Quarterback battle headlines UCF preseason camp
The biggest question for UCF entering preseason camp is who will start at quarterback. A three-man battle that began in spring camp — Jacurri Brown, Cam Fancher and Tayven Jackson — will continue into the preseason, with redshirt freshman transfer Davi Belfort joining the mix.
Head coach Scott Frost, speaking during his pre-camp press conference, expressed confidence in the group and emphasized that no one has been anointed as the starter.
Frost Confident in Trio of Top Contenders
“Yeah, there’s a saying in football if you have multiple quarterbacks then you don’t have one and I think sometimes that’s true. I don’t feel that way about this team,” Frost said. “We’ve got three guys that did well enough in spring that I feel like if they were our starter I’d feel really good about it.
“We probably designed the offense a little different based on who that quarterback was but all three of them are capable of making us a dangerous team. The sooner it clarifies the better off we’ll be because we’ll be able to get some reps with that guy, more reps with that guy, start to develop continuity, but we’re also not going to anoint anyone.”
Frost added that every snap in camp will be carefully graded.
“I had a meeting with the three the other day and we’re going to grade every single snap, every single play and I told them mostly it’s going to be based on did you make the winning play on that play,” Frost said. “Sometimes that might be a 50-yard completion. Sometimes it might be taking a sack or throwing the ball away. Sometimes it might just be handing the ball off, but I really am going to lean on the guy that puts us in the best position to win by making the right decision in every play.”
Decision Timeline Still Undecided
Frost said he would prefer to name a starter early but is prepared to let the competition play out.
“I would love to make a decision two weeks ago, but to be fair to those guys we’re not ready to because they’ve all done good things, all three of them. Got to mention Davi (Belfort) too. He came in and is doing a really good job, so I feel good about the level of talent,” Frost said.
“Like I said, we’re not going to anoint anyone, so it’s up to those guys to determine it and usually through the course of camp it isn’t just us that knows, they know and the whole team knows and if we get to a point we get to Game One and it’s not clear, then the competition will probably continue, but I think we’re better as a team if somebody steps up and takes it.”
A Fresh Evaluation
The quarterback battle will start from scratch this preseason, according to Frost.
“I told the three quarterbacks we’re kind of going to start with a blank slate now. You know spring was great. I don’t think anybody really emerged, but through spring they were learning. The whole team was learning,” he said.
“Now that everybody’s familiar with what we’re going to do, now’s the right time to really evaluate it and I think it’s the most fair time to really evaluate it. Somebody’s going to have to step up and take it and we’re going to give them opportunities to compete.”
Breaking Down the Quarterback Race
Jacurri Brown (Returner) – A native of Valdosta who originally signed with the Miami Hurricanes. During his freshman season at UM in 2022, Brown played in eight games with two starts. He then redshirted at Miami in 2023, though did start for UM in their Pinstripe Bowl game against Rutgers. In that game, Brown was 20-for-31 passing with one touchdown and one interception.
Brown transferred to UCF last summer, prior to the 2024 season. It was initially believed Brown could potentially backup UCF QB KJ Jefferson, but when Jefferson bombed as starting QB UCF looked to other options, and Brown got an opportunity as he played in nine games while starting two games.
At UCF in 2024, Brown completed 35-of-67 passes for 398 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. He also rushed 53 times for 401 yards and four touchdowns. He struggled passing the ball, particularly in his start at Iowa State. In that game, Brown completed just 8-of-20 passes for 62 yards and two interceptions. Shortly thereafter, UCF made another change at QB as Dylan Rizk took over and started UCF’s final four games.
Brown is regarded as a physical specimen with a strong arm and tremendous athleticism that makes him a talented running QB. He is 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. If he can improve on his passing accuracy and decision making, he has the tools to be a great QB.
Frost has complimented Brown for the progress he made throughout spring.
Cam Fancher (Transfer from FAU) – Of the primary contenders, Fancher has the most experience. He began his career at Marshall (2021-23) and spent one year at FAU (2024) before transferring to UCF in the spring of 2025 for his final year of college eligibility.
A member of the Class of 2021, originally from Huber Heights, Ohio, Fancher redshirted his first season at Marshall.
In 2022 at Marshall, Fancher appeared in all 13 games and took over as starter midway through the season. He went 6-1 as a starter, which included winning the final five games of the season. He finished the season 131-for-235 for 1,558 yards with ten touchdowns and six interceptions. He was also Marshall’s second-leading rusher, adding 466 yards and a touchdown.
In 2023, Fancher appeared and started in 10 games at Marshall. He led the Thundering Herd to a 5-5 record, including a 4-0 start, putting them on track for bowl eligibility for the seventh consecutive season. He finished the season with career highs in completion percentage (65.6%), passing yards (2,162), and touchdowns (11). He added four rushing touchdowns and 273 yards on the ground.
In 2024, his only season at FAU, Fancher was voted as one of the team’s four co-captains. He played in nine games before a season-ending injury, completing 126-of-212 attempts for 1,528 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions.
In total, Fancher has started 26 games at QB in three prior seasons. The other UCF QB contenders have significantly less starting experience. Tayven Jackson has started 6 games in his career, while Jacurri Brown has started 5.
Frost has said his performance at FAU was not indicative of his talent; the Owls suffered a lot of injuries on offense and had issues with protection.
Tayven Jackson (Transfer from Indiana) – A native of Greenwood, Indiana and a former four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, Jackson recruited by now-UCF head coach Scott Frost when Frost was at Nebraska, though Jackson opted to initially sign with Josh Heupel at Tennessee. He spent one year in Knoxville before transferring to Indiana where he played the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
In 2023, Jackson appeared in seven games with five starts. He completed 78-of-128 passes for 914 yards and two touchdowns with five interceptions.
In 2024, Jackson appeared in five games with one start vs. Washington, passing for 349 yards on 23-of-37 attempts. He also had three rushing touchdowns. 2024 was a banner year for the Indiana program as they advanced to the College Football Playoff. Jackson was the backup to Kurtis Rourke.
Davi Belfort (Transfer from Virginia Tech) – A former four-star prospect in the Class of 2024, Belfort transferred to UCF this summer after spending one redshirt season at Virginia Tech. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Belfort played high school football at Davie (Fla.) Western where he accumulated 3,115 total yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior on his way to All-State honors.
