When it comes to the trials and tribulations of a quarterback room, UCF has had more than its fair share of drama over the past two seasons. Injuries and inconsistent performances meant that eight different players took snaps in just 24 games. Talk about a carousel!
Enter Scott Frost, returning to UCF with a plan to revamp the quarterback lineup. He brought in three transfers: Tayven Jackson, Cam Fancher, and Davi Belfort, joining returner Jacurri Brown.
Fancher initially won the starting job, but a broken collarbone in the season opener against Jacksonville State put a quick halt to his campaign. Jackson stepped up to start ten games but soon found himself sidelined by injuries as well, along with Brown.
By the time UCF faced No. 11 BYU in the season finale, only Jackson and Belfort were left standing.
The Knights finished 10th in the Big 12 for passing offense, averaging 220.8 yards per game. Not exactly where they wanted to be.
Frost reflected on the chaotic season, noting, “It was just a messy year for quarterbacks and I liked the kids we had a year ago. Cam won the job out of camp and then got hurt in the first game.
Tay played well for a while and then maybe not so well. Cam came back and then he got hurt again.
Even a couple of our backups were in and out with injuries. It was just hard to get really good on offense with that kind of inconsistency.”
He added, “Everywhere you go in football, if something goes wrong, it’s the quarterback’s fault and the head coach’s fault. A lot of times, things get put on the quarterback that are out of their control, but the fingers always seem to point in that direction.”
The offseason saw Fancher, Jackson, Brown, and Belfort all enter the transfer portal, giving Frost a clean slate to rebuild. “We felt like we needed to just hit reset,” he explained.
UCF turned to the transfer market again, signing Alonza Barnett III from James Madison. Barnett, a standout player, was last season’s Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year and led the Dukes to the College Football Playoff.
Frost was impressed by more than just Barnett’s stats; it was his intangibles that sealed the deal. “Watching him and getting to know him and talking to people about him, his approach and his professionalism are elite,” Frost noted.
Barnett’s resume is impressive: 30 games, 27 starts, 5,433 passing yards, 49 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, plus 1,075 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. “When you’ve got a good one, there are a lot of things that work, even when you don’t call the perfect play, the right quarterbacks find a way to make it happen,” Frost said.
With Barnett at the helm and surrounded by experienced players, including transfers Keyone Jackson (FIU) and Kaleb Annett (Boise State), plus freshmen Rocco Marriott and Dante Carr, Frost is optimistic. “I think Alonza will be really good for our young quarterbacks to see how somebody that’s done it at a high level just operates day to day, and hope that makes them better,” he said.
As spring camp approaches, Frost is bullish on his quarterback room. “I love our quarterback room right now.
Right now, these guys are ahead of the game,” he enthused. It sounds like UCF is ready to turn the page and start a new chapter.