This any of you FIWs? I tend to think no one from the dungeon could have takes as awful as this guy (most of the time).

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12 years later, it's come full circle.

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After a hectic month recruiting quarterbacks in the transfer portal, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn couldn't be any happier with the end result.

KJ Jefferson, the standout quarterback at Arkansas, announced his commitment for the Knights on New Year's Day and started classes last week.

The 6-foot-3, 247-pounder brings a wealth of high-level experience and provides a clear replacement for John Rhys Plumlee. Combined with other returnees such as running back RJ Harvey and wide receiver Kobe Hudson, Jefferson's addition gives UCF the potential to be among the Big 12's best offenses in 2024.

"We were looking for a transfer quarterback at the end of the season, a veteran guy," Malzahn said. "When (Jefferson) went to the portal, he's the guy we had circled.

"Obviously, I have some history with him, recruited him out of high school, know a lot about him. Actually coached against him. Me being from Arkansas, my parents are still there and friends and all that. I know a lot about him.

"For us and our offense, we really think he's the perfect fit. Not just as a player, but as a person. He's used to winning. He's really the perfect guy for us."

As for portal quarterbacks, UCF was previously linked to Tyler Shough (Texas Tech to Louisville), Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina to NC State) and Dequan Finn (Toledo to Baylor) during the first couple weeks of December. Jefferson was a later portal entry, entering on Dec. 18. The waiting was more than worth it.

"We hit a home run," Malzahn said. "We were going to go after a veteran guy and I made that crystal clear early on. There were rumors that he was going to go on the portal and all that. It just worked out. When he went in, I mean, we full court pressed him... We're very excited."



Jefferson brings significant experience to Orlando. The Sardis, Miss., native spent five years at Arkansas with 39 career starts and has been the Razorback's full-time starter for the past three seasons.

"He knows how to win," Malzahn said. "Where it really stood out to me is in big games with the game on the line. He made play after play after play to help them win. And just like I said, me being from Arkansas and everything that goes with it, I knew a lot about him, watched him play a whole lot of football. Know a lot of people that know him.

"So we got the perfect guy for our offense, really, and for our program at this time. Coming in with the guys we have offensively, there's a lot of excitement around our building right now."

In his career, Jefferson has passed for 7,911 yards, 67 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He's also a rushing threat with 1,876 career yards on the ground with 21 touchdowns. He averaged more than 50 rushing yards per game in 2021 and 2022.

"He's a NFL quarterback," Malzahn said. "He's got all the physical tools. I mean, he's a big time runner. There's no doubt about that. He throws a deep ball as good as anybody in the country. And really what stands out to me is that he can extend plays. He's strong in the pocket. He escapes, and once he escapes, he has his eyes down the field. He can make plays when things break down.

"In college football, when you start playing the top teams, a quarterback's got to make plays. You've got your system and all that, but he has shown time and time again against some of the best defenses in the country, all of college football, that he's played extremely well in those moments."

Jefferson has a build and skill set that has often been compared to one of Malzahn's former quarterbacks, Cam Newton.

"That's why he's the perfect fit for us," Malzahn said. "When we've had quarterbacks with similar skill sets, that's when we won championships. Like I said, he's the perfect fit for us."

Jefferson coming to UCF also ended up being a big recruiting tool.

"You get a guy like KJ, he's recognized around the country," Malzahn said. "Great players want to play with great players. So even on the defensive side, it's helping us recruit. We're putting together a really good portal class right now."

Responding to a question about quick evaluation of transfer prospects, Malzahn said he wants players that his wife could turn on the film and say, 'Yep, he can play.' KJ Jefferson had a multitude of wow moments on film.

"There were about 10 of them, I think," Malzahn said. "Kristi, she approved. There's a couple plays that stood out. (They were playing Western Carolina), a guy hits him right in the grill, didn't even bother him and he flicked it out there. Then I think they were playing Alabama, the corner comes free and was hanging on him, he just flipped him off and he threw it down the field and all that. I don't know, there's about 10 of (those plays)."

Join Eric Lopez and Trace Trylko as they debate some of the current topics surrounding UCF Athletics.

