UCF Football: QB KJ Jefferson amped for Week 1

all right KJ I mean the moment's almost here you've been working for this season opener for the last eight months or so just how excited are you to go out there and begin your final season of college football I'm looking forward to it uh just main thing just make sure I'm being consistent um through our practice through our game week uh just make sure I'm bringing a sense of urgency to the team uh so makeing sure that we are we prepared and uh when that time comes on Thursday that we'll be ready to uh showcase our talent what we've been working so hard for in offseason for you personally how how excited are you but hitting the field again after being you know here sidelined for a couple months you know with with the offseason workouts how excited are you to get back on the field I'm scream decided uh I know it's going to be an elite atmosphere uh in the bounce house so I'm looking forward to that and also just looking forward to just being out there and uh getting hit again you know just uh offseason not getting hit Spring not getting hit uh fall Camp not getting hit so just really ready to uh get tackle uh get that feeling back and just I mean football's back so great just talking to you KJ obvious the excitement's obvious no nobody's fooled that you're excited or anything like that but going into this opening week trying to eliminate mental error is a big part of what coach has been saying how do you uh keep that in line going into week one and keep from getting too hype getting in uh just main thing is just uh leadership at the quarterback position just making sure that uh guys understand what we're trying to accomplish on the offens side of the ball and just also knowing just being dialed in I mean the main thing come down and focus uh just make sure that we are locked in and died in each play uh starting from the sideline getting the signal make make sure everybody's getting a signal we're alert uh the main thing we take care of just being urgent uh I mean the main thing we be urgent more urgent than our opponent I feel like that'll just help with us being more down in and more focused so we can eliminate all those mental mistakes there anything special you do for yourself to find that focus in again uh I mean really just be in the mode really I'm just in a different mindset of just making sure that I'm being a uh extensive uh coach on the field so I mean that plays a part in just me knowing that well just died in what the coach is going to call in certain situations or down in distance I'm already aware of the play that he may be potentially F to call so I can just also with that being just help guys get lined up faster as well is is there something you feel you have to prove this season uh to myself uh that's I mean that's the main thing I want to prove to myself that uh I belong uh that uh just just upcoming years is big for me just setting up for me being at the next level and just showcasing my talents and what I've been working on and perfect my craft and uh making sure that I'm focusing harking on those weaknesses that I do have that I do need to get better at that uh I've been working on all offseason and things like that so just me proving to myself uh just the main thing this upcoming uh year for me what are you trying to work on you said improve uh just becoming a student of the game I mean just I mean I have the physical uh attributes and mental just making sure I'm taking the next step in being a student whether that's more film room more uh game plan with Coach uh just doing different things like that that at the quarterback position that you need so when it's game time I'm prepared I I know what the defense is going to do I know they're trying to disguise them I know what they're trying to bring and I'm I'm already two steps ahead basically so just make sure that I'm becoming more of a a student of the game rather than just going out there playing on athleticism and talent speaking of the film room and game planning what have you noticed from the New Hampshire defense uh they fly around uh um all 11 hats to the ball I mean they play screaming hard they got some great guys on it on this side out of the ball so it's going to come down to us being uh the most disciplined team uh more physical as well but those guys they play extremely hard after about a month's worth of practices in scrimmage how would you evaluate the Rhythm uh and the way the tempo you guys have played with offensively what what level of sharpness do you think you're at uh we're um I'll say that we we on the right track I don't want to say that we're 100% there yet I want to say that we're building to that 100% uh so each and every day we come out uh we just trying to get 1% better I mean we take it one play at a time we don't try to get too far ahead of ourselves so we just taking one play at a time just make sure that we're building a foundation and make sure that we're heading in the right direction with uh building those blocks to make sure we have a sturdy Foundation KJ what are some aspects of your game you feel like has improved under your first season so far with Coach Malon I know you mentioned coming out of high school he was a coach that you were looking to play for didn't get that opportunity but now that you're here what are some things that coach has done for you to help your game to kind of get you ready for not only this season but the next level as well I would say uh just time timing and anticipation on different routes and uh different concepts uh just me being able to get through my reads and progressions a lot quicker than uh I have in the past so I think that's helped me a whole lot and help set me up for next year uh at the next level as well just being able to just get through reads and uh anti work on anticipation would you say that's more coach maone or coach hen Shaw I would say uh it's it's a little bit of both uh coach h i mean being here he was a quarterback here and played at the next level so he know what it looked like as well and coach ma that and Coach guys that have had the opportunity to play at the next level so it's a little bit of both uh all three of us we we work in unison uh just make sure that we all just coming together and make sure they're they're putting their all their wisdom into me and that I'm going out there and executing at a very high level you talked about wanting to prove something to yourself but obviously there's a lot of noise surrounding this team what's your guys's message in the locker room try do you want to prove something to the college football landscape and show that you guys are one of the top teams in the country uh just I I mean to answer your question I mean just model just TNT just toughness in together I mean I mean just us just being able to just come in and bond uh just had that chemistry like coach talked about that chemistry when we out there on the field that I mean we out there all fighting for the same thing and that we are heading in the right direction that no one get steered away or negativity comes into the locker room or on the sideline we just want to keep