Nothing to see here

Through the first three weeks of UCF Football Spring Camp, we have seen more than in previous years thanks to Scott Frost’s media policies, but somehow, with all of that access, we seemingly know less. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing in the grand scheme, as all of the knowledge we thought we had last year didn’t really do us any good. However, through three weeks of interviews and observations, I think there is one part of the Scott Frost playbook that we have seen, and that is his communication strategy, which lays out as follows:

(1) Temper Expectations - Frost has made it very clear in a handful of interviews that this team has a long way to go. In fact, here is a clip from his post practice press conference on Saturday where he says “This team has a long way to go”

You might have also noticed that Frost has not once spoken anything about championships or titles. Famously, he did not bring it up once during his opening press conference, which is typically a staple for newly introduced head coaches. You can interpret this two different ways - either he doesn’t want to put undue pressure on his team, or he knows this team isn’t ready to compete at a high level right now. I think it is also very plausible that he wants to recalibrate the bar of success as only being a perfect season, a la 2017, a feat which adorns the stadium as a shiny reminder of what once was. This team is different from that team, and nobody would know that better than Scott Frost.

(2) Don’t Mention Names - Frost and the coaches have largely gone out of their way not to mention any specific player by name. If the conversation steers in that direction it is typically because the media asks about somebody by name, and even then, the response has been relatively generic. Perhaps the only coach that has offered any specific player insight has been WR coach Sean Beckton, who spoke about several players in the wideout room.

I have a few different theories on this tactic, with the first being the transfer portal, for several reasons. UCF’s roster is already a tad thin in spots, and with the changeover in staff coming during the portal period, I’m sure UCF wasn’t able to execute a full roster strategy in the time allotted. By not highlighting any specific player, perhaps Frost and staff are trying to keep things neutral in hopes that nobody wants to leave. Or… in this day and age, perhaps it is also needed so that other schools don’t try and poach certain players.

I also think it is entirely possible that this staff still needs time to evaluate certain players and position groups, so hyping up specific players might not be in their best interest long term.

(3) Talk about culture - There has been a lot of talk about the need to build a solid culture under Coach Frost and this staff. This includes Frost himself, who said after Saturday’s practice that the culture still needed to be cultivated within this team. While this isn’t something unique in coaching circles, I think by reading between the lines, you can tell that Frost and this staff want this team to work, prepare, and carry themselves in a specific way.

If we are being honest, this change and shift in mindset and work ethic for the players is sorely needed, either if you were a holdover from the Gus Malzahn teams, or if you are new to UCF. Whatever the case, it’s abundantly clear that a new standard is being established.

(4) Actions speak louder - If you aren’t going to say much, then at least you can show a few things, and that is something Frost and his new administration have done. New policies and strategies are definitely noticeable, including the ability to talk to all of the assistant coaches and players from each position group throughout spring camp. Media access to practice has also be extended by offering three 15 to 20 minute sessions a week that can be filmed and reported on by those who cover the team (Gus usually only allowed one session on most weeks).

The UCF content team has also produced some new features, including having coaches mic’d up during practice, and a new video series they are calling RISE. And what about not one, but two open practice sessions for fans? While some could say that this is a replacement for the defunct spring game, it would be hard to imagine Gus Malzahn ever voluntarily allowing an open session (UCFSports.com Brandon Helwig reminded me that the only reason Gus agreed to open practices in 2021 was for recruiting purposes during COVID restrictions).

It remains to be seen if any of these strategies will translate to wins on the field, but one thing is for certain, it is absolutely a new day for UCF Football.

If you missed anything from the practice sessions this week, the Sons YouTube has you covered:

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The Crown doesn’t fit

I’ll admit that I was pretty skeptical and negative about UCF competing in the College Basketball Crown. A made for TV backup tournament smack dab in the middle of a transfer portal exodus seemed kind of idiotic for all involved. Then, the loss of Keyshawn Hall pushed this concept into what I assumed would be an unmitigated disaster. But, a funny thing happened along the way… the Knights actually showed up and played well. It was surprising to say the least, but I also must admit it was kind of fun to watch this team play inspired for what felt like the first time in a long time. Darius Johnson, in particular, played his ass off as he dragged the Knights all the way to finals, where they ran out of gas in a loss to Nebraska.