In this episode, the guys start with some chatter about the latest in UCF football, including a discussion of whether KR Jefferson is the best QB in the State of Florida, and changes taking place across the college football landscape.

Next, they review the past 7 days in UCF hoops, which saw a huge upset win, and a disappointing defeat.

Plus: Do we anticipate the UF game, is Linda Gooch the greatest, and the Trylko Lazy River?!?!?

Click here to watch.

8 p.m.

UCF at Texas (LHN/ESPN+)
West Virginia at No. 15 Oklahoma (ESPN+)

9 p.m.

No. 25 Texas Tech at No. 5 Houston (ESPNU)

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TCU Women's hoops doesn't have enough healthy players to field a team, so they have to forfeit their next two games.

?*

Jackson might get an offer from UCF tonight. Coach Malzahn just stopped by his school.

I first did this in early December at the onset of the NCAA Transfer Portal window. I thought it would be a good idea to revisit as there have been some additions and subtractions since then.

**Portal addition
*HS signee

QB (6)

KJ Jefferson (Arkansas)**
Timmy McClain
Xavier Williams
Dylan Rizk
Riley Trujillo*
EJ Colson*

UCF got their portal QB in KJ Jefferson. The question is whether UCF continues to carry six scholarship QBs heading into next season. That seems doubtful. Colson wasn't expected to be in the 2024 class but reclassified, which makes the room even more crowded.

RB (6)

RJ Harvey
Johnny Richardson
Demarkcus Bowman
Myles Montgomery (Cincinnati)**
Stacy Gage*
Frankie Arthur*

Myles Montgomery seemed to have taken Mark-Antony Richards' spot. Does this list remain unchanged before the season?

WR (10)

Javon Baker
Kobe Hudson
Xavier Townsend
Trent Whittemore
Chauncey Magwood
Jarrad Baker
Tyree Patterson
Jordyn Bridgewater*
Bredell Richardson*
Kason Stokes*

Javon and Kobe announced their return, though we are still wondering about Javon because there's been rumblings he was still contemplating going to the NFL.

UCF has offered several portal WRs lately, including Ja'Varrius Johnson (Auburn) and Bryson Rodgers (Ohio State). It sounds like Rodgers could commit soon.

Chauncey Magwood opted out this past season to preserve a redshirt, but I did hear he was planning to return. I haven't heard if Jarrad Baker was in or out - he could have a medical redshirt if he wanted it.

TE (4)

Randy Pittman Jr.
Evan Morris (Michigan State)**
Grant Stevens
Kylan Fox*

I left Jordan Davis off this list because he's been medically unavailable since suffered a devastating knee injury at FAU in early 2022. Is there a need for another TE? UCF is bringing in TE transfer Reece Adkins, who is a PWO walk-on from Eastern Kentucky.

OL (13)

Amari Kight
Marcellus Marshall
Adrian Medley
Jabari Brooks (Samford)**
Wes Dorsey (Western Kentucky)**
Caden Kitler
Paul Rubelt
Cameron Kinnie
Johnathan Cline
Keyon Cox
Patrick Barnett
Chase Malamala*
Waltclaire Flynn*

Jabari Brooks is a center. Wes Dorsey played RT. I would think Kight, Marshall and Medley are set as starters, then Brooks/Kitler will emerge at center. UCF is still recruiting portal OL. I think UF guard Richie Leonard would be a target. There are several other names that have also linked as UCF targets.

DT (7)

Ricky Barber
Lee Hunter
John Walker
Matthew Alexander
Derrick LeBlanc
Andrew Rumph
Marcus Downs*

We haven't seen any known portal offers to DTs this cycle, so it would appear UCF is content with the current depth.

DE (5)

Malachi Lawrence
Daylan Dotson (UT Martin)**
Jamaal Johnson
Isaiah Nixon
Kaven Call

This still looks fairly light in terms of depth. Barely enough to field a two-deep. I would anticipate UCF looks to the portal for further additions.

LB (8)

Jesiah Pierre (Texas Tech)**
Rian Davis
Andrew Harris
Kam Moore
TJ Bullard
Troy Ford Jr.
Qua Birdsong*
DJ McCormick*

The biggest portal need. Need to recruit multiple starter-level players. Jesiah Pierre is the first portal addition.

