Big 12 preseason football poll released: Where does UCF rank in 16-team conference?

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.

Boom birds:Gus Malzahn, UCF Knights football embrace sandhill crane as recruiting 'Bat-Signal'

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

1. Utah (20 first-place votes), 906 points
2. Kansas State (19), 889
3. Oklahoma State (14), 829
4. Kansas (5), 772
5. Arizona (3), 762
6. Iowa State, 661
7. West Virginia, 581
8. UCF, 551
9. Texas Tech, 532
10. TCU, 436
11. Colorado, 400
12. Baylor, 268
13. BYU, 215
14. Cincinnati, 196
15. Houston, 157
16. 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