UCF's 2023 starting quarterback...

[AuburnLegacy_1]

may not be on campus.

Haynes King would be a hell of an offseason pickup for the Knights. He is a realistic portal candidate for UCF, especially with the Knights joining the Big12 and playing road games in King's backyard.

King possesses SEC speed and an arm to match. He has WON two quarterback battles already. Only injuries and poor play held him back.

His poor play could be attributed to his skillet not fitting Jimbo's offense, but he could be electric under Gus, who was heavily involved in his recruitment the first time around in 2019.

Will be a situation to watch for sure.

 

[Retnuhrace]

Gus specifically said that he expects to have 4 QBs on scholarship. Right now, we’ve got 4, counting Rizk who is committed by not signed. If any of that changes, then maybe we add a portal QB. If not, I don’t think we add a portal QB. Especially one who will be coming in expecting the starting gig.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

Gus specifically said that he expects to have 4 QBs on scholarship. Right now, we’ve got 4, counting Rizk who is committed by not signed. If any of that changes, then maybe we add a portal QB. If not, I don’t think we add a portal QB. Especially one who will be coming in expecting the starting gig.

Thomas Castellanos is not a QB IMO, but we will see. And I don't think Gus will turn away a transformational player who fits his system.

But wko knows. There is a fool born every day.

 

[Skillern]

Thomas Castellanos is not a QB IMO, but we will see. And I don't think Gus will turn away a transformational player who fits his system.

But wko knows. There is a fool born every day.

Agree… I don’t see TC as QB … not even rated as a QB coming out of HS. Timmy has the edge with size, speed and an arm. QB1 will be JRP QB2 Timmy McClain

 

[Shark19]

No, we need another QB from the portal (unless we get Singleton). The guy I would target is Malik Hornsby from Ark.

24/7 Scouting report on the 6' 2" Hornsby coming out of HS

"Thinner signal caller who should add substantial weight and muscle to his frame once he gets in a college strength and conditioning program. A track athlete with verified top-end speed. Ultimately led his team to consecutive Texas 5A D-II state title appearances. Presents a dynamic run threat as the triggerman to an explosive spread offense. Owns a strong arm with the ability to stretch the field vertically. At his most dangerous when allowed to present defenses with run-pass conflict via the RPO game or on broken plays. Capable of pulling away from defenses once he breaks free."

JP might be drafted and run off to play baseball, and who knows what McClain will do if he doesn't get the job. Combine that with TC losing a year, then not being prepared to play......yeah, we have a BIG need.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

No, we need another QB from the portal (unless we get Singleton). The guy I would target is Malik Hornsby from Ark.

24/7 Scouting report on the 6' 2" Hornsby coming out of HS

"Thinner signal caller who should add substantial weight and muscle to his frame once he gets in a college strength and conditioning program. A track athlete with verified top-end speed. Ultimately led his team to consecutive Texas 5A D-II state title appearances. Presents a dynamic run threat as the triggerman to an explosive spread offense. Owns a strong arm with the ability to stretch the field vertically. At his most dangerous when allowed to present defenses with run-pass conflict via the RPO game or on broken plays. Capable of pulling away from defenses once he breaks free."

JP might be drafted and run off to play baseball, and who knows what McClain will do if he doesn't get the job. Combine that with TC losing a year, then not being prepared to play......yeah, we have a BIG need.

I like Malik. But he never won a quarterback competition, was never a starter. never visited Auburn, and Gus never factored into his recruitment.

Auburn was a finalist for King.

 

[georgiaknight]

Agree… I don’t see TC as QB … not even rated as a QB coming out of HS. Timmy has the edge with size, speed and an arm. QB1 will be JRP QB2 Timmy McClain

You obviously have never watched film on him. He has the speed and touchness of Plumless but thinks liske a QB.

 

[KnightLife1]

No, we need another QB from the portal (unless we get Singleton). The guy I would target is Malik Hornsby from Ark.

24/7 Scouting report on the 6' 2" Hornsby coming out of HS

"Thinner signal caller who should add substantial weight and muscle to his frame once he gets in a college strength and conditioning program. A track athlete with verified top-end speed. Ultimately led his team to consecutive Texas 5A D-II state title appearances. Presents a dynamic run threat as the triggerman to an explosive spread offense. Owns a strong arm with the ability to stretch the field vertically. At his most dangerous when allowed to present defenses with run-pass conflict via the RPO game or on broken plays. Capable of pulling away from defenses once he breaks free."

JP might be drafted and run off to play baseball, and who knows what McClain will do if he doesn't get the job. Combine that with TC losing a year, then not being prepared to play......yeah, we have a BIG need.

