UCF lists Holman as No. 1 QB on depth chart,
Senior Justin Holman will be the starting quarterback when the UCF football team kicks off its season opener against South Carolina State Sept. 3.
Holman’s name was listed as No. 1 on the team's depth chart released Friday and fellow senior Nick Patti was listed as the team’s backup quarterback.
The decision comes as little surprise given Holman’s experience leading the Knights for the past two seasons. But new head coach Scott Frost wanted to make sure all players had a fair chance to fight for positions since he took over as the Knights’ 10th head coach on Dec. 1.
Frost said during media day last week he had no intention of using a multiple quarterback system and the winner of the position battle would be the team’s starter all season.
“It’s been exciting, but it’s been focused,” Holman said during media day. “A lot of people see a lot of energy on social media and things like that, but you don’t see the grind that we’re putting in and the sweat. [We’re] coming in here and doing extra film meetings, but it’s definitely been a focused camp for my guys.”
The depth chart also indicated defensive backs Chris Johnson and Nevelle Clarke will help as punt and kickoff return specialists.
Sophomore receiver Tristan Payton will continue to work as a kickoff returner and senior receiver Taylor Oldham will return punts.
There are six true freshmen listed on the depth chart: defensive end Trysten Hill, offensive lineman Jordan Johnson, receiver Jaquarious “Q” Bargnare, receiver Dredrick Snelson, running back Adrian Killins and running back Jawon Hamilton.
Oldham’s chance
Oldham, a former Daytona Warner Christian star, could be counted on to make big plays for his team in high school and he was eager to build on his success at UCF.
Oldham ended up taking many detours with the Knights. The biggest challenge was recovering from a broken bone he suffered a Lisfranc injury his right foot during the April 2014 spring game.
“It was rough, I mean, the Lisfranc’s a hard thing to come back from,” he said. “It just nags you all the time, but right now my foot feels better than it ever had before, so I’m excited.”
He recovered from the injury ahead of schedule and was back on the field midway through the 2015 season, but returned to a team that had been decimated by injuries and lacked confidence amid a winless campaign.
Now Oldham, a senior, is making the most of his fresh start with a new coaching staff and an offense expected to highlight any athlete with big-play potential.
When asked if he was hoping he could shine in UCF’s new offense, Oldham responded, “Yeah, I hope so, I mean I’ve been waiting a long time. Like I said, my body feels better than it ever has so we’ll see Sept. 3.”
While his recovery was difficult, Oldham faced another round of challenges during the offseason adapting to the new conditioning program designed to help players better execute Frost’s rapid-fire schemes.
“In the spring, I was around 213 [pounds]. First day of practice, I was 194. So I lost a lot of weight ’cause I didn’t think I would be able to run in this offense in the spring,” Oldham said. “I had trouble running in the offense because I was a little heavier, but now I feel great. I feel like I move way better, so I’m excited, they did a good job.”
Oldham’s work was rewarded and he earned one of the starting receiver spots on the depth chart released Friday. He has high hopes for what the entire offense will be able to accomplish.