ORLANDO — After a month's worth of practices and preparations, a fall camp UCF coach Gus Malzahn described as a "grind," the Knights finally take the field Thursday night for their regular season opener.
UCF hosts New Hampshire at 7 p.m. at FBC Mortgage Stadium to kick off its second year as a member of the ever-evolving Big 12 Conference. The Knights enter as 41½-point favorites against their Football Championship Subdivision visitors, who are receiving $350,000 for taking the game, according to FBSchedules.com.
"There's nothing like being out there. They put the coaches on the sideline, and they let the players play," Malzahn said. "That's what I am most excited about, to see how they are going to respond — to success, adversity, how close they're going to be, who the leaders that are going to step up (are).
"Every championship team that I've been a part of has been player-led. All those dynamics, that's what I will be looking forward to seeing Thursday."
More than 40 players are set to make their UCF debuts, a combination of true freshmen and additions from the NCAA transfer portal during the winter and spring windows. For Malzahn, this first test will be an exercise in self-evaluation.
"I want us to play good team football," he added. "I want us to be sound on offense, without all of the penalty crap. I want us to be sound of defense. I want to see some hits where the crowd goes, 'Woo!'"
Here are three things to watch for the Knights' 2024 debut.
UCF depth chart: Knights list starters, reserves for New Hampshire season opener
UCF bold predictions: Can Knights exceed Big 12 expectations in 2024 season?
1. KJ Jefferson goes live for first time since spring game
It's finally time to see what KJ Jefferson looks like at the controls of Malzahn's spread offense.
Back in the spring, Jefferson went 12 of 22 for 271 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He did not go live in any of the Knights' three scrimmages, a precautionary measure to avoid contact and limit the risk for injury.
Chosen as the Big 12's preseason Newcomer of the Year, Jefferson was ranked 16th by Pro Football Focus among the 70 starting quarterbacks at Power Five programs. He produced nearly 9,800 yards of offense with 88 touchdowns in 44 games at Arkansas.
"(I want to) just get in a rhythm early," Jefferson said Monday. "Keep the momentum on our side, and I want to make sure I connect on shots. I just want to make sure I'm being vocal and leading (us) in the right direction — coming out, starting fast and having that sense of urgency that I need to have to trickle down to the team."
2. Ted Roof's 'aggressive' defense, featuring 6 transfer portal starters
UCF's leaky run defense was a constant theme in 2023 and a major reason for a five-game losing streak to begin Big 12 play. Opponents gashed the Knights for 194.3 yards per game and 26 touchdowns on the ground.
Malzahn sought to solve the problem by naming Ted Roof as defensive coordinator and overhauling the personnel through the transfer portal. Six transfers were listed as starters in UCF's game-week depth chart, including a trio of players added since the conclusion of spring camp: defensive end Nyjalik Kelly, cornerback Mac McWilliams and safety Sheldon Arnold.
Cohesion will be crucial against upper-level competition, so this should be a good opportunity to master the basics outside of the practice field. Additionally, it marks the first usage of coach-to-player helmet communication, approved in April by the NCAA's Playing Rules Oversight Panel. Communication will shut off with 15 seconds left on the play clock or as the ball is snapped, whichever happens first.
"I think it's definitely going to be helpful," linebacker Ethan Barr said. "It gives us another element to be able to communicate on the field. If (Roof) wants to give us any tips or reminders real quick, he can do that or just give me the call. Hopefully it helps the whole defense be able to relay the call to be on the same page."
3. Daylan Dotson, Tyreek'e Robinson filling rotation at D-tackle
John Walker's injury absence creates a void in the defensive tackle rotation. Lee Hunter and Ricky Barber return as starters, and Matthew Alexander graded out well in run defense over 360 snaps.
Daylan Dotson and Tyreek'e Robinson were both listed in the second team on UCF's depth chart, surprises on paper for separate reasons. Dotson played an overwhelming majority of his snaps last season at Tennessee-Martin over or outside of the tackle, per PFF. Robinson earned a spot on the Knights' roster as a preferred walk-on despite being viewed as a consensus three-star recruit at Bradenton's Manatee High.
"(Dotson) is a guy that has played inside some," Malzahn said. "When we were watching his film when he went into the portal, he played some 4i (technique) against Georgia and did some good things. He's a guy that is, at least, familiar there.
"When we recruited (Robinson), we thought he had a skill set. I tell the guys, 'I don't care if you're a five-star, a transfer, a walk-on. Everybody's going to get an opportunity.' And he's shown, when he's gotten that opportunity, that he deserves to be in the mix and have a chance. He's still young, and he still has a lot to learn, but he does have a skill set that we think, if he keeps progressing, will be able to help us."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF football: 3 things to watch in Week 1 vs. New Hampshire
