The phrase scrawled in white on the eye black across Keyone Jenkins’ face read: Joshua 1:9.
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“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
“That just helped me not to be scared of anything,” Jenkins said when asked about the tribute.
It was fitting that the 21-year-old UCF quarterback chose that verse from the Bible, especially as he started his first game for the Knights.
A four-year veteran with 33 career starts under his belt, Jenkins found himself thrust into the starting job against Georgia State last week after Alonza Barnett III suffered a significant hamstring injury in the final minutes of the team’s 12-7 loss at Pittsburgh the week before.
It was his first start since leading FIU against UTSA in the First Responder Bowl on Dec. 26, 2025. Less than a week later, Jenkins would enter the transfer portal, seeking a new home. He would sign with UCF on Jan. 20, serving as the primary backup to Barnett.
He appeared briefly in the Knights’ 73-6 win over Bethune-Cookman in the season opener, completing all four of his passes for 42 yards, highlighted by a 9-yard touchdown pass to receiver Caleb Rollerson midway through the third quarter.
A week later in Pittsburgh, Jenkins returned in an emergency role after Barnett went down with a right hamstring injury. Facing a fourth-and-4, the Miami native was dragged down for a sack, ending UCF’s hopes of rallying past the Panthers.
Two days later, Jenkins was told he would start against Georgia State.
“I didn’t know I was gonna be the starter,” Jenkins said after leading UCF to a 40-33 win on Saturday. “I was the No. 2 (guy), but I competed for my job every day.
“I hope AB gets better, but in football, it’s next man up. I wish him a speedy recovery, but you have got to be prepared for situations like that and that was the reason why I came here.”
His teammates, particularly those on defense, were on his side as he prepared for his first start of the season.
“All week, those guys have been in my ear and telling me we got you,” Jenkins said. “I appreciate that. It boosts my confidence knowing that they’re going to go out there and play for me and I’m doing the same for them as well.”
The 6-foot, 200-pound Jenkins, known as Lightz by his teammates, wasn’t nervous about taking the field, just glad to be back on the football field.
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“I’m here to do whatever my team needs me to do to win games,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins completed 7 of 17 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 25 yards and two touchdowns. His 4-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter gave the Knights the lead for good.
“For the most part, he played really well,” coach Scott Frost said on Monday. “We could have played a little better around him and caught a couple of more balls. He made one bad throw, but otherwise had a pretty solid game. I’m sure with more reps, he’ll continue to get better.”
“He did a nice job last week in relation to making improvements in the areas that he needs to improve,” added offensive coordinator Steve Cooper. “He got to put some of those reps on tape for practice, but he certainly has some room to grow and he knows that. I’m excited to see him play this game against TCU.”
Jenkins admits his comfort level with the offense is an 8 out of 10 right now.
“I’m real comfortable with the offense. I love the progression game we’ve got and if y’all see more of that, it’s gonna be real scary,” he said.
With UCF’s ground game in control throughout much of the game, Frost admits he reigned in the passing attack, keeping the reins on the lefty quarterback.
“I was on the same page as Coach Frost,” Jenkins said. “Just take care of the ball and move the sticks. Do whatever to help the defense out, help us out and secure the win.”
Off the field, Jenkins has lived up to his nickname.
“Lightz is one of the most fun guys to be around,” said Cooper. “He brings a lot of juice and energy to the building every day. The kids love him. A lot of guys on this team either grew up with him or knew of him growing up, so he has a lot of influence that way.”
Added offensive lineman Preston Cushman: “He’s just a juice guy. When he walks into the room, everyone smiles. Everyone wants to be around Lightz. I love being around the guy, and everyone else does too.
“There’s no drop-off in our eyes. As an offensive line, we’re going to do what we need to do to protect him and put everyone in the best position to do whatever we need to do.”
Before the season, Jenkins told his family not to attend any of his games.
“I told them not to come to the games because there’s no guarantee I’m going to play,” Jenkins said. Even after he learned he’d be the starter for the foreseeable future, he didn’t share the news with many people.
“I told just a couple of people so I can stay focused and just be myself and not worry about the outside factors,” he said. “Moving forward, whoever comes to support me, they support me. I love my family. They know that. But at the end of the day, we’re going to rock out.”
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram at @osmattmurschel. Email: [email protected]. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
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Up next
What: TCU (2-1) at UCF (2-1)
When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday
Where: Acrisure Bounce House Stadium, Orlando
TV: FS1
Favorite: TCU by 3 points