Johnny Dawkins and the UCF Knights welcomed former Memphis forward JJ Taylor to their roster on Monday, marking a notable addition for the team.
Taylor made the decision to enter the transfer portal in December, alongside current Knight Mikey Williams, and will now reunite with his former teammate in Orlando. During his freshman season at Memphis, Taylor appeared in only three games, as both he and Williams faced legal issues and disciplinary actions from Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway.
Hailing from San Ysidro High School in the Class of 2023, Taylor was regarded as a four-star prospect by the 247Sports index, ranking as the nation’s 86th player overall. Additionally, he was ranked 20th in his class and 14th in the state of California.
Taylor’s commitment marks the Knights’ fourth acquisition from the transfer portal this offseason, joining Mikey Williams, Keyshawn Hall from George Mason, and Benny Williams from Syracuse.
Despite a challenging first season in the Big 12 Conference in 2023-24, Johnny Dawkins is actively leveraging the offseason transfer portal to bolster the team with the aim of contending for a title in the upcoming 2024-25 season.
