UCF’s quarterback competition continues to evolve as we near the end of spring practice. Head coach Scott Frost and crew have been busy installing a new offense and defense while having to simultaneously evaluate the talent on the team. It’s not an easy task. One position in particular under heavy scrutiny is the quarterback position.
Picking Up the Pieces
After being hired by athletic director Terry Mohajir, Frost had to pick up the pieces from a vastly underwhelming 2024 season under Gus Malzahn, who resigned and became the offensive coordinator at Florida State. The quarterback position needed work. Last year, the team had KJ Jefferson, Jacurri Brown, EJ Colson, and Dylan Rizk. Jefferson was a one-year rental who was a bust on the field. Brown could run, but was very inaccurate. Colson, a true freshman, was not ready to be on the field. Rizk, who rode the bench as the fourth-string quarterback, ended up having the most success. All four quarterbacks ended up starting at least one game. UCF was one of two FBS schools to start four different quarterbacks last year, and none of them were due to injury. Utah was the other school.
Immediately after the season ended, Colson hit the portal and transferred to Purdue, and Jefferson ran out of eligibility. That left Frost with Brown, Rizk, and clipboard holder Brock Hansel, so Frost hit the transfer portal. The Knights don’t have the same resources as their power conference brethren, so they looked for second-tier quarterbacks. Joining the Knights through the portal are Teyven Jackson from Indiana and Cam Fancher from Florida Atlantic. UCF is the third school for both players.
The Holdovers
So what do these quarterbacks bring to the table? Let’s start with the holdovers.
Rizk entered the offseason as the incumbent starter. After Jefferson, Colson, and Brown failed to deliver, and with the season falling apart, Malzahn turned to Rizk. Rizk played mop-up duty against BYU, going six for ten for 102 yards and a touchdown. His impressive play earned him a start in the Space Game against Arizona, where he was almost unstoppable. Rizk went 20 for 25 for 294 yards and three touchdowns, including a Hail Mary touchdown pass to Randy Pittman as the first half expired. Unfortunately, as more game film was generated through his play, his quality decreased. By the final game at home against a bad Utah team, Rizk was a paltry 10/26 for 107 yards and a touchdown before being replaced by Colson. While coaching carries some of the blame, as there was tension between Malzahn and offensive coordinator Tim Harris, Rizk’s decrease in productivity was troublesome. A good offseason with Frost and company was sorely needed.
Jacurri Brown transferred from Miami with limited play but a lot of talent. Brown served as a backup for the Hurricanes, with a specialty in running the ball. He played a bit in 2022 and the bowl game in 2023. At UCF, his running was on full display in his first two starts, gaining 238 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. Unfortunately, his arm was not as effective. In his first start against Cincinnati, he went 13/20 for 207 yards and a touchdown. Against meaningful competition the following two weeks, Brown went a combined 16 of 37 for 158 yards and four interceptions before being benched for Rizk. Brown would only play in short-yardage situations going forward.
The Newbies
Tayven Jackson started his career at Tennessee. In 2022, he was third-string behind Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton. His coach was former UCF head coach Josh Heupel. He then transferred to Indiana, but has been stuck in a backup role. In 2023, it was Brendan Sorsby. In 2024, it was Curtis Rourke. He’s been able to get some meaningful playing time here and there with mixed results. His best game was in 2023 against Louisville, where he went 24/34 for 299 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Hoosiers ultimately lost, but Jackson looked good in the process. He’s not a runner, and his completion percentage against good teams is suspect. Stats are not everything, though.
Cam Fancher is the grizzled veteran of the quarterback group. Fancher has played in 34 games between Marshall and Florida Atlantic. In 2022, Fancher took over full-time at Marshall midway through the season and went 6-1 to close the year, including a bowl win. 2023 at Marshall had mixed results. The Thundering Herd won their first four games before going on a five-game losing streak. Sound familiar? Fancher then transferred to FAU, and the Owls had a bad season. Fancher was inconsistent at best. In three-plus seasons, he’s thrown for almost 5,300 yards with 27 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. He’s a decent runner with over 1,100 yards on the ground. That includes yards lost due to sacks.
Spring Practice is Wrapping Up
This spring, Brown, Fancher, Jackson, and Rizk have been working with quarterbacks coach McKenzie Milton and offensive coordinator Steve Cooper on learning the offense, speeding up their reads, and developing a faster view of the game to line up with Frost’s up-tempo spread offense. According to reports from Stephen Leonard at 247Sports, intel they got from the team made it seem that Rizk is not going to be the guy this fall. As a result, Rizk has entered the transfer portal. As the incumbent quarterback, it’s understandable why he might want to leave after supposedly receiving unwelcome news about his prospects in 2025.
That leaves UCF with Brown, Fancher, and Jackson dueling for the starting quarterback job, for now. Expect Frost, Cooper, and Milton to utilize the spring transfer portal window to find another quarterback. Who they end up with could range from a depth player to a potential starting quarterback, depending on who is available. With the Knights essentially starting over, the coaching staff has the luxury of not having to name a starter just yet.
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