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UCF OC and QB coach Chip Lindsey talks about the first four days of spring practice, goes in-depth about the QB competition and more.

-Today was the fourth day of practice. Chip says today was "pretty good" in terms of energy, attitude and body language but "not their best day." They need to be better on Thursday. "Any time you challenge this group, I think they rise to the challenge."

-Today they worked on third down for the first time, which comes with new intricacies in terms of different looks, understanding protections, down and distance, etc. Still thought it was a "solid day."

-Lindsey he's pleased overall with the offense, but said again they need to bring more energy on Thursday.

-I asked if Mikey Keene and John Rhys Plumlee had separated themselves to be considered the top two QBs.

"Probably a little early to say that," Lindsey said. "We still rotate Thomas and Parker in there some. Joey some too. Joey is a talented guy who can do different things. We hope to narrow that thing down the further we go through spring ball. One day two guys will get a heavy dose of certain groups and the next day the other day... We want to get that thing narrowed down by the end of spring."

-On freshman QB Thomas Castellanos:

"For a guy that's supposed to be in high school, he's very impressive. He's got a live arm. You see that right out of the gate. He's very athletic for sure... I'm not sure if he's 17 or 18, but think about a high school senior coming in and understanding verbiage. I'll say this. He's studied his butt off. I've been impressed with the way he's transitioning. But there's still some details. You throw a third down in there like today and the defense gives you some exotic looks. You've got to get the protection right and all that. That's part of his growth. Really been impressed through. You can tell he was well coached in high school. Comes from a really good program. So far he's been very impressive. Each and every day it seems he makes a wow play. I think the future is really bright for him."

-On Joey Gatewood moving to WR:

"It's something I think Joey is excited about. He's big and athletic. Obviously from playing quarterback he's got a great feel of what we're doing in the passing game. Joey, over times in his career, I know in high school he split out and did some things. When I've been with him before he's done it some. We'll see how it goes. Definitely a talented guy that I think can do a lot of things for us."

-On John Rhys Plumlee transitioning back to QB after playing WR the past two seasons:

"I think it was 18 months I guess since he played quarterback. The little things with the drops mirroring up with the right route and so forth. But I've been really impressed with him. After I would say practice four today, you couldn't look out there and say he doesn't look like he's been playing quarterback. I think he's getting more and more comfortable."

-On Mikey Keene's development:

"It's funny. I just met him. You can look on film and see golly, he looks a little bigger, a little stronger. The ball comes out of his hand a little better. Mikey is very solid. Very smart. You can tell he's played. He's got that presence. He understands what we're trying to do. Not a lot is going to fool him. I think you can see a difference physically in him. He's very intelligent. I think that's why he had success last year."

-On the WR competition:

"That group is really talented. Obviously Coach (Grant) Heard coming in, he's doing a great job developing those guys. You can see that with the way they approach practice and work after. Obviously we've got guys coming back like (Ryan) O'Keefe, Flash (Jaylon Robinson). Very impressive. You can tell those are veteran guys that have played in a lot of snaps. JG (Jaylon Griffin) has done a really nice job there. He's gotten a lot better from last year. Obviously bringing in Kobe Hudson. You see Amari (Johnson) making some plays here and there. We need that next group of guys to really take the next step to have enough depth for where we need to be."

-On the TE competition:

"Alec (Holler) is impressive. He's a guy very similar to Mikey. Just really smart, intelligent. You can tell he's played a lot. He understands the details of the position. He's physical when blocking. Obviously shows good hands as well. Impressed with him. Kemore Gamble is as talented as anybody in the country. Big 250-pound guy that can run. He's still learning the terminology and the little things. Really been impressed with him. I think Jordan Davis has made a lot of progress. That whole group as a unit, I see those guys continuing to improve. Out of those guys, we've got to figure out who can do what and put them in those positions. It's really been a bright spot."

-Asked about reuniting with Gus Malzahn, Chip said he can really tell Gus is "having a good time" and you can see his enthusiasm. "It's going to be a lot of fun again."

-On the RB depth:

"If you look at it, obviously (Isaiah) Bowser is a guy and getting R.J. (Harvey) back from the injury last year. Johnny (Richardson) is a really talented guy. You've got Mark-Antony (Richards) and the young guys. We've got some bodies that are very impressive. We're gonna need them as the season plays out. Guys get banged up here and there. I think we're in a good spot right now. That's going to help us as we get through the grind of the season."