UCF had high hopes for UGA transfer Rian Davis which did not materialize. Is he coming back? Does Andrew Harris and/or Kam Moore have the potential to be a Big 12 starter?

S (8)

Bryon Threats (Cincinnati)**
Deshawn Pace (Cincinnati)**
Demari Henderson
Nikai Martinez
Quadric Bullard
William Wells
Jashad Presley*
Jakob Gude*

The commitment graphics for Threats and Pace both listed them as safeties. Quadric Bullard recently announced he is returning. He has been a safety, but played nickel a lot this past season. I'm curious if that's where UCF might see one of the Cincinnati transfers like Pace.

CB (10)

Ja'Cari Henderson
Brandon Adams
Braeden Marshall
Ja'Maric Morris
Jason Duclona
Jarvis Ware
Antione Jackson (ECU)**
Jaylen Heyward*
Christian Peterson*
Chasen Johnson*

Ja'Cari suffered an injury this past season. Is he back for spring? Brandon Adams is the only other experienced player returning at CB. Is Jarvis Ware coming back? He's been injury prone his entire career - he missed the entire 2021 and 2023 seasons.

Specialists (4)

K Colton Boomer
K Grant Reddick
P Mitch McCarthy
LS Gage King

Curious what happens with Colton Boomer this spring. I have to believe he wasn't 100 percent as the season progressed.

Recap

There are 81 players listed among the returners and portal/high school commits, leaving 4 available scholarship spots. And that's assuming everybody on the list is coming back. Still have questions about a few players, if they are indeed returning.

It would seem to be biggest remaining needs would be LB, DE and I think you'd take some DB depth. Corner is a bit questionable since you've lost your best player (Corey Thornton) and haven't made any portal additions yet.

Offensively, I think at least another two OL and another WR (especially if Javon does leave).

Teams are getting killed by coaching changes / retirement under the current Transfer Portal rules.

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Frustrated? Me too.. Here's your chance to voice your thoughts...

He chose Washington over UCF last month.

With Jesiah Pierre and Xe'Ree Alexander, would he still be a take?

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Bucs seem to be improving but it is hard to tell how much as Philly looked like a team that was playing in the Birmingham Bowl or something. Lots of lackluster tackling and half-hearted efforts. That team has quit and will probably replace their coach.

Episode 249 of the Sons of UCF podcast features an interview with former UCF Knights LB Jason Johnson (2022-23).

Jason talks about his decision to come to UCF, and the adjustments he had to make once he got on campus.

Jason turned out to be a consistent player, leading the Knights in tackles in back to back season.

Jason also talks about some of his favorite teammates, why he was made heading into the Oklahoma State game, why he keeps twitter receipts, and his plans for Valentine's Day.

Click here to watch.

Episode 249 of the Sons of UCF podcast features an interview with former UCF Knights LB Jason Johnson (2022-23).

Jason talks about his decision to come to UCF, and the adjustments he had to make once he got on campus.

Jason turned out to be a consistent player, leading the Knights in tackles in back to back season.

Jason also talks about some of his favorite teammates, why he was made heading into the Oklahoma State game, why he keeps twitter receipts, and his plans for Valentine's Day.

Click here to watch.

7 p.m.

No. 19 TCU at Cincinnati - ESPN+

8 p.m.

No. 9 Baylor at Kansas State - ESPN+

9 p.m.

No. 3 Kansas at Oklahoma State - ESPN
No. 24 Iowa State at No. 20 BYU - ESPN+

Ok Ladies and Gentlemen I have several controversial photos to post. They will be posted in multiple posts so please be patient.

I‘m doing this prior to getting ready to attend the UCF Coach Dawkins Radio Show from Mellow Mushroom, 11680 East Colonial Drive, Orlando.
The show starts at 6:00 pm.

I was going to post some of these photos earlier but the older I get the less I put time limits on my to do list…😎😎😎…

Poor Billy ...

