TE Hescock back with ‘unfinished business’
Jake Hescock is a college football anomaly.
At 24 years old, Hescock isn’t necessarily UCF’s version of Father Time, but the super-senior tight end is the veteran presence on this team.
“The first thing I did was ask him if he was the same age I was,” joked new tight ends coach Brian
Blackmon. “He’s been in college football forever.”
Hescock has been a part of the Knights program since 2017 when he arrived as a transfer
from Wisconsin. So when Josh Heupel suddenly left to become the head coach at Tennessee Jan. 27, it was Hescock who stepped up to calm his teammates.
“This is my fourth different coaching staff now, so I’m definitely a veteran in that area,” said Hescock, who missed part of spring camp while dealing with COVID issues. “It’s difficult sometimes not to know what’s coming, especially in our profession. We want to be prepared and have a plan, so when that plan is not right there in front of you, some guys get anxious and nervous.
“I’ve been through it before, so I was able to provide some calmness and reassure those guys that everything is fine, everything is going to work out and we’re going to be in good hands in the end.”
Hescock never wavered on his commitment to stay at UCF despite the coaching changes. The redshirt senior chose to take advantage of the NCAA’s one-time waiver allowing players who participated in last year’s pandemic-altered season to receive an additional year of eligibility.
“The thought didn’t cross my mind,” Hescock said when asked if he considered leaving after Heupel’s departure. “I still have a lot to work on in my game personally, and we have a lot of unfinished business here. Last year isn’t how I wanted to end my career here.”
Hescock said playing football in front of limited fans during the COVID pandemic was one of the reasons he decided to return.
“I want to end it in front of Knight Nation,” Hescock said. “The guys, too. I want to be here for the guys. The young guys and the old guys. I want to end my career with the guys I started with and I want to be someone the young guys can count on this year moving forward.”
At 6-foot-7, 252-pounds, Hescock has grown into a crucial element of UCF’s offense. He spent time on the offensive line, at the slot position, at wideout and in the backfield to provide pass protection or run blocking.
He had 18 catches for 137 yards and five touchdowns during his 33 career appearances, including seven catches and 37 yards with two touchdowns last season.
More importantly, it’s Hescock’s leadership skills and veteran presence in the locker room and in the tight ends group that’s been invaluable.
“He understands what it looks like and what it’s supposed to be about,” said Blackmon, who previously coached tight ends at Troy. “He can hold himself to that standard and at the same time, he can help me hold those young guys to that standard.”
The Knights are very young at the tight end position, with seven underclassmen including Tony Forrest Jr., Jordan Davis, Max Holler, Alex Holler and Garrett French, along with junior Zach Marsh-Wojan and true freshmen Nathan Boerboom and Charlie Browder.
None of started a the players has game outside of Hescock and only Marsh-Wojan and Alex Holler saw playing time last season as blockers. Hescock is also the only tight end to register a catch in 2020.
“There’s nothing like experience,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn said of Hescock. “You can tell he’s played and he’s got that confidence that helps stabilize everything when he’s out there.”
How the tight end position fits into the Knights’ plans is uncertain, but Blackmon knows Malzahn will figure out the best way to utilize the talent on the roster.
“I think what he’s good at — and I attribute this to his high school background — is taking whatever he has and building the offense around that and utilizing the tools you have to help your team be successful and win games,” Blackmon said. “If you look at what he had at Auburn with [former Apopka High standout] Chandler Cox — Chandler is a fullback still playing in the NFL. A different set of skills than you see in C.J. Uzomah, who played for Coach [Malzahn] and is still playing in the NFL.”
Hescock knows he and the other tight ends will fit in well wherever they’re needed.
“We’re going to be on the line, in the backfield, split out,” Hescock said. “We’re going to be to do a lot of different things. We’re going to be able to block on the perimeter, catch some balls all over the field. We’re the jack of all trades. We’re going to do whatever it takes to win.”