UCF Knights football: 5 players to watch in Scott Frost’s 1st spring camp

ORLANDO — Spring football starts Tuesday for UCF, and it’s the beginning of a new era.

All eyes will gravitate toward Scott Frost’s second act in charge of the Knights, and understandably so considering both the success he had in his previous tenure in Orlando (2016-17) and the adjustments he plans to make to avoid a similar fate as the one he endured over five years at Nebraska.

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Frost filled out his coaching staff with a handful of familiar faces and newcomers to the program, and he brought in roughly 40 players from the NCAA transfer portal and high school/JUCO ranks to replenish a gutted roster. For this piece, let’s focus on a handful of athletes who could determine the outcome of UCF’s season once the fall rolls around.

Here are five Knights, listed in alphabetical order, to watch during the 15 practice sessions of spring camp.

Tayven Jackson

Indiana’s Tayven Jackson (2) celebrates a touchdown during the Indiana versus Western Illinois football game at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.

Quarterback uncertainty, and rotation, played as big a role as any in UCF’s dismal 4-8 campaign — the last at the helm for Gus Malzahn. Four signal-callers made starts, including returners Dylan Rizk (four games) and Jacurri Brown (two).

Competition will be open under Frost’s regime, but Jackson — Indiana’s backup to Kurtis Rourke last fall — will have a strong chance to win the job. He completed 23 of 37 passes for 349 yards, four touchdowns and one interception as a redshirt sophomore, adding 73 yards and three rushing TDs on 15 carries.

Jackson won his lone start for the Hoosiers in 2024, a two-touchdown performance against Washington.

The 6-foot-4, 212-pound Jackson provides the sort of dual-threat dynamism that others have possessed to succeed…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/ucf-knights-football-5-players-090329276.html

Author : Daytona Beach News-Journal

Publish date : 2025-03-10 09:03:00

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