8. UCF AT FLORIDA

It's a pick-your-poison schedule for Billy Napier and the Gators next season with non-conference showdowns against UCF, Miami and Florida State. That's simply brutal for a program coming off a five-win campaign. And guess what? UCF's new quarterback, KJ Jefferson, won the last time he came to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, doing so during the 2023 season with Arkansas. The list of elite-level signal callers the Gators will face next season is lengthy and this one's not even from the SEC. Florida is the only program in college football that will play 11 Power Four conference opponents next season.


No. 3, lsWho at USC West

No. 2, uat at Winsconsin (Revenge game for Fickle)

No. 1, Texas at Michigan

HONORABLE MENTION: the u at the cows, Sept. 21, 2024.


Lebron has had this date circled since 2011. Former UCF assistant and Heupel disciple Golesh is gonna HEAT up the u defense.

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Kodi Burns has been let go by the Saints.
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UCF Football: Gus Malzahn Press Conference on QB KJ Jefferson​

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With the Class of 2024 putting pen to paper last month, the attention now shifts to the rising Class of 2025.

UCF hosted several top juniors for unofficial visits on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including Plant City (Fla.) defensive end Donta Jenkins.

"This was my first time visiting UCF," Jenkins said. "They showed me around, showed me the weight room, all the meeting rooms. We did a photo shoot. We saw the stadium and they talked about who they're going to be playing this upcoming season. They told us about the Bounce House, how it starts to shake and gets real loud. I got to talk to the head coach too. It was a great day."

The highlight was sitting down with Kenny Ingram, who coaches defensive ends.

"Honestly, my favorite part was sitting down with him," Jenkins said. "We weren't just talking about football. He was trying to get to know me and learn about my personal life, stuff like that."

Jenkins was offered by UCF nearly a year ago. Toledo, South Florida, Louisville, West Virginia, FAU, Duke and Wake Forest are among his other early offers.

The Knights will definitely be one of his top schools.

"What really makes UCF stand out is the atmosphere," Jenkins said. "I definitely think I could fit in there. They talked about how it's one big family. It'll be like home."

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UCF SPIRIT SQUADS READY FOR NATIONALS THIS WEEKEND​

BY SAM WEISBERG
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The UCF spirit teams will compete at the 2024 College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship this weekend. The competition will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex from Friday, Jan. 12 through Sunday, Jan. 14.

UCF’s cheer team will be competing in the Division 1A Coed Division. Last year, the UCF cheer team finished fourth in the competition, their 24th top-10 finish in program history. UCF’s cheer team has won three national championships (2003, 2007, 2020), and has finished in the top five every year since 2006.

The Knights dance team will be competing in two divisions: Division 1A Hip Hop and Division 1A Jazz. Last year, the dance team placed seventh in hip hop and 14th in jazz. This was the second year in a row that the team finished seventh in hip hop, marking their best finish in team history.

...

Single day tickets can be purchased at the Disney Wide World of Sports Box office on the day of the event.

The competition will be live streamed on VarsityTV.com

For more information on the event, click here.

https://ucfknights.com/news/2024/01/11/ucf-spirit-squads-ready-for-nationals-this-weekend

Following an opening Big 12 homestand that saw a 65-60 victory against No. 3 Kansas and 63-58 loss to No. 18 BYU, UCF (10-5, 1-2 Big 12) hits the road again this week for a pair of games in the Lone Star State: Wednesday at Texas and Saturday at No. 5 Houston.

UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins and players Shemarri Allen and CJ Walker appeared at Monday's press conference to preview the upcoming games.

Texas is 12-4 overall and 1-2 in the Big 12. The Longhorns opened league play with a 78-67 home loss to Texas Tech, then won a 74-73 game at Cincinnati thanks to a late shot from leading scorer Max Abmas. They're coming off a 76-73 loss at West Virginia. Texas has five players scoring in double figures, led by Abmas (18.0 ppg).

Houston (14-2 overall) also has an early 1-2 record within the conference. The Cougars blew out West Virginia 89-55 at home, but then lost back-to-back road games at Iowa State (57-53) and TCU (68-67). UH is led by LJ Cryer, who is averaging 15.6 points per game.

