The UCF Knights finished 4-8 in 2024, with just two conference wins. However, if you’d looked at their first three weeks, a 3-0 start, it would have been impossible to imagine that they’d end up losing eight of their next nine games. Any hope for improvements in 2025 was shattered when their head coach, Guz Malzahn, resigned to join Mike Norvell’s staff at Florida State. The program looked around and returned to a familiar face, a face that gave them an undefeated season (13-0) in 2017. However, things are not as rosy anymore for Scott Frost. In his second innings at the Knights, Frost is coming off a poor coaching run at the Cornhuskers. The holes in the Knights’ roster in 2024 were plenty, and the most grave ones were in their QB room.
The program looked at four quarterbacks in 2024. They started the season with Arkansas transfer KJ Jefferson. He was benched for EJ Colson. Things didn’t improve, and Jacurri Brown was their third QB. In the end, redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk was given an opportunity under the center. Similar returns as Rizk ended the Knights’ last game of the season with barely 100 passing yards. Who’s going to be their QB1 in 2025?
The Knights’ QB room has a few new faces. Tayven Jackson, the ex-Hoosiers talent, transferred to UCF in January this year. Jackson was the No. 13 QB in the 2022 class that produced Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, Conner Weigman, Gunner Stockton, and many coveted names. Under coach Curt Cignetti last year, he racked up a total of 349 yards, 4 TDs, and 1 interception with a 62.2 completion percentage. Sure, so far, he’s just accustomed to doing cleanup duties as a backup. But he has all the tools to shine bright as a future Knights’ QB1.
On the other hand, Davi Belfort, a class of 2024 four-star quarterback who showcased a splash of brilliance at Virginia Tech last year, came home. “I’m coming home to develop and compete to win,” Belfort told Rivals. “I‘m very excited. I’ve wanted to come home, so I’m glad it happened.” A former Marshall and FAU starting quarterback, Cam Fancher, also transferred to UCF in December, adding flair to Scott Frost’s QB room. The returning UCF signal-caller Jacurri Brown is also another option that the head coach can look towards.
The spring came off as a testament to the power and dedication of all the potential guns under the center. Everybody got their moment to shine. But Frost still didn’t come to a clear conclusion regarding his choice. But he has a clear vision of what he wants in a starting guy. “We had to rebuild the whole team. We went and got a couple of other quarterbacks, too. A couple of them have already been here. There was good competition in the spring,” said Coach Frost in an episode of the Sons of UCF podcast.
“I saw good progress in the spring. Several guys are doing a really good job. I think that position, we need a real competitor at that position, somebody that’s gonna do everything he can to win every game, make every play work,” he added.
The idea is straight and clear. The head coach didn’t want any lack of motivation or lack of effort in the most important position group on the team. The analysts are leaning towards Jackson as the QB1, considering his experience playing in an Indiana offense that took the B1G by storm last year. However, the head coach will possibly wait until before the start of the season to make his choice. “We are gonna have enough talent around the quarterback and I think if we get good quarterback play, we are gonna be in good shape,” Frost added. “So, we let the competition play out and see where it lands.”
While the former Nebraska coach set the bar clear for all who compete, analysts are downplaying the Knights’ chances of improving their returns.
Scott Frost is banking on his underdog program
When Scott Frost left the Knights in 2017 to take up a head coaching position at his struggling alma mater, Nebraska, little did he know that the two would cross paths again—both with a point to prove. The Malzahn experiment didn’t do wonders for the Knights, and after four years at the helm, the head coach resigned with a 28-24 record. The heights of his first two years were overshadowed by the lows of 2023 and 2024. On the other hand, Frost was fired by the Cornhuskers after his 16-31 record, no winning seasons, and no bowl appearances. The emotional decision to return to his college team didn’t work for the head coach.
Heading into the 2025 season, the Knights are seeing a lot of change. 60 new faces on the roster. Poor record in Big 12. Next to no belief in the team by analysts who are doing the preseason polls. They currently have the worst odds to win the Big 12 title. That isn’t affecting Frost.
“I love where we are, you know, people aren’t going to pick us to do very well this year, that’s great,” Frost said. “UCF’s always kind of performed with a chip on their shoulder and won a lot of games that people didn’t expect them to historically. I think that needs to continue to be a part of our nature in who we are. I think the kids are excited about the launching point that they have to try to accomplish more than what people think,” he added.
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