Scott Frost’s return to UCF brings a wave of excitement and questions as the Knights prepare for their season opener against Jacksonville State. Adam Eaton, co-host of the Sons of UCF Podcast and writer for the Big 12 Newsletter, joins the show to break down the Knights’ quarterback competition, key playmakers like Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon, and what to expect from Scott Frost’s second stint in Orlando. We also look at the program’s transition from Gus Malzahn, what success looks like in year one, and how UCF stacks up in the Big 12.
#collegesports #collegefootball #ncaa #ucf #big12
00:27 Breaking Down Jacksonville State Challenge
01:20 Cam Fancher Named Starting Quarterback
03:04 Frost’s Quarterback Competition Strategy
03:24 UCF Running Game and Defensive Strengths
05:43 Transition From Gus Malzahn to Scott Frost
🎉 Welcome to 365 Sports — your daily destination for bold takes, in-depth interviews, and nonstop sports talk! 🏈🔥
🎙️ Join David Smoak, Paul Catalina, & Craig Smoak LIVE every weekday from 3–6 PM CST as they break down the biggest stories in college and pro sports, interview top voices in the game, and bring the heat with every take.
📲 Stay connected and don’t miss a moment — follow us across all platforms for exclusive highlights, live alerts, and the best sound bites:
👉 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@365sportsyt
👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/365sportsyoutube
👉 Twitter/X: https://x.com/365sportsYT
👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/365-Sports-100090494591879/
👉 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/365SportsYT
🎙️ Covering sports or hosting your own show? We use StreamYard — it’s powerful, easy to use, and perfect for going live like a pro. Score $10 off your first plan 👉 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5407925300101120 🏆📺
🙌 Celebrating 5 incredible years — thanks to our amazing fans for riding with us. Here’s to more big moments, bigger debates, and the best in sports talk.
#365Sports #LiveShow #SportsTalk #HotTakes #SportsNews
Adam Eaton, Sons of UCF and of course part of our Big 12 newsletter now. He’s part of the team. Uh super happy to have Adam on board. Craig and I have both been guests on on the Sons of UCF podcast. They do a great job. Uh let’s just get right into it before we talk about expectations for the season down the line. Adam, uh, you’ve you’re locked in for a game tonight, uh, against against Jack State, uh, a team that is kind of like nebulously terrifying in that they keep losing coaches and they keep kind of like staying the same level. Uh, and it’s a good test for the for UCF right out of the gate, isn’t it? It sure is, Paul. I call this one the nobody knows anything bold, right? Because 60some new players. Jackson State obviously went through a roster reinvention as well with Rich Rod leaving and Charles Kelly coming in. So, not a lot’s known for about either team. So, this is a tricky first game. Scott Frost said that as well this week because you can’t really scout tape. Are you going back two, you know, two seasons ago, two coordinators ago, two two schools ago, right? So, this is a really you don’t know anything bowl, but obviously UCF has to be prepared. Jack State obviously is a team to your point, Paul, that that’s always ready to play even though you may not know the roster. Gavin Whimset, quarterback, has got some experience at the P4 level at Ruters and at Kentucky. So, it will be a tricky spot for for a night’s team that we don’t know much about either, right? Because there’s a lot of newness there. So, if you’re tuning in tonight at 7 o’clock on ESPN Plus, it’s the Get to Know Everybody Bowl because everyone’s still trying to figure out who these who both these teams are. Well, and in UCF, we at least now know they’ve got their starting quarterback, Cam Fans, named earlier this week by Scott Frost as the starter after a battle with Taven Jackson Curry Brown. And, uh, I guess kind of what’s been the response to that? What was your response when you saw that? I assume there’s probably some indication like, hey, it could go this way, but uh when it did officially kind of what uh what did that create in your mind as far as what to expect moving forward? Yeah, not a ton of surprise last couple weeks. You’ve kind of heard from Scott Frost, some other folks inside the program that it was maybe trending this way. I think what it tells you guys is, you know, Scott Frost right now is valuing somebody who’s got experience. Uh Cam Fcher’s made, you know, 20some plus starts at as at time in Marshall, FAU, so he’s valuing that experience and from what we’ve heard, he’s been the most consistent, right? So, you know, he he maybe isn’t making the the big splash wow play that you may see from quarterbacks, but he’s also not doing the thing that’s catastrophic. And I think that’s a that’s a word Scott Frost has used a lot is not making catastrophic plays. I think that’s what that’s what Cam Fantas provided. You know, talking to Cam, you know, personally, he’s told me he feels really good about the playbook. He feels really good about the system. He feels like he’s grasp the system. So, I do think that probably gave him a little bit of a leg up on the other guys. But listen, I don’t know how closely you both follow social media. Uh UCF put a graphic out that announced Cam Fans as the starting quarterback and it said for Jackson State. Uh and so I think that leads us to say guys, this this quarterback competition is probably not over. My guess would be you’ll see another quarterback play tonight. Um and and Cam Fanter may be the first one out, the first one who’s kind of earned the opportunity to to earn this job. But I don’t think Scott Frost will be afraid to play one of the other guys if not both of them uh in this game. and and with UCF schedule, they they open with Jacksonville