Johnny Dawkins​

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Reflecting on the BYU loss, Dawkins thought they fought hard. The energy was good. He thought the team was really good defensively. One of the best rebounding efforts, on both ends. Offensively, they need to finish around the basketball and hit their free throws. Only six assists, so they need to work on more connecting plays.

As far as Wednesday's game at Texas, they're a good program that's well coached. They like to go fast and they can score. Max Abmas will be one of their best guards they'll face all season. He's a dynamic guard that can really score, averaging 18.0 points per game.

In terms of improving offensive efficiency, Dawkins said the players have to understand what they're executing, emphasize ball movement as well as putting in the work. As they start to settle into the Big 12 and level of play, they'll become more consistent.

In the Big 12, every game is like an NCAA Tournament game. It's an amazing atmosphere every night. The intensity of the games is phenomenal. UCF is learning to adjust to that. There's 15 more league games and they'll all be like the last three.

Shemarri Allen averaged 17.0 points last season at UMKC, but is only averaging 7.0 points this season at UCF. Dawkins said he's selfless by nature. Dawkins says he sometimes passes up opportunities for good shots. Just be ready for the opportunity.

The K-State road game was a phenomenal environment and he's expecting the same against Texas. You have to keep your composure.

On Darius Johnson, he's adjusting to the level of the Big 12 and becoming more comfortable in his role at UCF. He's learning that every back court is terrific. He's going to face elite players every night and he has to have the right mindset to compete against them.

The energy and effort has been great. Attitude is good. Of course they're disappointed in the BYU result, but it's a marathon and not a sprint. Learn from that game and get better.

Texas coach Rodney Terry had a fantastic season as the Longhorns' interim coach last season (taking over for Chris Beard), winning the Big 12 tournament championship and advancing to the Elite Eight. He received the permanent position following the season. Dawkins says he's a great person, really good man, hard worker. He's done a good job wherever he's been.

UCF will be in Texas the entire week. They'll leave on Tuesday, then head down to Houston following the Texas game on Wednesday. They'll fly back to Orlando on Saturday night. Dawkins says the biggest concern being gone for an extended period is academics and making sure the players stay on top of their business. They'll have to rest up and get treatment as well.

Jaylin Sellers is "getting there" in terms of his health. He was under the weather in the BYU game.

Shemarri Allen​

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Reflecting on the BYU game, Allen felt they played well defensively. BYU had been averaging 88 points, so holding them to 60+ was good. But they did allow them to hit some big shots down the stretch. They need to do a better job finishing "bunnies" and also hitting more free throws.

In improving their offensive efficiency, it's been an emphasis in practice. The Big 12 is the best conference in college basketball, so defenses are obviously better. They have to be in tune to running what the coaching staff draws up.

Allen appreciates all the fans that showed up for the Kansas and BYU games. The support really helps them. He felt the fans contributed to those teams missing free throws down the stretch.

Allen has been running some point guard of late. He's been a combo guard his whole life, so he's used to it.

He's learning that every game is a "dog fight" in the Big 12.

As far as his game, Allen feels he needs to "get out of his shell" and step up more offensively like he did last season.

On Texas and Houston, both teams are great on both ends of the floor.

After K-State, they will now be more prepared for road game experiences in the Big 12.

CJ Walker​

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His major takeaway from the BYU game is there's no drop-offs in the Big 12. BYU was just as tough as Kansas. Anybody can beat anybody in this league. You've got to bring your A game.

CJ said the players have a "next-play mentality." Moving forward.

Going back on the road, CJ says they now know what to expect.

As for his knee, CJ says he's "healthy for the most part," just trying to get his timing down after missing so much practice.

On Texas, CJ says they're really good. He mentioned former UCF teammate Ithiel Horton playing for the Longhorns. It's "all love" with him. He thinks it'll be "more fun" against Ithiel than anything else.

In improving the offense, CJ says they need to trust the movement of the basketball. He says it's all about the finding the open man.

CJ says seeing the fan support for the first Big 12 home games was "super exciting" and they're going to make sure they care of the next one.

CJ likes being on the road, so it's no big deal being away for an extended period. He's fine with the hotel beds. He likes staying in the room and watching basketball. He feels he can lock in more during away games.