Is career at turning point for Francois?
South Florida native hopeful for bigger role in Knights secondary
Jaiden Francois picked off quarterback Mikey Keene in the second quarter of UCF’s spring game last weekend and returned the interception for 80 yards.
The South Florida native likely would have scored had it not been for a hamstring injury that limited his ability to run, Knights coach Gus Malzahn said. Francois, unsparingly, agreed. “It definitely would have been a pick-6 for sure,” Francois said after the intrasquad scrimmage that wrapped up spring camp.
Regardless of the outcome, the interception could mark a turning point for the redshirt sophomore who has had to overcome adversity.
Coming out of South Dade High School during the 2020 recruiting cycle, Francois was viewed as a 4-star prospect and a top-50 athlete in the state of Florida, according to 247Sports.
With plenty of Power Five interest, Francois was persuaded by former UCF coach Scott Frost to make the trek to Nebraska. After a spring semester in the Midwest, Francois decided he wanted to return to the Sunshine State.
He entered the NCAA transfer portal and picked the Knights.
Joining UCF for the 2020 season, Francois wasn’t able to see the field. Instead, he sat out of the season after transferring and worked with the scout team.
Former UCF coach Josh Heupel later revealed that Nebraska had not yet released Francois from his National Letter of Intent. It was an issue that the Knights dealt with all
season long.
Eventually, Francois was cleared for 2021 and he appeared in four games, mainly on special teams last season playing under Malzahn and the new coaching staff.
Francois praised cornerbacks coach Addison Williams and secondary coach David Gibbs for helping him this spring.
“I felt like I developed the playbook better, like getting the calls and lining up quicker,” Francois said. “Coach [Addison] and coach Gibbs prepared me and put me in a position to make plays so I give a lot of credit to them.”
The young defensive back is hoping to build off of his spring game performance and see the field more this fall.
“I’m trying to help the defense as much as possible,” Francois said. “[I’m] just trying to be a team player and make plays.”
Part of being a team player in the secondary is making sure the position group is all on the same page prior to the snap by being more vocal. It’s something UCF defensive coordinator Travis Williams stressed during spring camp.
“Communication is key,” Francois said. “As long as we communicate we’re going to get the job done.”