State, then they have North Carolina ENT, then they have a by-week, then they have the Fighting Bill Bichc of North Carolina. So, you might see this this drag in the first three weeks of the season, including the buy, and perhaps you won’t know UCF’s official starter until the September 20th contest against the Targos. You said you got to get to know everybody. Is there anything that you are sneakily confident about without full information? I think the running attack, Paul, is going to be good for UCF. Miles Montgomery flashed a ton last year. He sat behind a guy named RJ Harvey. You may have heard of himself Broncos, right? So, uh, but he flashed in the opportunities he had to to back up RJ Harvey. Jaden Nixon, a former Big 12 player at Oklahoma State, comes in. You know, he’s got a ton of speed. Um, and he’s got a ton of experience as well. So, I think UCF will be able to run the football. I think they’ll be okay from the running back position. Can they block up front? I think that’s another story. Um, I think the other element is the defensive line. I mean, they’ve got a ton of talent coming back on that D line. Nigel Lee Kelly is is a name you hear a bunch on on all Big 12 lists. Um, you know, they’ve got a guy in John Walker, the highest recruit in history, is coming back off injury. Uh, they got a guy in Sincere Edwards who had a good freshman season at pit. So, I think the D line will be impressive for the Knights. And I think they’ll be able to run the football. Um, again, the passing game maybe still in question, but I think you can count on Miles Montgomery and Jaden Dixon to be able to take the rock and get UCF some tough yards. And I think that’s what you’ll see out of Scott Frost early on is establishing the run, giving Cam Fantry some time to maybe settle in and then make some throws down the field as the defense presents itself. I really like the Jay Nixon pickup. He’s a Texas guy. Played at Oklahoma State there for a little while and then had some big performances at Western Michigan last year. I think that was an excellent pickup to pair with Miles Montgomery. Yeah, almost a thousand yards last year, Craig, at at uh Western Michigan. He’s also going to return kicks for UCF as well, too. So nice. Um, and talking to Miles Montgomery, I asked Miles to describe Jaden Nixon, and his word to me was speedster. Uh, and so again, you know, UCF fast was the mantra last time Scott Frost was here. He’s bringing that back again. I think Jaden Nixon, to your point, fits that to a tea, right, with what he can bring from an offensive perspective. So, I think they bring a good one-two punch. Um, they’re they’re kind of different runners. I think again, Miles is more of a want to want to bull you over, knock you out kind of guy, even though he’s, you know, 5’8, 5’9 in stature. And I think Jaden can turn on the speed when he needs to. So, I think this running attack could be sneaky good for the Knights. What um I know that most fans aren’t uh sad that Gus Melison left and went to Tallahassee. They the the relationship ran its course. What do you think in the immediate like in the immediate will they miss from him that will eventually get solved just over time in transition? It’s a good question. I think G for for all of Gus’s maybe um quirks as a play caller and as a program runner, uh he he did a really good job in two areas. One, he was really good at fundraising. You know, Gus was out and and shaking boosters hands and shaking donor’s hands uh and talking to people. And I think, you know, UCF saw a boon from a from a financial standpoint in in uh in Gus’s tenure. Gus was also really good at recruiting, but this is a tricky one, guys. We talk about this all the time. Gus was able to go out and get the the four-star guys. Maybe that the kids who, you know, weren’t considering UCF in previous seasons. Gus was able to get in those living rooms. Talk about Auburn. Talk about beating Nick Sabin, right? And I think he was able to to get some kids at at UCF. Scott Frost hasn’t really had that success yet. The level of four-star recruits under Melzand Frost. The ratio is very much skewed right now in Malison’s favor. So, I think those are two areas where where Gus was was really strong for the Knights. I think he was really good at fundraising off the field. I think he was great in living rooms. Uh Frost is a little bit different, different personality. I know you guys talked to him at Big Toll Media Day. He’s, you know, he’s not going to be the kind of guy to walk over and give you a big hug and a flash a big smile at you like Osan is, but he’s got a sneaky, quiet confidence and a swagger about him that plays really well when your team is playing really well. So, I think what Frost needs is this Knights team to maybe surprise some people uh and have a have a good season. I think he can catch up quickly in both those areas. Yeah, he’s not a Joey Maguire or Rich Rodriguez personalitywise. Like those would be the polar opposites for me. And when we talked back then, like um I remember just like just kind of just didn’t know what to feel about Scott Frost and kind kind of got like a weird vibe, but not necessarily in a negative way. I just didn’t really know how to describe it. Uh he’s learned lessons. Life has moved on. UCS had their time away and so is he. And just what does it all feel like now, Adam? like is it is it just uncertainty driving the car right now or or how would you describe what the anticipation level or the the just the feeling is in Orlando when it comes to what they’re looking at this year? I’ve kind of framed it up guys as as a as a good argument between your head and your heart, right? Because for UCF fans, Scott Frost brought brought for them the the best seasons of their life in 2016 and obviously 2017, right? So your heart says he’s coming back home. He’s back where he belongs. He’s getting the band back together. Mackenzie