Texas’s FRISCOScott Frost acknowledges that he never went to a Big 12 Football Media Day when playing for Nebraska, but he is having a great first season as head coach of UCF.
Frost remarked, “I was thrilled to join the league because I truly enjoy it.” From the standpoint of head coach, I admire a number of good individuals in this league. Compared to past [media days] I’ve done, this one is much more laid back. There are simply many aspects of the Big 12 that I find appealing.
The 50-year-old Frost appeared calm as he navigated the commotion of Tuesday’s media session at The Star.
Before departing to accept his ideal position at Nebraska, Frost guided the UCF program to extraordinary heights eight years ago, including a perfect season in 2017. Sadly, his relationship with the Huskers worsened, and by 2022, he was no longer playing collegiate football.
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That is, until he returned to the Knights six months ago, determined to show himself once more. Since coach Gus Malzahn left, things have moved at a dizzying rate, with the hiring of a new coaching staff and the rebuilding of a squad that the transfer portal destroyed.
Frost told the Sentinel, “I feel at ease with the team now.” I won’t feel completely at ease until we’ve played a few games and I know exactly what we have and what we need to do to keep becoming better.
UCF is in a precarious situation as the football season draws near, which has caused people outside the program to have low expectations. The Knights are not considered a top-tier team in the league, much less a strong contender for the Big 12 championship.
Frost doesn’t mind at all.
I adore it. Being the underdog appeals to me. Frost remarked, “I like people not expecting much out of us.” It will provide us with some inspiration and drive for what I believe we are capable of.
Frost simply needs to send his players toward the Big 12 champs from the previous season if he wants any more inspiration.
In the 2024 preseason poll, which was made public during media days in Las Vegas, Arizona State was picked to finish last in the league. After winning the league, the Sun Devils qualified for the College Football Playoffs.
On the other hand, none of the Knights’ offseason projections worry the players.
Our goals are to compete, win games, and play hard as a senior defensive end.”Nyjalik Kelly said.” Our goal is to just focus on one week at a time. We have faith in one another. We have faith in both the culture and the coaching.
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Senior offensive lineman in redshirtPaul Rubeltadded: I believe we have an excellent chance of winning, and that is what we expect. The team chemistry appeals to me. I like our current group of guys. Even if we have a lot of skill, we must ultimately perform on the field. We must demonstrate it. It’s not impossible.
The team Frost took over at UCF in 2016 had just finished a season without a victory. He swiftly restored the program’s culture and created a sense of camaraderie among the Knights.
It will be difficult to reestablish the camaraderie on a roster that includes more than 60 new players.
To ensure that we’re not just a group of people who don’t play together, we need to focus a lot of attention on that and dedicate a lot of time to it, Frost said. It’s not as much fun to be a part of something greater than oneself, and teams like that don’t win very often. We’ll keep devoting a lot of time to that, and ideally, we can unite as a group for a common experience.
Undoubtedly, that message has permeated player activities during the offseason.
“I’m very close with people I haven’t seen in probably a month, who come here only in the summer,” Kelly remarked. It’s just been two or three weeks since we first met. On both the offensive and defensive ends, everyone is close. We’re really close. We spend time together, visit the bowling alley, and dine out. Everyone is gathered together.
You can reach me on Instagram at @osmattmurschel, Bluesky, or X. [email protected] is the email address. Subscribe to the Sentinel Knights Weekly email to receive a summary of all of our coverage of UCF.
