New-look Knights
Spring football was a quick turnaround for new UCF coach Gus Malzahn (left). We explore 3 questions facing the Knights as the team enters the off season.
UCF wraps up its four-week spring football camp Saturday when the Knights host their annual spring game at the Bounce House at noon.
It’s been a quick turnaround for new coach Gus Malzahn, who arrived mid-February, with much of the time used to get players acclimated to the new coaching staff and different philosophies.
With that in mind, here are three pressing questions facing the Knights heading into Saturday’s game:
1. Who backs up Dillon Gabriel at quarterback?
Malzahn made it clear early on that Dillon Gabriel is the team’s starter heading into this season. But perhaps the bigger question facing the Knights revolves around his backup.
Redshirt sophomore Quadry
Jones has been with the program since 2018 but has just five appearances during that time, attempting eight total passes for 15 yards during his career. He took part in 19 snaps last season primarily as Gabriel’s backup, according to ProFootballFocus. com.
“Quadry has been great so far,” new quarterbacks coach G.J. Kinne said. “He’s a veteran guy in the room and he’s taken those other guys under his wing and his teammates respect him. He’s got the great athletic ability — he can throw on the run, he can tuck it down and run.”
Redshirt freshman Parker Navarro arrived as a mid-year enrollee who took less than a handful of snaps last season. True freshman Mikey Keene joined the program as an early enrollee in January following a successful high school career at Chandler
said he has seen progress, but from a snap-to-snap viewpoint, he’d like to see much more consistency. He said the standard at FSU needs to be much higher.
2. Defensive backs: The defensive backfield was a definite weak spot last season. Of the 127 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, the Seminoles ranked No. 98 nationally, giving up 257 yards per game. They’ll need to find replacements for cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. and safety Hamsah Nasirildeen, both of whom declared early as juniors for the NFL draft. Injuries to versatile Akeem Dent and cornerback Renardo Green have slowed their progress. Cornerback
Brandon Moore, a transfer from UCF, and injured cornerback Meiko Dotson could also become key factors in the DB equation. Cornerbacks Jarrian Jones and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. along with safety Travis Jay likely will play big roles.
3. Quarterbacks: Redshirt sophomore Travis Jordan comes in as the front-runner for the job after starting six games a year ago, and redshirt freshman Tate Rodemaker has had a good camp. The big mystery, however, remains with the progress of UCF transfer McKenzie Milton, who is looking to make a big splash in his final year of eligibility. It’s hard to say how many reps Milton will get Saturday, but he’ll likely get his share. His progress learning the FSU offense will be a big factor in his playing time.