UCF Football 2024 Season Preview | Schedule Prediction

Intro welcome back to another episode of rock boys football deal a team that we are fired up about heading into 2024 this UCF program Gus MZ on going and getting KJ Jefferson this UCF offense is gonna put up a lot of points on the board and I think the big question for UCF is we know the floor is relatively High when you can put up points like UCF can put up points you're gonna win a lot of football games I think the question is what is the ceiling for this UCF team heading into 2024 if this defense takes a step you're looking at one of the more dangerous teams that we see in the Big 12 going to get into the step chart talk about where we like this UCF team where we have some question marks then take a look at the schedule give our cealing give our floor for this UCF team fired up to get into it before we do it as always just want to say thank you to you guys and many of y'all who've been rocking with the fellas for the last couple of years know that you know preseason predictions these are some of the things that we love to do the most can't thank you guys enough for rocking with the boys if yall do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel more importantly for the UCF fans whether we're leaving some players out that we need to add to our notebook or just you want to throw in your schedule prediction for this UCF team drop it down in the comments section we always learn a ton from you guys in the comments and D without further Ado I Offense think we got to start with this UCF offense a UCF offense that at least in my mind is fascinating where it was phenomenal in 2023 but I think they can take some massive steps in 2024 you dig into some of the numbers this was UCF offense that averaged almost seven yards per play that was top eight in the country but only 29.9 points per game which was 40th in the country because they were so bad in the Red Zone last year I think before we even get into the names on this offense if UCF can just clean it up a little bit in the Red Zone this is an offense that takes a step in 2024 and I also think they obviously did that with quarterback being a little bit of a an issue from a health standpoint obviously joh R Plumley when he was on the field was good but by the end of the year he just felt like that season was wearing on him and they asked that quarterback position to do a lot in the Run game and I think you kind of look having KJ Jefferson I just think he's far more yeah fit to do it I mean 6 foot three 250 pounds been kind of doing it for his whole college career just taking a beating being really physical so I think again I I just feel like he's a bit of a better fit not re plumley's a very good player obviously turn the ball over too much but I think you look KJ Jefferson coming in I just think he'll be in a much more sustainable position to kind of L that whole season under what Gus Maan wants to do perfect fit in this UCF offense and you start taking a look at the backfield for UCF Gus melan obviously gets really dynamic in terms of how he wants to run the football I think this might be one of his best back fields that he's ever seen right KJ Jefferson we know what he can do with the football on his hand RJ Harvey a top five running back in the country in my opinion you pair him up with Penny Boon that's about as violent and as big and as physical of a backfield that you'll see in the country ucf's goingon to run the football a lot and you can kind of just see them grinding down some opposing defenses and I kind of piggybacking from what you were saying with plumbley and KJ Jefferson I felt like at times UCF could not use the quarterback run game as much as they would have liked because plumbley couldn't couldn't really take the uh the beating that KJ Jefferson probably can take going into 2024 so I think you even see a little bit more of an aggressive approach in terms of how we're going to use the quarterback because we say it all the time with KJ Jefferson we're less worried about KJ Jefferson getting banged up we're a little bit more worried about the linebackers that are trying to tackle KJ Jefferson getting banged up so I and that quarterback run such an essential part of what Gus melan does I feel like it sets up some of his again like explosive plays in a lot of ways like you kind of see him getting guys out of position in them being able whether it's with wide receivers whether it's with running backs being able to take advantage of those moments and hit those big plays which was such a staple of what he did at UCF last year but also if you just go back through Gus M On's career that's kind of what he does so again not having that element in your game with that quarterback run I think it's huge I think it disrupts everything you wants to do and you look at how UCF structures their offense I mean we just spent the first five minutes talking about the rushing attack which was a top 10 unit in the country last year averaged 5.7 yards per carry that was number three in the country very effective Run game hard to see that taking a step back in 2024 but I think what makes this us UCF team kind of so intriguing is when they do decide to throw the football which is not very often it was one of