After UCF stunned then-ranked No. 2 BYU, the spotlight has settled squarely on Keyone Jenkins - and Scott Frost isn’t shy about what he sees in his quarterback.
Speaking Tuesday on the Jim Rome Show, Frost described Jenkins as a player who keeps the offense moving with calm, controlled choices.
"He plays the game like a point guard," Frost said. "He's going to make the right decision and distribute the ball where he needs to."
Frost added that Jenkins has improved every week he has had the chance to start and said he will remain the starter going forward.
The numbers from the BYU win back up the praise. Jenkins accounted for four total touchdowns, throwing for 293 yards and adding 35 more on the ground. His mobility kept UCF alive in the kind of tense, high-leverage moments that can swing a game fast, and his left-handed arm repeatedly fit throws into tight spaces.
That poise showed up late. After BYU scored first in the opening overtime, Jenkins immediately escaped the pocket on UCF’s first snap and found top receiver Josh Derry near the front left pylon. Then, with UCF getting the ball first in the second overtime, Jenkins hit third-string tight end Grayson Brousseau on a flat route for the game-winning touchdown.
Brousseau’s score was another example of Jenkins spreading the ball around instead of forcing anything. True freshman wideout Tyren Hornes led the way with six catches for 137 yards, but nine different Knights finished with a reception, a steady stream that kept the Cougars from locking in on any one target.
Jenkins’ recent run has been just as strong as the BYU finish. Over his last three games against Oklahoma State, Houston, and BYU - all ranked Big 12 opponents - he has piled up 811 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. He has also continued to lean on a different set of pass-catchers each week, with Hornes emerging as the latest one to break through.
With Baylor next on the schedule, Jenkins and the Knights enter that matchup riding plenty of momentum, and his confidence is as high as it has been.
In Other News...
Noah Fifita Faces A New Big 12 Test As QB Race Tightens
Week 8 gave the Big 12 another reminder that quarterback depth can swing the league in a hurry, with a few lesser-known passers stepping into the spotlight and changing the feel of the race. Cincinnati got a jolt from JC French IV in its upset of Texas Tech, while UCF found stability from Keyone Jenkins in a win over BYU, the kind of performance that can reshape how a staff views its own quarterback room heading into the next stretch of conference play.
Now the Knights are heading into another tricky Big 12 test, and the QB conversation around them has only gotten louder. Injuries and benching questions are circling the league, the Week 9 slate brings more chances for movement, and Noah Fifita sits right in the middle of a pecking order that is getting harder to sort out as the season turns. [Read more 🡒]
Johnny Dawkins Just Landed A Guard UCF Fans Need To Watch
Johnny Dawkins added another significant piece to UCFs future with the commitment of Jacoby Briscoe, a 6-foot-6 combo guard out of Virginia who is regarded as one of the top prospects in his state. Briscoe, ranked No. 2 in Virginia, said the visit to campus stood out because of the family atmosphere Dawkins presented along with the vision for how he fits into the program.
For the Knights, the pledge gives the staff a talented perimeter option with size and versatility, and it also says plenty about the pull UCF can now have in a recruiting battle. Briscoes arrival gives Dawkins another high-end building block to sell to the fan base, with the kind of profile that immediately raises expectations for what comes next in Orlando. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors First Game After Aranda Will Show A Lot
Baylor heads into its next game against UCF with a different look on the sideline, and the timing makes the matchup even more interesting. Joe Klanderman has taken over as the Bears interim head coach, and with the coaching change comes the usual questions about how much will stay the same and how much will shift in a hurry. One area worth watching is the offense, where Klanderman has already expressed support for Jake Spavitals play calling as Baylor tries to steady itself.
For UCF, that means preparing for a team in a transition period but still capable of changing the feel of a game with a few adjustments. The Bears have every reason to come out with urgency after the move at the top, and the first outing under the new staff will say plenty about how they want to attack, how freely Spavital can operate, and whether Baylor can turn a difficult week into something more competitive on Saturday. [Read more 🡒]