He said again R.J. Harvey is not cleared for contact, but he's doing everything else. They hope he's 100 percent by the fall.

-On what he wants to see in Saturday's scrimmage:

"I want to see guys play in a live situation. I don't know if we'll go live on the quarterbacks. Coach will decide that. You're not going three and four-play sets where you've got time. We're rolling. Who can get the signal? Who can get us lined up? Not have penalties, false starts. Getting communication down. Training them to be in the operation like a game. I think that's what you see. In practice, it's more of a controlled situation where you can control a lot of things. They've got to quickly process (during a scrimmage). It's a little different in those situations."

-On whether WR Jaylon Griffin stepping up:

"I think so. I wasn't here last year, but I've been impressed with him. We need him to be that and step up. Kind of challenged him in the offseason to take that next step. A lot of that is believing in himself and having the confidence. You can tell his confidence is growing. Been really pleased with him and need him to continue to improve."

Walker gives an overall recruiting update and shares that he may make UCF his last unofficial visit before he starts taking his officials.

Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day linebacker Troy Ford Jr. visited UCF for a game last season and returned recently to attend Hometown Hero, UCF's mega junior day event.

"It was a great experience," Ford said. "The coaches treated me really good. I told Coach T-Will (Travis Williams), I know I've put South Carolina at the top of my list, but I'm changing that. UCF is my No. 1 school right now. They're showing me a lot of love. I feel I can really fit in down here."

What stands out about UCF?

"The fans," Ford said. "Every time I post something on Twitter they go crazy. The coaches. I feel I've bonded with all the coaches, especially Coach T-Will. Coach (William) Lee, I talk to him a lot. Orlando itself. The city is crazy. I know there's a lot of opportunities for me."

UCF is recruiting Ford as a middle linebacker. Other offers include Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati, Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Most of those offers are for linebacker, though Iowa State likes him as an edge rusher.

"Coaches always talk about my explosiveness," Ford said. "When they watch my film, they say my first two steps are very violent which helps me get separation."

What areas of his game can improve?

"I would say my reads," Ford said. "I was playing defensive end a lot with my high school team, so I need to work on reads and pass coverage more. That's why I'm doing more 7-on-7."

At Hometown Hero, Ford naturally spent the most time with T-Will.

"He's really funny," Ford said of Williams. "He's straight up with you too. I talked to his wife and kids a couple times too. I like the whole family."

Ford watched UCF's win against Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl.

"My dad is actually a Florida fan," Ford said. "That's a big step for UCF. They can beat SEC schools. They keep moving up and will be able to beat anybody."

Ford also visited South Carolina and Arkansas during January. His next trips probably won't be until spring practice. He plans to return to UCF and also visit Mississippi State.

"I first thought I wanted to commit by the end of the school year, but then I don't want to commit and still take another official visit so I think I'm going to commit after I take a couple officials," Ford said. "So either summer or maybe even early in my (senior) football season.

"The main for me is wherever I feel at home. I want to get my degree first, so I can see UCF definitely cares about that. The coaching staff, I already know the coaching staff (at UCF) and they're great people."

As for putting UCF on top, how did T-Will react to that news?

"He was like, 'That's great!,'" Ford said. "He said he's trying to get me now. He wants me down here as many times as possible. Wants me to come to a spring practice so I can see how he coaches. No other school has treated me like UCF has so far."

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Scary good. This wasnt a team of destiny this year like some of our MBB NCAA teams. Lot of points back. Brittney Smith should be a lot better.

Could potentially start the season RV if not ranked.

We just wrapped up our 20 minutes of weekly access and there is a new weapon at WR.



Joey Gatewood has changed positions. Top two QBs are definitely MK and JRP. More later.

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UCF has plenty of experience returning in the secondary, including Justin Hodges who emerged at the nickelback position this past season.

"If we all just do our job and listen to Coach T-Will, the sky is the limit."

He really liked the the way the third team performed today, particularly Philjae Bien-Aime.

Asked about freshman CB Nikai Martinez, Hodges said he was "twitchy."

He also added Mikey Keene and John Rhys Plumlee are doing well.

Team “MK”.

I’ve watched him during his freshman season play QB and throw a football last season. I’ve seen him cast a fishing lure in a local lake. He helped UCF beat the 🐊.

From what I can see, he has everything in the tool box to be a leader on and off the field.

Not sure if he can catch a fish though.*

Excited to see him develop over the coming days, months, and 2022.

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SIAP:

Any guesses?

Arch Manning?