the more run heavy offenses that we saw in the country D they pushed the ball down the field you look at UCF they only threw the ball what 43% of the time but they were 9.1 yards per pass attemp that was number 11 in the country the recipe for UCF we are going to run the football make you as a defense start rolling your safeties into the box to stop our rushing attack and then we're going to push the ball down the field and make some explosive plays and you look at how the UCF pass catch room is constructed it is constructed to make big plays right Kobe Hudson coming back averaged over 20 yards per catch last year you're bringing a guy in jacobe Jones who is 63 225 pounds averages 17 yards per catch perfect fit in this UCF offense you add a J hall as a preferred walk- on another big physical wide receiver that can work vertically down the field I feel like UCF has you know all the pieces kind of put in place for this UCF offense to be elite in 2024 yeah I don't want to overlook the jacobe Jones kind of addition because I think you look they have you look at what Xavier Townson and Kobe Hudson want to do they are much more guys like you see they want them to get them in space both really really Dynamic with the ball can make guys miss I think that's kind of how they drum up their explosiveness but again I do think with KJ Jefferson and the arm strength he kind of brings probably compared to what you had last year I think you wanted a better more capable downfield threat let's say a guy who really is good working vertical big physical fast that's kind of what you get with jacobe Jones I think he rounds out that that receiver unit that frankly if you don't have him you're looking at just a bunch of guys you kind of want to not just work underneath but like get the ball in space and let them go work and it felt like UCF was looking for that wide receiver three like last year in the passing attack it was Javon Baker Kobe Hudson or not a ton going I'm a big fan of Xavier Thomson I think going into year three you see him play a little bit of a a larger role you're bring in red shirt seeing your javarius Johnson D I think the last thing we got to talk about is the offensive line which I think the floor is just so high for this unit I mean you look at the projected starting offensive line red Shir senior red Shir senior senior red sh senior so many guys have just played a ton of football during their Collegiate careers you feel good that this offensive line is going to be solid at the very least potentially a very good offensive line in the Big 12 now D you start talking Defense about this UCF team reaching their potential in 2024 it falls on the defensive side of the football wasn't great last year specifically against the run I mean they gave up over five yards per carry that was 114th in the country deal they gave up over 200 rushing yards per game I mean inexcusable and I think you can tell where UCF wanted this defense to get better because you look at just the names on the defensive line Lee Hunter Ricky Barber you got true sophomore Johnny Walker who was very good coming out of high school I I look at the defensive line and say I feel pretty good about what that unit is it's pretty clear what Gus melan wanted to improve and that was the linebacker room which was largely a disaster last year you're bring Ethan bar a red shirt Senor you're bringing Josiah uh Pierre excuse me from Texas Tech a red shirt senior you're bringing Alexander from Idaho they got a lot of names in the Lineback room and if this unit can kind of take a step in the right direction I think UCF can get a little bit better against the run which is going to mean massive things for this UCF defense I wouldn't Overlook the fact that they turned over that defensive coaching staff a little bit because frankly I look that that team's too good up front especially in defensive line they have a handful of guys I think you really can believe in obviously led by Hunter and barber and to be that kind of inept against the run I think it's a little surprising and I don't know if that's how they're coaching that defense to work whether they're because it just felt like there were big creases too bad too often and too many big plays so again I mean those two guys should be able to sit in holes be tough be physical against the run I think they can play that way so again I think the combination to adding a handful of really veteran guys like Ethan bar and Jah here are both really really good players those are the two guys I'm kind of looking for to like set the tone if you will in that room and you combine them with a good defensive line there's no reason they shouldn't be a solid unit against I'm not gonna say they're gonna be like Georgia but they should be good enough they should I'm kind of with you and I think you made a really good point with some of the coaching staff changes I look at that UCF team on paper last year and say no way that's a team that struggles against the run like they did but but that was the case I think a lot of it did have to do with the coaching staff as opposed to the Personnel because Personnel wasn't wasn't liability type stuff in the front seven for UCF they just didn't play to their potential against the in the Lineback