positive vibes and make sure that we're heading and trended in the right direction it can be a big adjustment coming to a new team and the in your last season so what who who and what other people have meant to you that have helped you grow and get comfortable here in Orlando uh I would say my teammates for sure uh me being a transfer guy uh coming in and trying to establish myself first and foremost and just my teammates just being able to just be there for me and uh when things are not going good at practice where uh things may happen and they're the first ones over to uh uh help uplift me make sure that I'm keeping my uh mindset and my body language uh up to the standard cuz I mean at a quarterback position everybody looks to you so just make sure I'm having good great body language uh make sure I'm encouraging guys cuz I mean encouragement can go a long way uh cuz you never know what a person is going through or what adversity that they are faced with at practice so just make sure I'm encouraging guys and make sure I'm being vocal in their leadership role you've mentioned physicality a few a few times already today how important is that to is that the identity that you want this team to have and how important is it to kind of establish your phys your physicality this team's physicality on offense to to build the way you guys want to build oh for sure I mean physicality I mean once you cut on the film and you see a team that's extremely physical it kind of uh it kind of put fear in in the other in the opponent just uh see that guys just being physical they're desperate uh desperate to win desperate to win oneon-one so just having a team like we have that's desperate and we've been focused on it so much just being physical being physical I mean that's the main thing we want to go out there and just uh just prove that we are dominant football team you and trun have both talked about a bond between each other with the state of Mississippi he obviously got named a starter today how happy does that make you and what's he going to bring to this team who you say now uh Trent what okay yeah uh oh yeah Trent I mean savy guy I mean we call him the savy veteran uh just with Trent I mean he just he's he's always in the right place at the right time he uh has a great sense of football IQ uh so we always connecting and talking out the plays or a route that he ran and things that we always connecting like hey he hey I'm going run it like this so I mean he's just a guy that always just in the right place at the right time and guys look up to Trent as well uh just having train who's a a humble we call I I call him a humble Beast I mean because he's extremely humble passionate but it also got that that fire to him as well coach mentioned that earlier that he's looking for the defense to make some hits to make the crowd go woo you want to bring some of that to the offensive side uh I'm going try to get down this year man I I I mean I'm going bring a little physicality uh I mean just that's just how I play at the quarterback position cuz I mean a lot of guys don't expect that from the quarterback position to bring just that physicality but uh I'm going try to be smart this year uh not take unnecessary hits uh just getting out of bounds being smart with my body I mean we got a long season ahead so not being able to just go out there and just throw my body around just so just being smart and make sure that I'm doing what I in in times and situations where I need to get a first down and then we it'll change the whole momentum of the game the whole so I mean I do that but other than that just being smart and make sure that I'm getting out of bounds and stuff like that KJ how is like the bonding going with so many different running backs so many different wide receivers coming from this school that school some guys that been here how do you feel like the bonding is coming with the offensive weapons that this team has on it already uh just things that we do off the field I mean we always together we're hanging out uh doing cookoffs doing different thing having NCAA tournaments just makeing sure that we all together just not on the field but off the field as well so just uh establishing each other knowing each other's why uh because I mean once you get into battle get into war you want to know why that person go so hard for you and you want to know what what's what's motivating what's driving them so just being able to have those type of bonds and those type of relationships and activities that we do outside of football then then when it do gets when it's grind time we on the field we knows what what what's get them going so just different things of that nature KJ what would be a successful performance for you on Thursday uh just getting into for my for myself or a team for yourself my uh just getting in the Rhythm early uh establishing myself early getting in the Rhythm early uh keep the momentum on our side and uh just make sure that I connect on uh uh shots and things of that nature so just making sure that we I'm just make sure that I'm being more um vocal and leading in the right direction and just coming out and starting fast and make sure I have that sense of urgency that I need to have that'll triggle down to the team yeah um uh first of all I hope I have the right tie for the student of the game as you were talking about that earlier but um with all that in mind um heading into this um heading into the game and doing all of that heading into the season this is the first year with the extended college football playoff I know your focus is on New Hampshire and rightly so but how much have you and your uh your fellow teammates been talking about that at all in the offseason leading into this game is that something you guys were thinking about well it was I mean we looked at it uh from the Georgia uh tick and Florida State game they just kept showing it different things so it just shows that we have a shot I mean we just have a shot we just got to go out there and um don't overlook no opponent uh go into each in every game with a perfect mindset and prepare the right way and then just come out there and just play UCF brand football and we'll come out on top KJ coach said you guys were following Lake Mary for somebody that's new to the community to see how everybody is wrapped around that is it kind of motivating that you guys are about to embark on some goals that you've set and how cool it would be for the community to jump on you guys just like that uh that's a big deal uh shouts out the uh Lake mayor and the Lily leag team uh that's a huge huge honor as well uh for those guys to set out a a goal and to accomplish that goal and like you said for the community to Rally around those guys and for our upcoming season we want the same thing for the community to Rally around us as well just leading up to the uh Thursday and on from then on on the Saturday is just makeing sure that we're coming out and playing UCL brand football and just getting up getting established first and then make sure that we get the community to Rally around us as well as we go on our journey to accomplish our goals as well St