The biggest challenge: Continuing to have needed depth/quarterback recruitment
Finding UCF’s biggest challenge is indeed a challenge in itself. The program recruits at a high level and has built a sustainable winning culture over three coaching staff since 2017.
That being said, the most overlooked key to success at the Power Five level is often that of depth. Schools that jump from Group of Five football often have multiple high-level talents ready to compete at that higher level of play but rarely have the depth throughout their program to survive more grueling schedules.
As of right now, UCF may have that depth needed. According to 247Sports’s composite talent rankings, the Knights had the 36th most talented team in the country last season (this season’s calculations have not been released). That ranking would’ve been fourth in the Big 12 last year, only behind Texas, Oklahoma, and TCU.
That begs the question; Can UCF maintain that level of depth going forward?
While there are currently no signs that they won’t be able to, it’s a process that is easier said than done in this era of college football when considering the transfer portal, NIL, and more. It goes beyond recruiting as well. It’s not just about your two-deep but is your third-string linebacker able to step in and play to at least a quality level to help keep your linebacker room afloat? Can your backup quarterback play at a high enough level to keep the offense moving?
These are issues that even the best Power Five programs sometimes struggle with and, at some point, will be issues that UCF has to navigate themselves. How they answer these questions yearly, no matter what position the questions may be at it, will be one of the more prominent factors in the program’s ultimate long-term success.
Additionally, for UCF, finding the right fits at the quarterback position will be massive. Power Five quarterbacks are often a notch above those at the Group of Five level. Everything at the Power Five level is bigger, stronger, and faster. While some Group of Five quarterbacks can navigate those differences, not every quarterback can.
It will be intriguing to see if John Rhys Plumlee can do so for UCF this fall.
Before transferring to UCF, Plumlee spent three years with Ole Miss, where he was solid but not great, completing 53.8% of his passes for five touchdowns and three interceptions. Last season for the Knights, he had a quality but not great season by any means, completing 63% of his passes for just under 2,600 yards and 14 touchdowns while throwing eight interceptions.
Can he improve in his return to Power Five football this fall? Only time will tell.
Gus Malzahn and the Knights’ coaching staff will be challenged in finding future quarterbacks. Quality quarterback play can keep many college football programs competitive. Still, to win Power Five championships, you often need a quarterback who can step up to the challenge when facing more formidable opponents. Of course, to a degree, that was part of Malzahn’s downfall on The Plains in Auburn as the Tigers were able to get quality quarterback play but could never find that quarterback that was able to help get the program ultimately where Malzahn wanted it to be.
These two issues are often the most difficult for college football programs to answer, whether the program is a national championship contender, a program looking to get to bowl eligibility, or a program trying just to find its way. Those programs that can answer those two questions often hold the hardware at the end of the season. For the other three programs entering the Big 12, their questions were more based on what each program must do to survive in the Big 12. For UCF, there are no doubts that the program can survive in the Big 12, but instead, it’s about how the Knights can become contenders in the Big 12 sooner than later. If Gus Malzahn can find answers to those questions regarding depth and the quarterback position, the Knights could be competing for a Big 12 title as soon as this season.
Next, we lay out reasonable expectations for UCF in 2023 and beyond