room like I'm not going to defend them to the end of the Earth I didn't think that was great football and I think you mentioned it but they do clean it up they obviously make the coaching staff changes you got to think at the end of the day that all comes together to create a solid unit and then you look at the back end I mean that unit those transfers they're bring in there's a handful guys who are like awesome I mean larius Tennison I don't know why our lad's saying he's a backup he's going to play a ton of football I think he is a really really good safety and then the other guy I love is Brandon Adams I think you look at a long long athletic really good cover cornerback I think that's a really pretty solid unit they're solid last year so I think that unit's gonna kind of hold serve if you will yeah and two guys that I want to mention in the secondary specifically stopping the run as well Des Shawn Pace lerus Tennyson I mean those are guys that excel in the Box being physical so again you have some pieces even in in the back end that might be able to help that run defense a little bit another guy kind of off the Beaten Track but kind of reading some spring notes true freshman Jason Johnson sounds like he's gonna be a guy that's going to contribute de I think we both feel pretty dang good about this UCF secondary but again you got to be able to stop the run especially in a Big 12 Conference where there's a lot of really good running backs there's a lot of good rushing offenses if UCF wants to be a team that competes in the Big 12 you have to be able to stop the run in 2024 getting into the schedule I think kind of a fascinating schedule you take a Schedule look your first three games New Hampshire Sam Houston at home those should be wins you go on the road at TCU we just talked about this match up a little bit it's probably a tossup game but you lean UCF even though you're on the road at night you go into your bye you get Colorado at home D those first three games are massive if you can go three and 0 going into your bye and then you host color coach Prime in the bouns house it doesn't get any roudier than UCF at home against Colorado might be a Prime Time game and if you can get through that one you're going on the road to the Florida Gator which is the epitome of a tossup game it's really hard to win on the road in the swamp but I think this UCF team with the with the rushing offense at least in my mind they're capable of being a lot of football teams in this 2024 year well yeah there's just not games I don't think on their schedule that they like I just up that's l i mean look when you score the way they're going to score and I think again you upgraded the talent probably in many ways on that offensive side of the ball you obviously another year in that system I Gus Milan's really really good I think when they're gonna score it's it's gonna be tough for every team to match up with him again I defense that should shut this team out by any means you talk about playing well on the road a running games travel if you can run the football that travel is on the road so you talk about going on the road to Florida if there's a way to make that Stadium go quiet awfully quick it is running for 100 yards in the first quarter which UCF is certainly capable of and Florida is really bad against the run last year Cincinnati at home should be a win on the road at Iowa State is one of those tossup games that you kind of just get a feeling that might be one of those games that kind of swings the Big 12 rankings BYU at home that should be a win I think the biggest thing that I want to kind of point out before we close out is you see these two last couple games Arizona Utah those are probably your biggest Big 12 matchups you get them both at home two West Coast teams that have to travel all the way down to Orlando Florida again they're tossup games but if you're asking UCF especially if this is a team that can get off to a good start kind of be six and one five and two heading in down the stretch it's going to be a Rowdy environment those are competitive games down the stretch those games will be absolutely rocking I mean that environment is going to be about as tough as you'll see in the Big 12 I think and that'll be a huge thing obviously if you start slow and and those games are a little sleepy that can happen that happens to everyone but if they're in it for the thick of things for that conference title yes possibly a playoff spot I mean that that environment is gonna be un that's why I think the beginning of the season a getable early schedule is so big I mean if you can be in the Big 12 title race down the stretch when you host Arizona when you host Utah those games can go any direction especially with how UCF can run the football and score points fast fascinating team a team that we're both high on heading into the Big 12 it's always difficult to predict games in the Big 12 we did our best still I have the floor at seven and5 I think it's an awfully High floor with how UCF can run the football the ceiling I got a 10- two potentially a big 12 title appearance we'll cut it there appreciate you guys rocking with the fellas if y'all do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel we'll talk to y'all later