American Athletic Conference championship defeat to Tulane. Castellanos (6-0, 190) flashed his athleticism in mop-up duty of the Space Game against Temple, breaking free for a 37-yard touchdown run.

More: UCF QB Thomas Castellanos to enter NCAA transfer portal

In total, he completed 9 of 16 passes for 75 yards and ran 14 times for 120 yards.

New school: Boston College

P Andrew Osteen

Osteen lost hold of the punting job in late September, but was called upon for a couple of clutch kicks inside the 20-yard line in a win over SMU. The redshirt senior punted 12 times with an average of 39.8 yards, a long of 50 and two touchbacks.

New school: Mississippi State

LB Terrence Lewis

The former five-star recruit never suited up for the Knights, nor Maryland the year before.

A pre-existing knee injury limited Lewis' reps in the spring, and he was arrested on domestic battery charges in May. Those charges were dropped a month later.

247Sports ranked Lewis (6-1, 200) as the No. 21 overall player in the graduating class of 2021, comparing him favorably to Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Lavonte David.

QB Mikey Keene

Since John Rhys Plumlee was named the starter in August, this was the anticipated outcome for Keene, a productive player in his two seasons at UCF.

Keene led the Knights to seven wins as a freshman, and three more this fall after entering in relief. He engineered two fourth-quarter scoring drives against Cincinnati, tossed three touchdowns at Memphis and lofted the game-winner to Alec Holler in the final War on I-4 at South Florida.

Described as a "Winner with a capital W" on several occasions this fall by Malzahn, the 5-foot-11,180-pound Arizona native threw for 2,377 yards and 23 touchdowns during his UCF career.

New school: Fresno State

CB Davonte Brown

UCF's top cornerback played through pain in his junior season, and did not have quite the dominant impact he had in 2021. However, his length (6-foot-2, 185 pounds), ball skills and abilities in man-to-man coverage will certainly be missed.

Brown, a Plantation native, started all 13 games, made 24 solo tackles and collected two interceptions, including one in this past weekend's AAC championship game against Tulane.

Younger brother Damari Brown, a four-star senior at Class 2M state finalist American Heritage, is considering Alabama and Miami among other programs. So it's possible the pair ends up being a package deal.

New school: Miami

LB Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste

Named one of the Knights' captains by Malzahn, Jean-Baptiste entered the fall as the only linebacker on the roster with any significant FBS experience. He missed three games due to injury, two to a concussion suffered in the road win over Memphis.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound senior from Florida City finished the year as UCF's second-leading tackler behind All-AAC first team selection Jason Johnson. He registered 52 total tackles (37 solo), with five TFLs, one sack, four pass breakups and one forced fumble.

New school: Ole Miss

WR Ryan O'Keefe

Another captain, and another significant exit for the Knights.

O'Keefe is one of the team's most explosive playmakers, totaling 1,445 all-purpose yards during his senior season and earning All-AAC second team honors. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior from Austin, Texas, led UCF with 73 receptions for 725 yards while adding five touchdowns.

O'Keefe turned in, arguably, his signature performance during the Knights' Gasparilla Bowl win over Florida last December. He torched the Gators for 110 rushing yards, 85 receiving yards on seven catches and a crucial 54-yard touchdown with just over a minute left in the third quarter.

For his career, O'Keefe totaled 2,002 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.

New school: Boston College

DB Philjae Bien-Aime

A redshirt sophomore who won a state championship with Fort Lauderdale juggernaut St. Thomas Aquinas, Bien-Aime spent three years at UCF but did not see the field.

He worked as a member of the scout team in both the 2020 and '21 seasons.

New school: North Alabama

WR Jordan Johnson

The St. Louis native, a consensus top-100 national recruit in the high school class of 2020, signed with Notre Dame but transferred to UCF after just 11 months.

Johnson (6-2, 185) made his debut in the second week of the 2021 season against Bethune-Cookman and saw action in five games. However, he was buried on the depth chart this fall and will again seek a fresh start.

CB Trevion Shadrick-Harris

Recruited to UCF by Josh Heupel's staff out of Sierra College in California, Shadrick-Harris earned All-NorCal League honors as a freshman in 2019.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound redshirt junior participated in two games this year for the Knights, September clashes with South Carolina State and Georgia Tech. He will have two years of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer.x

New school: Eastern Washington

DB Ah'mare Lee

Lee, a two-way contributor for all four years at North Miami Beach High, had a scout team role for UCF in 2021.

The former All-Dade County second team selection saw action three times this season, most recently the Space Game showdown with Temple in mid-October.

New school: Florida A&M

WR Joey Gatewood

A former top-50 national recruit Malzahn signed to play quarterback at Auburn, Bartram Trail grad Gatewood will seek a third transfer, though he'll have immediate eligibility as a graduate.

Gatewood was used primarily in special, short-yardage packages at UCF during Malzahn's first year in charge, logging 28 carries for 142 yards and one touchdown. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder switched positions before the start of fall practices, but played just once in the win over South Florida.

In addition to Auburn and UCF, Gatewood had a six-game stint at Kentucky in 2020. He rushed for 62 yards and threw for 109 yards with an interception.

New school: Louisville

DE Karlis Bailey-Vice

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound redshirt freshman earned a spot in January 2021 as a preferred walk-on from nearby Bishop Moore Catholic and was a scout team regular. However, Bailey-Vice (6-1, 200) never saw game action in his two-year UCF career.

A studio art major, Bailey-Vice earned AAC All-Academic honors in June.

RB Anthony Williams

Opportunities were limited the last two seasons for Williams, a consensus three-star recruit from nearby Lake Brantley, given the Knights' crowded running back room. He did not see the field this fall, but carried the ball five times for 19 yards in a 2021 win over Bethune-Cookman.

Williams (6-0, 215) will have three years of eligibility remaining. He was recruited to UCF by Anthony Tucker, now the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Utah State, and new South Florida head coach Alex Golesh. Those could be sensible landing spots.

New school: Stephen F. Austin

OL Matt Lee

A three-year starter at center for the Knights, who attended Hagerty High in the shadow of the Bounce House, Lee's entry into the transfer portal on Jan. 2 comes as a bit of a surprise.

The second team All-AAC selection played in 36 games for the Knights since 2020, Josh Heupel's final season in charge. Regarded as one of the top centers in the country, Lee should be a hot commodity in the portal. And his impending exit suddenly leaves a massive hole in the middle of the Knights' retooling offensive line as they enter the Big 12.

New school: Miami

K Daniel Obarski

This comes as little surprise considering Colton Boomer ran away with the placekicking job in mid-September.

Obarski, who has two years of eligibility remaining, struggled with consistency and never fully gained the trust of Malzahn's staff upon its arrival in 2021. He made 20 of 33 career field goal attempts for the Knights, none longer than 40 yards.

On kickoffs, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior averaged 61.4 yards per attempt, recording 140 touchbacks in 252 attempts.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football: NCAA transfer portal tracker, additions and losses