ORLANDO, Fla.— The UCF Knights are going through their second head coaching change in four years. Although the team regressed under former head coach Josh Heupel’s last two seasons, the talent is still present. But first, let’s look at who else has left the building.
Defensive stalwarts like Richie Grant, Tay Gowan (opt-out in 2020), and Aaron Robinson have departed from the team. On offense, Marlon Williams, Otis Anderson Jr., and Jacob Harris are now gone as they all have moved on to the NFL, with RB Greg McCrae securing a spot in the CFL. McCrae and Anderson were the team’s leading rushers last year, while Williams and Harris were two of the team’s top pass catchers. Their experience alone will be tough to replace.
In comes new head coach Gus Malzahn, who has the pedigree to get this program on the right track again. Malzahn was the offensive coordinator for the Auburn Tigers when they won the 2010 BCS national title and the head coach of the Tigers when they reached the 2014 title game. He was also named both SEC Coach of the Year and AP College Football Coach of the Year back in 2013.
Junior QB Dillon Gabriel is back under center after passing for more than 3500 yards, 32 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. Gabriel has been one of the most prolific quarterbacks in college football since taking over and has an incredible TD-INT ratio of 61-11 so far in his career. Malzahn will now bring in a power-spread offense that can only add to what Gabriel can accomplish if given a strong running game that keeps defenses honest.
Sophomore WR Jaylon Robinson returns after posting 55 catches for 979 yards and six touchdowns. RB Bentavious Thompson also returns and looks to have an increased role with McCrae and Anderson gone after averaging over five yards per carry last year with just over 70 attempts but adding five touchdowns. Also, last year’s offensive line remains intact to provide some continuity. While there are some question marks on the defensive side after a sub-par season, the Knights are welcoming some new players via transfer to revamp the roster.
Arriving via the transfer portal is WR Jordan Johnson from Notre Dame, WR Brandon Johnson from Tennessee, WR Nate Craig-Myers from Colorado State, LB Bryson Armstrong from Kennesaw State, DE Big Kat Bryant from Auburn, RB Mark-Antony Richards, and more.
As for the transfers coming in to play out wide, Jordan Johnson, who some had rated as a five- and four-star prospect coming out of high school, looks to get a fresh start after only playing two games with the Irish. Brandon Johnson, a cousin of former NFL WR Chad Johnson, looks to make the best out of his final year of eligibility. Meanwhile, Myers has familiarity with Malzahn after playing for him at Auburn for two years before heading to Colorado State. Myers was also a part of the Auburn Tigers team that faced off against the Knights in the 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
UCF became a polarizing force in college football, winning 25 straight and playing in back-to-back New Year’s Six bowl games which sparked the “National Champions” debate back in 2018.
Now, Malzahn takes over a team that finished 6-4 last year and suffered a 49-23 defeat to BYU in the Boca Raton Bowl. That left UCF unranked for the first time since 2016. Expectations are high as the fans are hoping for Malzahn to lead them to prominence and insert them back into the national championship conversation when the College Football Playoff comes rolling around.