You list a"might" and a "who knows". Do you really feel those two unknowns add up to a big need?

 

[Shark19]

You list a"might" and a "who knows". Do you really feel those two unknowns add up to a big need?

Damn right.....this is UCF, nothing is ever easy.

 

[Shark19]

I like Malik. But he never won a quarterback competition, was never a starter. never visited Auburn, and Gus never factored into his recruitment.

Auburn was a finalist for King.

We won't be able to touch King, we need to stay under the radar a bit. Saw Hornsby play a few times in HS, a real deal. No shame losing a QB battle to Jefferson....who is MILES ahead of any QB that has played at A&M in a long time. In all fairness, King couldn't stay ahead of the garbage on that roster.

 

[N.FL Knight]

Agree… I don’t see TC as QB … not even rated as a QB coming out of HS. Timmy has the edge with size, speed and an arm. QB1 will be JRP QB2 Timmy McClain

Crazy how these types of opinions abound. You are both entitled to your feelings but not the facts. The kid has a crazy arm, is super mobile and can make throws on the run. Watch his high school highlights and you’ll see what a special player he is.

Can he be a successful college QB, don’t know yet. However, he has all of the traits and abilities that cannot be taught, to develop into a good QB. If he makes it, it’s because he took in the coaching and put in the work.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

Crazy how these types of opinions abound. You are both entitled to your feelings but not the facts. The kid has a crazy arm, is super mobile and can make throws on the run.

Thomas Castellanos, Boston College Eagles, Quarterback

Also plays basketball and soccer and competed in track and field events (400m, relays, long jump). 2020: GPB first-team all-state selection as an athlete....

247sports.com

He is an athlete on his profile. He can play a number of positions. He could have helped the Knights this year at a number of positions. In the NFL, he will be moved to whatever position his skillet warrants.

Watch his high school highlights and you’ll see what a special player he is.

At small schools the best athlete always plays quarterback. It doesn't make him a quarterback.

If he makes it, it’s because he took in the coaching and put in the work.

Take JRP for example. He has played QB most of his life. He is not a quarterback though. He is an athlete who can't go through progressions or read defenses. All the coaching in the world is not going to change that. He is what he is.

 

[Knight Strength]

I'm one who's optimistic about McClain, JRP, and TC. At this point we dont know how good anyone will be next season but unless we can being in a Trevor Lawrence type talent I don't know how much better we can do.

 

[Knight_Classes_begin_7pm]

Thomas Castellanos is not a QB IMO, but we will see. And I don't think Gus will turn away a transformational player who fits his system.

But wko knows. There is a fool born every day.

I'm not so sure about Castellanos either. I don't see the promise here unless something drastically changes between now and the start of next season.

 

[Knight_Classes_begin_7pm]

Crazy how these types of opinions abound. You are both entitled to your feelings but not the facts. The kid has a crazy arm, is super mobile and can make throws on the run. Watch his high school highlights and you’ll see what a special player he is.

Can he be a successful college QB, don’t know yet. However, he has all of the traits and abilities that cannot be taught, to develop into a good QB. If he makes it, it’s because he took in the coaching and put in the work.

I hope you're correct

 

[Shark19]

I'm not so sure about Castellanos either. I don't see the promise here unless something drastically changes between now and the start of next season.

Hate to mention them in a positive light, but the first start for the usf true frosh was 21-25 for 200+ yards. Then we saw a guy who had played in 4 games go 2-8 and looked totally lost.


Remember, Singleton was far and away Gus’ first choice.

So what do we have with TC? No one knows, but he does have one less year of eligibility with nothing to show for it.

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

Hate to mention them in a positive light, but the first start for the usf true frosh was 21-25 for 200+ yards. Then we saw a guy who had played in 4 games go 2-8 and looked totally lost.


Remember, Singleton was far and away Gus’ first choice.

So what do we have with TC? No one knows, but he does have one less year of eligibility with nothing to show for it.

Singleton is staying committed at Arky. He flew to Ft Laudy Daudy to make sure Rizk was still on board.

 

[KnightLife1]

Damn right.....this is UCF, nothing is ever easy.

We got a qb transferring out now due to a lack of playing time. Overkill wastes scholarships.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

We got a qb transferring out now due to a lack of playing time. Overkill wastes scholarships.

If you have three (or four) quarterbacks, you don't have one.

 

[OtterKnight]

Ugh. I'm annoyed at all the judgment of TC after a quarter or so of being thrown into the fire in a CCG against a ranked opponent against an all out blitz on the road after being qb3 all season.

He also had at least one long throw that was dropped.