I became a UCF fan in 2005 as an undergrad. What was the Kruczek era like? Gene McDowell? What type of offense did we run?

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Isaiah Bowser is feeling better than ever.

Returning for a fifth year and his second in Orlando, the UCF running back is back to 100 percent after a season plagued by injury. Now in the midst of spring practice, he's looking forward to his final collegiate season.

Bowser caught up with the media on Saturday following UCF's third practice and first day of full pads:

Coach Gus Malzahn was wearing Bowser's t-shirt just a few minutes earlier.

"It's awesome he wore that," Bowser said. "It shows the kind of coach we have. Players coach. He's here to support us and make sure we're great all the time. I love to play for a guy like that. NIL gives us the opportunity to build our brand. It's definitely great we can do things like that nowadays."

How was the first day of pads?

"It was good getting the pads back on. We haven't played in a long time. I think everybody did a good job today. More than I had expected for us to be moving so well so early. We've had a good start to spring ball."

He was hobbled a bit last season with injuries that forced him to miss five games. How is he feeling now?

"That's all in the past," Bowser said. "I feel 100 percent. I'm ready to compete and keep getting better and better every day."

What's his early take on the quarterback competition?

"Right now, there's no clear cut anything right now. All those guys are competing. We're splitting the reps. Everybody is going with the ones. You know how it is. Ones, twos or threes aren't so important right now. We're just getting in the flow of things. I've been impressed with all those guys."



Gus Malzahn had mentioned earlier they were treating Bowser "like an NFL guy" in terms of managing his body.

"Me coming back, that's one thing he mentioned, to treat me more like an NFL guy in terms of my body," Bowser said. "He got me into yoga. Now I go a couple times a week. That really helps me feel lose and ready to go for each practice."

I asked more about the yoga sessions, whether a lot of guys participate.

"It's whoever wants to come on the team," Bowser said. "We've had a handful of guys. Probably 10-plus every time. A lot of older guys go mainly. A few younger guys. Old guys like me and Ryan Swoboda. We're trying to get our body in tune and ready to go. It's right over here in our facility. Coach hired an instructor to come and teach us yoga for about an hour."

What are the benefits?

"Stretching is the main thing," Bowser said. "It helps with mind and body. It connects you to your body. Your breathing. It's really beneficial to me."

Earlier, Gus seemed giddy when talking about the running back depth and said they could feature two-RB sets this year.

"Our running back room has a lot of explosive guys," Bowser said. "Guys that can really make plays. I think getting two of us on the field is going to be really dangerous."

How are the new offensive line transfers doing?

"Those guys, they got into it quick coming into a new offense," Bowser said. "You can tell they're veteran guys who have played a lot of football. They adapted quick, knowing the plays. They've been great. I've been really impressed with how they've performed so well."

And what is he getting from the defense, particularly on the first day of pads?

"Defense brought physicality," Bowser said. "Those guys were coming downhill, but we were hitting them too. There were a lot of big collisions today. You can tell guys are hungry and trying to earn their spot."

I asked who had the "play of the day" on offense.

"I think one was Trillion Coles," Bowser said. "He made a move with a spin. That was pretty sweet."

I asked about the new tight end transfer Kemore Gamble, who was a former starter at Florida.

"Another play I could have mentioned - he made a diving catch today," Bowser said. "He's come in and been a leader right away. He's played a ton of ball in college, just like I have. He's fitting in well. I think he's a great addition to our offense."

And what about wide receiver Kobe Hudson, who was Auburn's No. 1 target last year?

"Kobe has stepped up performing well," Bowser said. "Making good catches one on one, elusive with the ball too. I'm excited to see how he can take his game to the next level this season."

How good can this offense be?

"We have a chance to be really good," Bowser said. "We plugged the holes. We're just getting things together right now. Seeing the potential out there is really encouraging. I think we have a chance to be really good."

Eastern Illinois LB Jason Johnson was an FCS All-American.


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D3 last year, but still. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

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Justice prevails and Trump gets a check, lol.

Class of 2023 QB 6'6" Nick Iamaleava commits to Tennessee. 247 rates him as #3 overall player in 2023 recruiting class.

How did Heup pull this off?

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UCF returns only one linebacker with significant experience (Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste), but defensive coordinator Travis Williams isn't worried.

"They will be ready. I promise you by the time we play the first game, we will be fine," Williams said.

Here's a recap of T-Will's first media availability of spring practice, following UCF's second workout:

T-Will said the focus of spring is teaching effort, getting to the ball, working on leverage in regards to tackling and also communication.

