McKenzie Milton evaluates UCF’s ongoing quarterback battle

The most pressing question of UCF’s 2025 preseason camp remains unanswered: Who will emerge as the Knights’ starting quarterback?

After a spring battle between Jacurri Brown, Cam Fancher, and Tayven Jackson, that competition has carried over into August with the addition of a fourth name, Davi Belfort, a redshirt freshman transfer from Virginia Tech.

And according to quarterbacks coach McKenzie Milton, all four are bringing something unique to the table.

“I don’t know who it’s going to be,” Milton said at UCF’s recent media day. “But I wouldn’t feel confident in one of these guys to go help us win if we hadn’t put in a lot of work this offseason. These guys, they busted their butts in the weight room, in the film room, and I feel like whoever ends up winning the job is going to give us a chance to go have success.”

Poise, Command and Winning Plays

Milton, himself a former UCF QB under Scott Frost, emphasized that the evaluation process is about more than just raw talent. The deciding factors will be poise, command and the ability to consistently make winning plays, especially when the lights come on.

“The best guy is going to win the job,” Milton said. “We’re just looking for guys to make productive plays, take care of the football. That’s really what’s going to decide these things.”

With no firm timeline for a decision, Milton says the process will continue until there’s clarity.

“When we know, we’ll know who our guy is,” he added. “I’m hoping they make it easy on us, but I think they’re going to make it harder on us than we want it to be.”

Comparing the Quarterbacks

Each quarterback brings a different level of experience and skillset:

Cam Fancher, the most experienced of the group, transferred in from FAU this past spring and has taken on a leadership role.

“Cam’s been a pillar of consistency from the time he’s gotten here,” Milton said. “What I’d like to see from him is just assert himself, be a little more vocal.”

Milton praised Fancher’s football IQ, saying he “kind of sees it as a coach.”

Jacurri Brown, a former Miami Hurricane, is known for his athleticism. Milton says his accuracy, once seen as a concern, has taken major strides.

“100 percent, he’s gotten leaps and bounds better from the time we got here,” Milton said. “I want to see consistency in operating, throwing the ball accurately and making winning plays.”

Tayven Jackson, a transfer from Indiana and former four-star recruit, stands out for his arm talent.

“He can spin the ball,” Milton said. “What I want to see the most is a look in his eye that he wants to be great every day. He’s getting better at that.”

Jackson has also impressed with his curiosity and desire to grow. “He asked me the other day, ‘How should I watch film?’” Milton noted.

Davi Belfort, the newest addition, may be a longshot in this battle, but he’s turning heads with his rapid assimilation.

“Davi is a dynamic athlete,” Milton said. “But more than anything, his attitude, effort, and how quickly he picked up the playbook really impressed me. He’s got a really bright future.”

Shared Strengths, Unique Traits

Despite their differences, Milton sees common ground across the board.

“They can all ad-lib. They can all run. They’re all very cerebral,” he said. “Cam’s obviously played the most ball. The other three guys on scholarship in the room really haven’t played much at all, but they can all throw it. They can all run. That’s the kind of guys we try to recruit here.

“So we’ll see how it all plays out, but they all have the ability to do what we want from an offensive standpoint.”

From a leadership perspective, Milton sees progress.

“I’ll start with the oldest, Cam, just being a professional, coming to work every day. And then JB, he’s always got a look in his eye like he wants to be great. And then Tayven, you know, asking smart questions, speaking up when he feels conviction on a play to get guys right. And I would even say Davi, just the way he’s attacked the summer grind and getting here in June and picking up the playbook like that.

“All these guys, they’ve got different personalities, but I think they all have what it takes to go be a dude.”

Simulating Game Pressure

With no clear frontrunner yet, UCF hopes to create enough simulated pressure in practice to determine who rises to the occasion.

“It’s hard to say unless we put these guys in a live situation what it’s going to be,” Milton said. “Everyone has a different skill set, and you really don’t know what you’ve got until the lights are on.”

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