The largest box on UCF’s offseason checklist was marked Saturday evening when news broke of Scott Frost’s imminent return as head coach. Frost agreed to a five-year contract through the 2029 season, and he will replace Gus Malzahn, who resigned Nov. 30 to become Florida State’s offensive coordinator.
Frost will look to recreate the magic of 2017 when the Knights ran the table — 13 games, 13 wins and national championship claims. He departed for Nebraska after besting Malzahn’s Auburn Tigers in the Peach Bowl and went 16-31 over parts of five seasons there.
By contrast, UCF has posted just 10 wins the previous two seasons combined, including a dismal 5-13 record against Big 12 conference opponents.
The process will take some time, which will be amply afforded to the 49-year-old Frost. He has plenty of credit in the bank with Knights fans and alumni. For now, let’s look at three immediate courses of action as he begins his second tenure in Orlando.
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Knights players got a one-week head start to declare intentions for entering the NCAA transfer portal due to Malzahn’s exit. As of Saturday night, 20 UCF players had taken advantage of the opportunity.
That’s not necessarily a guarantee that all 20 of those athletes will leave, though it’s likely the majority will. Perhaps the style of football Frost plays and the culture that former Knights have raved about on social media is an attractive enough prospect to withdraw. Money talks, too, of course.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Dylan Rizk expressed excitement about the hire, posting, “LETS GOOOOOO!!” with a frozen emoji and the hashtag GKCO (Go Knights, Charge On) onto his X account.
Before worrying about additions, Frost will need to recruit his own roster. There are valuable players, some with multiple years of eligibility, that other teams will want. Cornerback Chasen Johnson, slot receiver Xavier Townsend, defensive end Nyjalik Kelly, quarterback EJ Colson and center Caden Kitler are among the Knights’ better players who previously planned to dip into the portal.
Frost spent the better part of the last two years away from the college game, so he could decide to retain a few of UCF’s incumbent assistant coaches. Those decisions are likely to be made in the next handful of days.
Offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. was in the mix for Florida International’s head coaching position, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge. FIU confirmed Duke running backs coach Willie Simmons as the hire Saturday morning. Cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed has interviews scheduled for multiple head coach openings, including HBCU and Southland Conference programs, per a report from Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman.
Interim defensive coordinator Addison Williams, running backs coach Kam Martin, defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin and tight ends coach Brian Blackmon have largely been effective recruiters in their respective tenures.
Sean Beckton, an analyst on Malzahn’s staff this fall, was Frost’s tight ends coach at UCF and Nebraska. It stands to reason he will have an on-field role of some sort.
As for potential outside hires, Boise State defensive coordinator Erik Chinander worked alongside Frost for seven consecutive seasons. The Broncos won the Mountain West Conference title Friday, meaning he likely would not be available until January.
McKenzie Milton, UCF’s starting quarterback for the undefeated 2017 campaign, has been a popular suggestion for a coaching role. The 27-year-old is an offensive analyst on Josh Heupel’s staff at Tennessee.
Transfer season begins, in earnest, Monday when the portal officially opens for all NCAA football players. The window shuts Dec. 28, though not until thousands of athletes nationwide choose to explore their options.
If Frost wants to upgrade the QB depth chart, Texas A&M’s Conner Weigman, USC’s Miller Moss, Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold and Liberty’s Kaidon Salter have already intended to depart their current schools. Florida cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson, Texas A&M defensive tackle Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy and Mississippi State wide receiver Creed Whittemore are among the Sunshine State natives UCF recruited heavily out of high school that are reportedly portal-bound and could be of interest again.
As for the high school and JUCO ranks, UCF managed to sign 10 players without a head coach in place. Roswell (Ga.) interior offensive lineman Andrew Stargel, Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College running back Waymond Jordan Jr. and Vestavia Hills (Ala.) kicker Owen Simpson remain verbally committed to the Knights, though each opted to wait until the situation was settled.
Of those who decommitted from UCF, Warner Robins (Ga.) Northside’s 6-foot-9, 270-pound, four-star tackle Chastan Brown is the only one to delay his signing until February. Frost could look to mend fences, but he will face competition from the likes of Arkansas, Florida State, Louisville, Missouri, Vanderbilt and others.
All but one of Florida’s top 100 high school senior recruits, according to 247Sports’ rankings, put pen to paper during the early signing period, but there could be some hidden gems waiting to be unearthed. Milton, Adrian Killins and Dredrick Snelson were the headliners of Frost’s first class, but consensus two-star defensive prospects Trysten Hill and Richie Grant blossomed into second-round NFL draft picks at UCF.