Let me be clear about this, I do not want to ever have to watch The Crown in the future, because it would mean that UCF once again missed the NCAA Tournament. But for this past week, it was a surprising little distraction from a boring sports calendar, and it was a pretty cool send off for Darius Johnson. It was never that serious of an event in my life, but that doesn’t mean it still wasn’t entertaining to watch.

If you missed any of our coverage from Robert Aronoff (@2Letters2Words) in Vegas, including exclusive one-on-one interviews with Johnny Dawkins and Darius Johnson, check out our YouTube channel:

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The best of the rest

In case you missed anything from the Sons of UCF, let’s get you caught up:

Bailey Adams and Christian Simmons provided their observations of the open practice on the latest episode of The Pegasus Podcast:

Christian Simmons also joined Trace Trylko on a new episode of Around The Kingdom:

Nick Williams covered the UCF Baseball team getting swept at home against Kansas:

On Sons LIVE, we welcomed CBS Sports Shehan Jeyarajah and our buddy Ben Hazel. Check it out here

Reporter Caitlin Russo also has a new piece up on SonsofUCF.com recapping week 2 of spring camp:

You can also catch up with Sons content in audio form, available on your favorite podcast platform:

Today I learned

Much has been made over the past few weeks about Knights point guard Darius Johnson completing four years at UCF, which has become more of a rarity in college athletics today. To put into context how wild this era of college athletics has become, I decided to do some research using DJ’s career:

BY THE NUMBERS

47 - The total number of players who were teammates of Darius throughout his four years at UCF

31 - The total number of those teammates who transferred before their eligibility was exhausted

10 - The total number of those teammates who either graduated from UCF, or played their last season of eligibility with the Knights

1 - Total number of those teammates who left UCF early by declaring for the NBA Draft

5 - Total number of players on the current roster who could still decide to leave UCF before the start of next season

And, here is a little trivia for you… can you name the three players who played with Darius the longest?

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You can also enjoy their podcast, The Quarterbacks Room, featuring JC and Miles:

Cow of the week

This week, there are a couple of options for cow of the week:

(1) Keyshawn Hall - I want to be clear that I do not begrudge a player leaving for a better opportunity (aka bigger payday) when he/she has the chance. In the case of Keyshawn, one could argue that he should actually be applauded for executing his career plan over these past 12 months. He committed to UCF to take a step up in competition, balled out (at least offensively) in his time with the Knights, and cashed in with a payday reported to be seven figures. If we are being honest, that is likely the goal of almost every athlete in any sport.

Having said all of that, I do think it is important to own all of the decisions that you make along the way. Some of you might remember a few weeks ago when Keyshawn took to his notes app to write a passionate defense for Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins. I went to look for that post to share with you all, only to realize that it has been deleted. Some of you might also remember that when Keyshawn announced his entry into the portal, he re-tweeted at Orlando Sentinel reporter Matt Murschel that he could still decide to come back to UCF. I went to go look for that post too, and you guessed it, deleted.

Then, upon announcing his commitment to Auburn, he shares this quote:

I’m not here to debate the merits of Bruce Pearl’s coaching prowess, but it seems an unnecessary swipe at Johnny Dawkins, and makes the now deleted tweet about Johnny’s coaching seem disingenuous. Just like he did at UCF, Keyshawn is clearly trying to curry favor with the fanbase, which is smart for him to do, but it’s not hard to see through the trolling and appetite for attention.

(2) UCF Baseball - After a hot start that saw the Knights flirting with Top 25 polls, the wheels have fallen off in a hurry. Since winning the weekend series at BYU on March 15th, the Knights are 3-9, including being swept by Big 12 foes Cincinnati and Kansas. There is certainly still a lot of season to be played, but head coach Rich Wallace and his staff are going to need to find the right buttons to push soon, or risk falling even further behind in the conference.

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Have a great week

The Sons will have their usual programming schedule for the week, including Around The Kingdom, ATK Overtime, and Sons LIVE. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss a thing.

We’ll also continue our team coverage on UCF Football’s Spring Camp, including media availability on Thursday and open practice on Friday night.

Have a great week, take care of yourselves, and each other.

Charge On.