Let the talking commence.
College football games are still more than a month away, but the Big 12 will host its 16 teams for media days July 8-9 at the Dallas Cowboys‘ global headquarters in Frisco, Texas. Both days will be broadcast in their entirety on ESPNU and ESPN+, with portions of the event broadcast live on ESPN2 for the first time.
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With Sam Leavitt back at the controls, Arizona State seeks to defend its Big 12 title. BYU is dealing with the fallout of quarterback Jake Retzlaff’s impending transfer following a violation of the school’s honor code. Colorado needs to replace two of the sport’s best players, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
UCF faces plenty of questions, as well. Scott Frost, hired in December to replace Gus Malzahn as the Knights’ coach, makes his Big 12 media day debut. He will be joined in Frisco by running back Myles Montgomery, offensive tackle Paul Rubelt, defensive end Nyjalik Kelly and linebacker Keli Lawson.
Here are five potential UCF talking points when they take the stage in the Lone Star State.
Will Scott Frost provide any clues on UCF’s starting QB?
Nov 29, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights quarterback Jacurri Brown (11) is tackled by Utah Utes cornerback Smith Snowden (2) during the second half at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
UCF left its quarterbacks home for the festivities, but Frost will surely field a series of questions about the position group.
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The Knights rotated through four starting signal-callers in Gus Malzahn’s final campaign. Only one — Jacurri Brown — is still with the team entering 2025. Brown made positive strides in spring camp, and is a player Frost once tried to recruit to Nebraska.
Tayven Jackson is expected to top the depth chart after arriving in January from Indiana, where he threw for 349 yards, rushed for 73 yards and accounted for seven touchdowns as the Hoosiers qualified for the College Football Playoff. The 6-foot-4, 212-pound dual-threat has completed 61.2% of his career attempts.
Cam Fancher and Davi Belfort, added from Virginia Tech via the portal in April, round out the quartet.
Are UCF’s freshman wide receivers expected to play right away?
ORLANDO, FL – NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Scott Frost of the UCF Knights walks off the field at halftime against the South Florida Bulls at Spectrum Stadium on November 24, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
Wide receiver remains a major question mark entering the fall, considering there is not a single player in the room that caught a pass for the Knights during the entire 2024 season. DJ Black (Limestone), Marcus Burke (Florida), Duane Thomas Jr. (Charlotte), DayDay Farmer (West Virginia) and Chris Domercant (Chattanooga) were among the playmakers added to the fold from the transfer portal.
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However, Farmer is out for the season with a knee injury suffered in April, Burke missed a significant chunk of spring camp and Domercant only arrived in May. Thomas should be the starter in the slot, and Black is expected to man one spot on the outside.
So, could Frost — and wide receivers coach Sean Beckton — put trust in a pair of early enrollees? Waden Charles and Carl Jenkins Jr. flashed big potential throughout the spring and consistently repped with the first- and second-team units.
Back in 2016, Frost’s debut season in his first tenure as head coach, then-freshman Dredrick Snelson appeared in 10 games and finished as the Knights’ seventh-leading receiver (17 catches, 136 yards, two TDs). McKenzie Milton, Jawon Hamilton and Adrian Killins also played major roles right away at the skill spots, so it’s reasonable to expect Frost will be comfortable rolling with his guys, regardless of age or experience.
How have UCF’s injured defenders progressed this summer?
UCF defensive end Malachi Lawrence (51) tackles ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) as he scrambles during a game at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Nov. 9, 2024.
Three potential defensive starters wore non-contact jerseys for the duration of the spring — edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, interior lineman John Walker and nickelback Braeden Marshall.
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Walker missed all of last season after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus. He earned a spot on On3 Sports’ True Freshman All-American Team in 2023, collecting 24 tackles, five tackles for loss and two QB hurries. He will be counted upon to play the bulk of the 1,500-plus outgoing snaps logged by Ricky Barber, Lee Hunter and Matthew Alexander.
Lawrence suited up for 11 games, missing the regular-season finale with Utah, and he produced five sacks — second on the team, behind Kelly. Marshall was unavailable for the Knights’ last three contests, but he tallied 17 solo tackles and an interception.
The hope for UCF is that all three will be cleared for full participation when the team takes the practice field at the end of the month.
Will UCF embrace underdog role like Arizona State did in 2024?
Aug 29, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights running back Myles Montgomery (22) celebrates with fans after scoring touchdown during the second half against the New Hampshire Wildcats at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
One significant change ahead of Big 12 media days this year is the lack of a preseason poll. Voters could not have been more wrong about last year’s projected order of finish.
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Four of the Big 12’s preseason top five failed to achieve bowl eligibility. Utah garnered 20 first-place votes and won five games; Oklahoma State, which reached the conference championship game in 2023, ended the year on a nine-game losing streak.
Meanwhile, Arizona State was picked to finish dead last among the league’s 16 teams after consecutive 3-9 campaigns in the Pac-12. Instead, the Sun Devils reeled off 11 wins, stomped Iowa State for the Big 12 title and took Texas to overtime in the Peach Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
Given that UCF has gone 5-13 in league play across its first two Big 12 seasons, and major uncertainties about the coaching staff and roster, it’s fair to assume the Knights would have been at or near the bottom in such a poll ahead of 2025.
Not that the Knights needed visible, tangible proof that little will be expected of them, but they surely would have used it as motivational fuel. UCF has the longest odds, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, to win the conference (+6000), while CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah wrote this week that a 6-6 record would be best-case scenario — and that 2-10 is the worst-case scenario.
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What will Lee Hunter say about leaving UCF for Texas Tech?
Lee Hunter wraps up Quinten Joyner for a tackle during the Texas Tech football team’s spring game, Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Outside of its own contingent, Hunter is the most interesting confirmed guest for Big 12 media days with regards to UCF.
Hunter, an All-Big 12 second-team selection for the Knights in 2024, transferred to Texas Tech during the winter. The Red Raiders spent a front-loaded fortune in the portal to load up and go for their first Big 12 football championship in program history.
The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Hunter accumulated 131 tackles in three seasons for the Knights. He added 21½ tackles for loss and five sacks, suiting up for 38 games after joining from Auburn.
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Assuming he does not sustain an injury this fall, Hunter will lineup against UCF in Lubbock on Nov. 15.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football: 5 questions ahead of Big 12 media days