Milton on this coaching staff, right? So, he’s getting everybody back together. It just has that nostalgic vibe of 2016, 2017, right? Then the head kicks in and you go, well, there are some struggles on Nebraska, not some struggles in one store games. This isn’t the American Conference anymore. Now, we’re in the Big 12. You know, 63 new players on this roster. So, I think there’s optimism that he’s back. I think it feels right for Knights fans to have him back, to have him back wearing the the black and gold polos and, you know, talking about UCF again. But I think the the a fan who’s informed says, “Hey, there are some ways that this can go badly.” But I think everybody’s just excited that he’s back. And look, the the next coach is always the the you know, the savior of the program, right? And obviously things to to your point, Paul, did not go well under the Gus Mazan era. So to not only have somebody new, but have somebody come back that was a part of memories that Knights fans have, they’ll never forget. There’s a ton of nostalgia, but let’s see how that plays out in two and a half hours when we kick the ball in the air and all of a sudden we’re playing the team and and and you know, we have to see how the team looks on the How do you think Gus will do going back to just a play caller rule? That’s a great question. Like I I think if if I had to be critical of Gus Melon’s playing Call of Duty and to be fair, Gus has called more football plays than I have. Right. I I think what Gus does is, you know, he he does a good job of getting his playmakers the ball, but I think he gets really predictable at times. A lot of jet sweeps. Florida State, get get ready for some jet sweeps in your life because Gus is a huge fan of the jet sweep. I’ve always my criticism of Gus has always been when it’s time to do the thing that you need to do to get one yard, it’s third and one, it’s fourth and short. I feel like Gus always tries to trick the other team as opposed to going with a play that he knows works. UCF fans will remember 2023 at Oklahoma. Uh UCF rallies back to to come to a late a late a late touchdown. they have a chance for a two-point conversion to tie Oklahoma and we decide to run a wide receiver pass to a quarterback in the end zone when you have a guy named R.J. Harvey by the way and you have a John Rice Plumbley who was a heck of a dynamic athlete. So I think Gus always tries to maybe out trick himself. It’s funny with Thomas Castellanos too by the way who was at UCF with Gus leaves Gus to go to Boston College then comes back and reunites. Curious to see how that marriage works out but Gus has always just said he’s an old football coach. He’s an old ball coach wants to call plays. Uh, and so we’ll see how how assistant plays out, but I think again he gets predictable at times and and Florida State fans, watch out for the trick plays because they come out of nowhere and sometimes at the worst times as well. Uh, Adam, um, so what do you I mean obviously a wind night, but like what do you think is success in year one for Scott Frost? How should people measure what they’re watching? I know it’s hard to tell fans that like, hey, you have this new coach. He won here before. We know he can do it, but circumstances are certainly different than they were in the past. So, you have to take that into consideration. So, what is real progress that fans can watch for? Yeah. If you want to look in the in the standings, guys, it’s bull eligibility, right? Get get to flirt with bull eligibility. Get to that five, six, seven win mark where you may be eligible. But I think more than that, reestablish the identity of the program. Are you see a fast again? Can you do some of the things you used to do? I think those are the things that some Knights fans be looking for. But if you can get that five, six, seven win ratio and you’re flirting with bowl eligibility, I think that would be a huge step forward in year one for for for Scott Ross. But we’ve been telling fans on on the newsletter I heard Craig, you talk about earlier. You know, the wins and losses may not just be in the in the in the wins loss columns this year, right? You may have to look at other ledgers to see how UCF’s building. Um, but I I think if you get to that six win mark Paul, I think UCF fans will be pretty happy in year one going back to a bowl game. Yeah. Um, Adam, uh, thank you so much. Uh, between you and our next guest, Chad Brendell, uh, I’m going to cry on the air because the Cowboys have just traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. No way. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. No. Well, yeah. He’s He’s so stunned, Adam, that he’s looking for you to react for him. He has no idea. I’m also accomplished, man. So, that is not good news for me either. Um, and I’ll never forget where I was when I heard this news. So, I’m glad I could share this uh heartbreaking moment for you. Um, I’m I’m effortly trying to figure out what we got back in return. I hope it’s everybody. It uh hold on. Yeah, we’re going to have to It’s It is I just owe his contract that they’ve already reached for the Packers. Oh my gosh. because the Packers talked to his effing agent. Uh, four years, $188 million, highest paid non-quarterback in the league. Wow. Jerry’s Yeah, Adam, I’ll have to have you on uh the allnew but refurbished Catalina Cowboys. Yeah. Now, now you got a Cowboys guest that you can have on as well. You guys uh can go talk about this, but I might need to take over the show so y’all can go to your corners and figure out what you need to figure out emotionally about this because Wow. Hey, Garrett. Uh, where’s Big Papa’s medicine? Yeah, there you go. It’s right over there, I think. Yeah. Okay. Uh, Adam, thank you so much. Enjoy the game. We will talk to you soon. Thanks, guys. appreciate.
1 Comment
Great interview with Adam! Somebody video bombed on a riding lawnmower! 🤣🤣🤣