People are acting like they are all talent scouts and know exactly what he is and can ever become based on a small sample of worst-case data.

Nobody has any idea what any of these guys will look like next year.

 

[beelit47]

Ugh. I'm annoyed at all the judgment of TC after a quarter or so of being thrown into the fire in a CCG against a ranked opponent against an all out blitz on the road after being qb3 all season.

He also had at least one long throw that was dropped.

People are acting like they are all talent scouts and know exactly what he is and can ever become based on a small sample of worst-case data.

Nobody has any idea what any of these guys will look like next year.

These same people said MM was crap after the 2016 season. TC has alot of upside but literally got tossed into his first meaningful action against the top defense in the conference. I expect a jump for him next year

 

[PhDee]

may not be on campus.

Haynes King would be a hell of an offseason pickup for the Knights. He is a realistic portal candidate for UCF, especially with the Knights joining the Big12 and playing road games in King's backyard.

King possesses SEC speed and an arm to match. He has WON two quarterback battles already. Only injuries and poor play held him back.

His poor play could be attributed to his skillet not fitting Jimbo's offense, but he could be electric under Gus, who was heavily involved in his recruitment the first time around in 2019.

Will be a situation to watch for sure.

I have a better throwing mechanic than HK

 

[N.FL Knight]

Thomas Castellanos, Boston College Eagles, Quarterback

Also plays basketball and soccer and competed in track and field events (400m, relays, long jump). 2020: GPB first-team all-state selection as an athlete....

247sports.com

He is an athlete on his profile. He can play a number of positions. He could have helped the Knights this year at a number of positions. In the NFL, he will be moved to whatever position his skillet warrants.

At small schools the best athlete always plays quarterback. It doesn't make him a quarterback.

Take JRP for example. He has played QB most of his life. He is not a quarterback though. He is an athlete who can't go through progressions or read defenses. All the coaching in the world is not going to change that. He is what he is.

A) You assume he would play a different position. Not likely.
B) Yes he was the best athlete on that field. He playes very well as a QB.
C) TC is not JRP. He is TC. Great athlete with a great arm and hopefully can develop into a good QB. His starting point is very high.

I'm not willing to be so negative on a kid of that caliber.

Lastly, say what you want about JRP not bein a QB, but I think he improved tremendously. If he can get some touch on the ball and not miss high, he could be great.

I prefer my outlook on UCF football to yours. It's more fun too.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

No. 1, Y'all keep talking about developing these quarterbacks, but it's Gus and Chip that you are depending on to develop them.

No. 2, I mean after 10 years of playing quarterback, JRP should be knowledge enough to start his own QB Academy (After all, those who can't do teach.)

No. 3, I simply don't see how a guy who couldn't read defenses, go through progressions, or identify pre-snap advantageous matchups in high school, or at Ole Miss, or at UCF in 2022, is going to undergo a damn 5th-year epifanie and transform into Tom Brady!

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

These same people said MM was crap after the 2016 season. TC has alot of upside but literally got tossed into his first meaningful action against the top defense in the conference. I expect a jump for him next year

OLine needs to do better. TEs and any RBs kept in need to block for at least 2 seconds. They were whiffing bad. Didn’t matter who was QB. Near impossible when you don’t even get 3 seconds to scan field.

 

[beelit47]

OLine needs to do better. TEs and any RBs kept in need to block for at least 2 seconds. They were whiffing bad. Didn’t matter who was QB. Near impossible when you don’t even get 3 seconds to scan field.

Love alec holler for some of the great plays he has made this season but youre right, he was whffing all day against tulane

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

Love alec holler for some of the great plays he has made this season but youre right, he was whffing all day against tulane

I don’t know if its been happening all year but didn’t notice it until last Saturday. He was diving and missing. Guys went right around him when standing up. I seriously think i could have blocked better. Just get in the way for a bit.

 

[muckdawg24]

He's made better blocks in other games for sure but I feel like everybody was playing with a hang over.

 

[N.FL Knight]

No. 1, Y'all keep talking about developing these quarterbacks, but it's Gus and Chip that you are depending on to develop them.

No. 2, I mean after 10 years of playing quarterback, JRP should be knowledge enough to start his own QB Academy (After all, those who can't do teach.)

No. 3, I simply don't see how a guy who couldn't read defenses, go through progressions, or identify pre-snap advantageous matchups in high school, or at Ole Miss, or at UCF in 2022, is going to undergo a damn 5th-year epifanie and transform into Tom Brady!

I hope you realize that A, B, and C above are all speaking about TC…

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

He's made better blocks in other games for sure but I feel like everybody was playing with a hang over.

