DAYTONA BEACH — The News-Journal published a 105-man roster on July 5, 2026, recognizing the best FBS-era players from the University of Central Florida (UCF). The list includes Daunte Culpepper, Lucas Nickel, Kevin Smith and Blake Bortles.

Culpepper was the first NFL first-round pick in UCF history and led the team to a 9-2 record as a junior in 1998. He was selected 11th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. Smith holds UCF's all-time rushing lead and finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2007. He led UCF to its first Conference USA title and leads RJ Harvey by 887 career rushing yards. Bortles guided UCF to a 52-42 victory over Baylor in a New Year's Six Bowl game and was selected third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 NFL Draft. He finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting. McKenzie Milton finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting.

Harvey was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos in 2025 and earned All-Big 12 first-team honors in his final year. He has 48 career touchdowns. Adrian Killins Jr. holds the record for the longest run from scrimmage in UCF history at 96 yards. Greg McCrae, who joined UCF as a preferred walk-on, has 2,620 career rushing yards. Other running backs include Latavius Murray, who scored 37 rushing touchdowns between 2008 and 2012; Alex Haynes, who rushed for over 3,000 yards; Storm Johnson, who transferred from Miami, played in the Fiesta Bowl, and had 1,139 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns; and Otis Anderson, who averaged 6.1 yards per carry, compiled 3,708 all-purpose yards, and scored 27 touchdowns.

Gabe Davis established a UCF single-season record with 1,241 receiving yards and has 23 touchdown catches in UCF's FBS era. Brandon Marshall made six trips to the Pro Bowl. Tre'Quan Smith ranks third in UCF's all-time receiving yards with over 2,500 yards. Mike Sims-Walker ranks fourth in UCF's all-time receiving yards with over 2,500 yards. Other receivers include Siaha Burley, who recorded multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and Mark Nonsant, who had 173 receptions for 2,475 yards and 15 touchdowns. Javon Baker made the All-Big 12 first team in 2023, recording 1,139 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in that year. In 2002, Jimmy Gabriel and Jimmy Fryzel formed the top single-season receiving tandem in UCF history collectively, with 2,363 yards. Marlon Williams had 71 catches, 1,039 yards, and 10 touchdowns in his senior season in 2020. JJ Worton made a one-handed touchdown catch at Temple. Breshad Perriman made a Hail Mary catch at East Carolina and was one of UCF's five first-round NFL draft picks.

Jordan Akins, who played professional baseball before joining UCF, caught 81 passes for 1,149 yards and eight touchdowns. Darcy Johnson earned All-CUSA honors in 2005 and won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 2007. Michael Gaines had 22 receptions for 306 yards and three touchdowns in 23 games at UCF and had a seven-year NFL career. Dylan Wade, an active UCF player, had five touchdown receptions in 2025. Cornell Green was a four-year starter at UCF and played 94 NFL games. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002.