Myles Montgomery ready to lead UCF’s fast-paced offense in 2025
Whether he’s carrying the football or behind the microphone, Myles Montgomery is stepping into the spotlight for UCF in 2025.
The senior running back, who transferred from Cincinnati ahead of the 2024 season, represented the Knights earlier this month at Big 12 Media Day in Texas. During an appearance on Big 12 Radio on TuneIn with hosts Ari Temkin and James Westling, Montgomery talked about his rising profile within the team, his new podcast and what to expect from the UCF offense under Scott Frost.
Leading off, the hosts noticed his camera and asked if he was a photographer.
“I’m vlogging for the UCF page and for my podcast,” Montgomery said.
The podcast, which debuted earlier this summer, is called UCFast Cast. Montgomery is a co-host alongside fellow running back Jaden Nixon.
“We want it to be beyond football. Like you don’t want to just get on there and talk about UCF all day,” Montgomery said. “We want people to know the special guests beyond a helmet. We put some UCF stuff in there, because I mean that’s who’s backing it, but you don’t have to talk football the entire time.”
As for football, Montgomery is dialed in. With RJ Harvey now in the NFL as a second-round pick of the Denver Broncos, Montgomery is expected to be one of the Knights’ primary backs this fall.
“Yeah, I’m ready for it,” Montgomery said of stepping into a starting role.
Montgomery appeared in 10 games last season, rushing for 293 yards on 51 carries, a strong 5.7 yards per attempt. He scored four total touchdowns, including a 49-yard reception.
UCF’s tempo is back
Montgomery confirmed that fans hoping for a return to the tempo-based identity of UCF’s 2017 offense under Frost will not be disappointed.
“We go so fast. It’s impossible for one person to stay in the entire game,” he said. “Everything you remember from like 2017 and all that, it’s coming back.”
That breakneck pace means multiple backs will rotate, Montgomery explained, but the room is “well-rounded” enough to handle it. He described the offensive system as flexible but rooted in Frost’s up-tempo principles.
“We can play the game how it needs to be played,” he said. “Our default, we’ll be going fast, but if we need to slow it down, we can huddle. It’s great having a coach that just came from the NFL so we can perfect all that. But I will say it’s a Scott Frost offense. You know how that goes.”
On the quarterback battle
Asked about UCF’s ongoing quarterback competition, Montgomery smiled and gave a running back’s perspective.
“They all hand the ball off the same way,” he joked. “So I couldn’t care less.”
Montgomery did offer one insight, noting that mobility is a common trait among the contenders, a necessity in Frost’s system.
“All of them can use their legs,” Montgomery said. “I feel like that’s almost mandatory to be in a Scott Frost offense just because it’s so fast and you ask the quarterback to do a lot of things.
Embracing contact — and blocking
Montgomery’s physicality is one of his calling cards. He was graded as UCF’s top run blocker in 2024 and takes pride in doing the dirty work.
“I love blocking,” Montgomery said. “Whether I’m blocking for the runner or the quarterback, that’s something that’s always been in me. I kind of didn’t have a choice. My sophomore year at Cincinnati, I kind of got put in the gauntlet of blocking in every aspect, and that made me a better football player.”
His love of contact goes back to high school.
“If you’ve seen me play, when I get tackled, I don’t sit on the ground for less than a second,” he said. “I love getting back up. I love hitting. I definitely would’ve thrived in the old days when there was a lot more violence.”
Bounce House vibes
Montgomery also shared what it’s like to play in front of UCF’s raucous home crowd at the Bounce House.
“If you’re in our locker room, you can hear them jumping around,” he said. “The locker room is shaking. The doors are shaking. There are students on both ends, so the opposing team can’t run away from it. I like their enthusiasm, their buy-in to UCF Football. They love UCF Football.”
Big fan of MrBeast
Asked who he’d trade places with for a day, Montgomery didn’t hesitate: YouTube star MrBeast.
“I like how he always has those crazy challenges where people win stuff,” Montgomery said. “Some of those seem easy. Like, stay in this Walmart for 24 hours and I’ll give you a half a million dollars. Sign me up.”
