Where does UCF football quarterback competition stand in spring camp?

• UCF has four experienced quarterbacks competing for the starting position.
• The quarterbacks vying for the starting job are Dylan Rizk, Jacurri Brown, Tayven Jackson, and Cam Fancher.
• The competition for the starting quarterback position is expected to continue into fall camp.

Four experienced college passers. One coveted starting spot.

UCF entered spring camp with open competition at the sport’s most important position. Approaching the halfway point, and ahead of Saturday’s practice in front of the fans, the situation remains the same.

“I wouldn’t say one guy, in particular, has stood out. Each guy flashes, and then each guy makes a bonehead play that we’ve got to clean up. It’s still early in this process,” UCF first-year QBs coach McKenzie Milton said Thursday.

“Two things you can always control; that’s your attitude and your effort. These guys have come in with the right attitude every day, and they’ve been busting their butts out there. Still a lot to clean up from all five guys in the room, including myself as a coach.”

UCF Knights football: For veteran defensive line, violence is encouraged

Head coach Scott Frost retained two of UCF’s incumbents upon his hiring in December, Dylan Rizk and Jacurri Brown, and filled out the QB room with a pair of transfers — Tayven Jackson (Indiana) and Cam Fancher (Florida Atlantic). The quartet has shared reps evenly during the media-open portions of practices since camp broke March 11.

“Everybody wants to be the guy and, fairly, that’s what we all signed up for,” Jackson said. “Everyone gets the same amount of reps in spring ball. We’ll see who comes out with it, but it’s healthy competition.”

Quarterback instability plagued UCF throughout 2024. KJ Jefferson largely underwhelmed in five starts, and Gus Malzahn rotated through then-17-year-old freshman EJ Colson (now at Purdue), Brown and Rizk as the Knights spiraled to eight losses in their final nine games.

Rizk made the last four starts and notched the final win of Malzahn’s tenure with a Space Game showcase against Arizona. The Delray Beach native threw for 294 yards, rushed for 50 and contributed three touchdowns, including a highlight-reel Hail Mary on the final play before halftime.

“I’ll probably remember that for the rest of my life. It was a great game — Space U Game, starting, that was awesome. We gave them a good whoopin’,” said Rizk, who completed 61.5% of his throws but was picked off twice for touchdowns. “From then to now, I’ve grown as a football player — adapting to this new staff and to these new players because the transfer portal is crazy nowadays. … Going day by day, learning how people react to certain things. That has definitely been a growth.”

Brown did most of his damage last season as a runner, totaling 401 yards (5.9 per attempt) and four touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound redshirt junior believes he can find another level as a passer under Frost.

“I would say in my past years I didn’t have a lot of confidence out there, kind of just freelancing. Now, it’s no pressure,” Brown said. “I know what I’m doing. I know my reads. I take the play in my head, go through (progressions), take the snap and it’s better, just throwing the ball with confidence.”

Jackson served as Indiana’s backup last year as the Hoosiers surprisingly crashed the College Football Playoff, though he guided the Hoosiers to a home win over Washington filling in for the injured Kurtis Rourke last October. The 6-foot-4, 212-pound redshirt junior went 23 for 37 for 349 yards, four TDs and one interception, and he rushed for 73 yards and three scores on 15 carries.

Frost pursued Jackson as a high school recruit while at Nebraska and was the first to call the dual-threat once he hit the portal following the conclusion of Indiana’s season.

“Our relationship was really good when he was at Nebraska. I kind of knew what I wanted from a coach, and he was that guy,” Jackson said. “I had Coach Frost as a head coach, and (Milton) as a quarterbacks coach. That’s really all you need to be an elite quarterback in college football. Right when I found out KZ was coming here, I thought this might be home. I visited for about two hours and made the decision.”

Of the Knights’ four competing QBs, Fancher has the most starting experience — and by some distance.

Fancher, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound left-handed redshirt senior, has played in 34 FBS games with Marshall and FAU. He’s a career 60.6% passer, totaling 5,294 yards with 27 touchdowns compared to 23 interceptions. On the ground, he has added 1,122 yards (3.4 per carry) with eight scores.

“I feel like all of us, top to bottom, can snipe for sure, including KZ. He gets in there sometimes, and you can still see that he has that zip on that ball,” Fancher said. “All of us can sling it, all of us can extend and all of us can make plays. I feel like that’s our greatest attributes. We’re point guards out there that can distribute it to our guys.”

Harmony in the room and healthy competition among peers sounds great on paper. But the reality of college football is that no quarterback wants to settle for a spot on the sidelines.

UCF’s projected QB2 in each of the previous two springs departed via the second portal window, Thomas Castellanos and Timmy McClain — to Boston College and Arkansas State, respectively. This year’s second window runs from April 16-25.

Milton, asked whether he would entertain adding further competition next month, instead will aim to keep his room together.

“You put me in a tough spot there, but I really don’t want to (add), in all honesty,” Milton said. “We have five guys in our room, and if guys end up leaving, it is what it is; your hand’s kind of forced to have a full room.”

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