UCF quarterback Tayven Jackson intends to transfer after one season with the Knights.
Stephen Leonard, a longtime UCF reporter, and multiple outlets, including ON3, first reported the move, which the Sentinel later confirmed.
Jackson, 21, started 10 games this season, completing 63% (200 of 325) of his passes for 2,151 yards with 10 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He also ran for 85 yards and 3 touchdowns on 54 carries.
The 15-day window for the transfer portal runs from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16.
A 4-star recruit, Jackson signed initially with Tennessee, the first full class under former UCF coach Josh Heupel in 2022. Jackson appeared in three games, completing just three passes for 37 yards.
He entered the transfer portal after one season and landed in Bloomington, Ind.
Jackson appeared in 13 games with six starts in two seasons for the Hoosiers, finishing 3-3. In his last appearance, he led IU to a 31-17 win over Washington on Oct. 26, completing 11 of 19 passes for 124 yards with 2 total touchdowns.
He landed at UCF in January and found himself in a three-man competition for the starting job along with fellow transfer Cam Fancher and Jacurri Brown.
Fancher was named the starter for the opener against Jacksonville State on Aug. 28, but left the game early in the second quarter with an injury. He was replaced by Jackson, who scored two touchdowns late to rally UCF to a 17-10 win over the Gamecocks.
Jackson started the next four games, leading the Knights to wins over North Carolina A&T and North Carolina, but suffered a strained AC joint in his left shoulder during a loss at Kansas State. He started the following week against Kansas, but left the game in the fourth quarter after an awkward tackle.
Fancher started the following week at Cincinnati, but suffered a broken rib that effectively ended his season.
Jackson stepped back into the starting role against West Virginia, leading the Knights to a 45-13 win. He would go on to start the remaining five games, finishing with a 4-6 record.
“This was my first year of playing a significant amount of games,” Jackson said after the loss at BYU last Saturday. “As the season went on, I felt more comfortable. Obviously, I battled through injury almost every game this year, but that’s just football. Our training staff did a great job getting me right for the games and our team did a good job of putting me in the right positions to make plays.”
Jackson declined to discuss his future, but was asked what this team meant to him.
“This team means everything to me. We have a brotherhood that is forming. We have a culture that is forming and that’s very exciting for the fans for next year. We’ll be ready to go next year,” he said.
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
