Buckle Up: Huge offseason ahead for UCF Football
The most important offseason in UCF history is officially underway.
The team got home from Utah very late Saturday night, and the staff was back at work Sunday. With the season now behind them, the focus shifts fully to roster management, recruiting, the transfer portal and staff decisions (the offensive line coach hire). I’ll be diving deeper into each of these areas in the coming days.
Roster Management
The wheels have already been turning here. Who do you prioritize to keep? Who do you let walk?
It’s infinitely more complicated in the era of revshare and player compensation. In the “old days” of the 2010s and earlier, there was a general expectation that players would remain in the program for most of their careers. Scholarships were technically renewed annually, but as long as a player met the basic standards (academics, attendance, staying out of trouble) they almost always returned.
Now, with only one transfer portal window, every school needs to have a firm grasp on its roster before January. Deals will be made (if they haven’t already) over the next couple of weeks.
“To be honest, (conversations have) started already,” Scott Frost said after the BYU game. “The game’s in a bad place— agents have been shopping kids to other teams for the last six weeks. So I hope we’ve created a good enough environment in our building that kids like being in that we have a lot of kids that want to stay.
“Certainly (monetary) numbers can change that, if there’s something that our team just can’t match… And that’s too much of a primary driver of what kids are doing and where they’re going. We certainly have some players on our team that we’re excited to build around. And I think they feel the same.”
Recruiting
Early Signing Day for high school players begins Wednesday and runs through Friday. UCF currently has 13 commitments, one of the smallest classes in the Big 12. Colorado has 10, while Oklahoma State (which only recently hired a coach) has just six. West Virginia leads the conference with 31 commits.
Portal additions will be a major focus, obviously, but I’m keeping an eye out for any potential late high school additions as coaching changes create movement across the country.
Transfer Portal
The portal doesn’t formally open for FBS/FCS players until Jan. 2, but expect plenty of news throughout December as players announce their intent to enter. Agents will be negotiating deals and arranging January visits. The portal though is open for Division II players, and they are allowed to take visits and sign this month.
Offensive Line Coach
Frost wants the best possible hire, and ideally that coach is available to start immediately to help close out UCF’s high school OL class, and potentially add to it. If news doesn’t come quickly, it likely means Frost is targeting a coach on a bowl team.
Stay tuned to UCFSports.com
No one will cover this offseason more thoroughly. For breaking news and the fastest updates on roster, portal, recruiting and staff moves, UCFSports.com and On3 will have you covered.
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