Im hoping they weren’t literally. It definitely looked like it.

 

[90Knight]

These same people said MM was crap after the 2016 season. TC has alot of upside but literally got tossed into his first meaningful action against the top defense in the conference. I expect a jump for him next year

add Mikey Keene to the people talking crap, getting tossed into the fire, etc......TC has all of the physical tools to be a good QB...again....players can develop and the majority need time, reps, and coaching...those true freshmen QBs who are successful are uncommon...and no QB can be good without time to throw...our blocking was bad at the end of the season

 

[surfer98]

No. 1, Y'all keep talking about developing these quarterbacks, but it's Gus and Chip that you are depending on to develop them.

No. 2, I mean after 10 years of playing quarterback, JRP should be knowledge enough to start his own QB Academy (After all, those who can't do teach.)

No. 3, I simply don't see how a guy who couldn't read defenses, go through progressions, or identify pre-snap advantageous matchups in high school, or at Ole Miss, or at UCF in 2022, is going to undergo a damn 5th-year epifanie and transform into Tom Brady!

"(After all, those who can't do teach.)"- This is one of the more ignorant statements or sayings.

 

[Knight_Classes_begin_7pm]

Ugh. I'm annoyed at all the judgment of TC after a quarter or so of being thrown into the fire in a CCG against a ranked opponent against an all out blitz on the road after being qb3 all season.

He also had at least one long throw that was dropped.

People are acting like they are all talent scouts and know exactly what he is and can ever become based on a small sample of worst-case data.

Nobody has any idea what any of these guys will look like next year.

Very True. I hope he becomes THE GUY!

 

[Yaes]

"(After all, those who can't do teach.)"- This is one of the more ignorant statements or sayings.

I would prefer "those who don't have a mastery of the subject shouldn't teach." There are many great teachers who were first doers and then chose to teach. There are many great teachers who tried the professional route and didn't like it for various reasons and chose to teach. Doesn't mean they couldn't do just they chose to do something else that was more fulfiling. Yeah, I dont' like the statement either.

 

[PhDee]

If TC throws better than JRP, TC starts. If JRP throws better than TC, some inbound QB transfer starts.

JRP is a hell of an athlete, competitor, and the guy that won't let you down. But he is not an NFL QB. He's either some kind of RB/WR/QB utility player, Taysom Hill esqe, or a baseball player.

 

[ucffan642]

No. 1, Y'all keep talking about developing these quarterbacks, but it's Gus and Chip that you are depending on to develop them.

No. 2, I mean after 10 years of playing quarterback, JRP should be knowledge enough to start his own QB Academy (After all, those who can't do teach.)

No. 3, I simply don't see how a guy who couldn't read defenses, go through progressions, or identify pre-snap advantageous matchups in high school, or at Ole Miss, or at UCF in 2022, is going to undergo a damn 5th-year epifanie and transform into Tom Brady!

100%.

He looks for his 1st receiver and…
1) throws it regardless of covered or not
2) takes off running

NOT a QB!!!

 

[Knight_Classes_begin_7pm]

100%.

He looks for his 1st receiver and…
1) throws it regardless of covered or not
2) takes off running

NOT a QB!!!

Some truth to this. Things he has to work on in the off season. We'll see.

 

[muckdawg24]

So after we thought Gus would start Keene out of loyalty/success from last year and that didn't happen, I honestly don't know what to expect.. We definitely know he's playing whatever dual threat QB he has but at this point would he give TC a chance? I think JRP is the starter until proven otherwise. IMO, TC didn't get meaningful reps. Can't really use his time in the ship game either. That was madness.

I wished Gus would have put TC in for the whole 2nd half during the blowouts, would have been better for his learning.

 

[muckdawg24]

100%.

He looks for his 1st receiver and…
1) throws it regardless of covered or not
2) takes off running

NOT a QB!!!

I think that's a over generalization. I saw multiple times where he would scramble or throw to a check down.

What I expect to see next year is getting better at that 2nd read and staying in the pocket longer or trying to extend the pass possibility longer and also his footwork.

It's not like we haven't seen Freshman quarterbacks do the exact same things as you stated above.

That being said, I hope TC beats him out because that means we have a starter QB for the next 2-3 years.

Regardless of who starts it's gonna be rough anyway with us starting in the B12 next season.

 

[Central Floridave]

Scratch Joey Gatewood for possible 2023 qbs.

Joey Gatewood, former Auburn and Kentucky QB, reportedly re-enters NCAA transfer portal

Joey Gatewood is reportedly on the move again after stops at Auburn, Kentucky and UCF.

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