UCF’s new football coach Josh Heupel quickens the pace.
During the past four years, Wyatt Miller adapted to a handful of football systems and coaches at UCF. He most recently learned how to run a no-huddle up-tempo offense.
But even he was in for a surprise when spring practice hit under new coach Josh Heupel.
“They came in and they were like, ‘We’re gonna go fast.’ And we’re like, ‘OK, we’ve gone fast,’ ” Miller said. “And then we get out there the first day and went through the first set, and I’m sitting there with my hands on my hips and thinking, ‘Goodness gracious, that was fast.’ ”
The practice sets have been quick and players recently zipped through their first spring scrimmage with Heupel and his staff Friday. Most players said the speed is noticeably quicker in comparison to the previous regime under Scott Frost, now the head coach at Nebraska.
Practices are closed to the media and general public, but players and coaches said
they’re confident in the progress being made so far as the team approached the midway point of spring workouts.
“I like what happened in the scrimmage. It was physical [and] at times it was really clean on both sides of the ball,” Heupel said.
“And then like you would expect in your first scrimmage in the first year, there were mistakes on both sides of the ball. But I think it’s a great learning opportunity. That was practice six, [Monday] was seven and when we come out on practice eight, it’s going to be critical that we make a big jump.”
Coaches emphasized special-teams drills Monday, but Heupel said he’ll get a better chance to evaluate where progress was made from last week’s scrimmage when players practice in full pads on Wednesday. UCF will scrimmage again next week.
Although the slate was wiped clean for players under a new coaching staff, Heupel said he is starting to notice some separation in certain position groups, but no one has a guaranteed role yet.
“You’re only as good as your next day as a competitor and that’s what we continue to talk about,” Heupel said. “I heard someone ask about a letdown from the 2017 season. Great 2017, but whether you win a Super Bowl, national championship, state championship in high school — whatever happened the previous year, none of those plays carry over with you. And you lose a bunch of good players in those years, so everybody is starting over at Ground Zero and that’s what we’re doing as a program.”
Defensively, the field of competition is a little more wide open as they lost three key playmakers to the line and two standout linebackers, which includes the nation’s rising star and NFL draft prospect Shaquem Griffin.
Outside of identifying new playmakers, defensive lineman Brendon Hayes said his group is continuing to adjust to the subtle changes in alignments, points of emphasis and style of play on its new mixed front.
And then, of course, Hayes said the defense is getting a workout in keeping up with quicker tempo.
“To be honest, I didn’t even think it was possible to go any faster until I saw what coach Heupel got installed,” Hayes said. “It’s crazy to see how good we’re going to be this year.”
Hayes said players are still working on their “buyin” to the new system as Miller echoed earlier Monday afternoon.
The comfort level in knowing plays and schemes are on schedule but it will take more time and experience to solidify the trust — a key component of last year’s success.
“I feel like as a team, knowing schemes and doing your job only gets you so far, but when you buy into a program, buy into what they’re teaching, when you buy into the guy beside you who is going to sell it on every play to make sure you do your job right, I think that’s we have to grow as a team,” Miller said. “We did a good job of that last year, but when you lose guys that trust is different. That’s what we’re working on right now, is trusting each other and getting to where we play as one on the field every time.”