"From the naked eye, I thought it was a solid day."

Asked about early standouts, T-Will name-dropped DE Josh Celiscar. "Just his effort and getting to the ball." Then also mentioned DT Ricky Barber and LB Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste. He added they'll know a lot more on Saturday when they put the pads on.

He said the first day of spring this year vs. last year is obviously "totally different." He thought a few guys "stepped up their level" in the second level.

I asked about leadership on the defensive side. "We've got Anthony Montalvo, Ricky Barber, Josh Celiscar, Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, Davonte Brown, Newt (Divaad Wilson). You have a nucleus of guys trying to take the bull by the horn and lead the right way."

T-Will added there's a difference between influence and leadership. Guys with "influence" don't always take you down the right path.

On Ricky Barber, T-Will wants to see him continue to develop under DT coach Kenny Martin. "Ricky was banged up a lot last year. I don't think we've seen close to what Ricky can be. I'm excited to see a healthy Ricky Barber this year."

Asked whether UCF's defense will be "scary good," quoting Davonte Brown, T-Will said he hopes he's right. "I think what he's saying is everybody is understanding what they're doing. Also the standard being the standard. That starts with coaches and also players. I'm glad he said that. I hope he's right."

Asked about transfers, T-Will said DB Koby Perry is showing tremendous effort. "He walks in the room and he's gonna be the one who's talking. He's the loudest guy in the room. Very confident, which is awesome."

Then he mentioned DT Lee Hunter and DB Nikai Martinez. "For us, it's getting the guys in the right seat. Very encouraged by the guys we brought in."

He wants players to "get to the ball with bad intentions."

I asked about the lack of depth at linebacker. Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste is the only returning player with significant game experience.

"It's critical. A lot of the guys have to grow up and be ready to play. I thought the first two days were really good. If you go back to last year when we first got here, what was the worst position everybody was saying? They said linebacker. I heard it. I read it. I get it. That's why they call me coach. I've got to get them ready. They will be ready. I promise you by the time we play the first game, we will be fine. I'm not worried about it. We've got the right guys in the room. We've just got to get them ready. It's a development sport."

Jason Beede asked whether they would continue to look in the transfer portal for linebackers (UCF just offered an FCS LB earlier this week).

"I don't know. My job is to develop. We'll see. We go to the portal to get the best players for a need. We'll see."

I asked whether guys like Quade Mosier, Cole Joyce or Kadeem Leonard are ready to take the next step.

"All three of those guys are doing great. Terrence Lewis is doing great. He's still hobbling with the injury he's rehabbing. We're watching the things he does as far as the contact part of it. He's getting reps. We have enough guys. We just have to get them enough reps even if we're rotating guys. We'll see."

I asked him to expand on Terrence Lewis, who is the former five-star recruit who transferred in after redshirting at Maryland last year. He confirmed he would be limited for the entirety of spring.

"You can see he can really change direction. He's very explosive. He's a student of the game. He's always in the office trying to learn the playbook and different things like that. When he's not out there, he has a play script and he's going over each play. Just trying to be a pro when he's on the sideline. I liked his preparation and his progress on and off the field. We've got to continue to bring him along and we'll be fine."

The reason he was holding up some hand sanitizer is because of the green color as it is St. Patrick's Day.

Believe It!

Yes it was a great Saturday for our UCF Women’s Basketball and Women’s Softball Teams.


Both Teams are playing at elite levels right now.


After watching on ESPN+ our Women’s Softball Team beat Furman 8-0 in the first game of our Doubleheader today, I watched our UCF Women’s Basketball Team dominate the gators in the NCAA Tournament 69-52. That was all very sweeeeeeeeeet.


As soon as the UCF Basketball game was over I went out to the UCF Softball game for the second game of our Doubleheader with Furman.
We ended up winning the second game 8-4.


After the game I took lots of pictures and interviewed our UCF Women’s Softball Assistant Coach Whitney Jones.



In the next few posts I will publish several great pictures and stories.


Good stuff for sure Ladies and Gentlemen!!!!…

Nm

Best to ever do it Go Knights

UCF still has a long way to go to match the "wow" factor when it comes to facilities.

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They should do everything in their power to hire Frank Martin. Former high school coach in Miami with ties in the state and was very successful in the Big 12 at K State. Would be an absolute home run.

For the facilities excuse crowd. You know, the guys who beat Kentucky. Looks like a middle school place.*