Scott Frost: Year 2 at UCF ‘feels a lot better’

UCF head coach Scott Frost joined Big 12 Today with Ari Temkin and Taylor McHargue during last week’s Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas. During the interview, Frost discussed why Year 2 of his return to UCF feels different, the “exciting” addition of quarterback Alonza Barnett III, the improved roster depth, the offensive line under AJ Blazek, and how UCF approached the transfer portal with a focus on returning production and high-character players. Here’s everything he had to say: How much different is this year for you than maybe a year ago, even though this isn’t different in terms of the school? “It’s a lot different. Year 2s are always better than Year 1s. I think last year was a uniquely tough Year 1 with the spring transfer portal, with the portal open when new coaches got jobs. “I just got done telling the story about how I walked from my press conference to my office for the first time and had somebody waiting in the office who represented one of the players on the team. I didn’t even know who the player was yet, and they were trying to negotiate right then. “This year, we were able to get to know our team, know which kids are about the right things and which kids we wanted to retain. We did a really good job of that, and then adding around them. We have guys in the building who understand where we’re trying to go and our approach to doing it. Players and coaches in Year 2 feels a lot better.” Coach, talk to us about Alonza Barnett. “Alonza has been great. He came in, and we’re really excited about him. “Even during the season, as we were doing our prep to get ready for the portal, you can’t say enough about guys who just find a way to win and are winners. He’s obviously played a lot of football and won a lot of games. “We were really careful with him through spring. There was a little bit of anxiety with me watching the team out there without who is going to be our clear-cut leader on offense. But he got integrated with the team right after spring ball, and we’ve had a chance to have some OTAs and see him do some things. “Man, he looks good. We’re excited.” This is really your first full season being able to evaluate your roster how you want, and then evaluate the portal. Specifically at quarterback, what do you look for? What’s most important when you’re talking about bringing somebody in? “I could talk about that for a long time, but I think the quarterback position is mis-evaluated as much as any other position at every level. “There’s no substitute for guys who are winners. I think the intangibles at the quarterback position are just as important as the tangibles, and they get overlooked. Alonza has that in spades.” My opinion has always been that if I were a GM, I would go toward the known product — if they played and won, even if it’s at a lower level, FCS or Group of Five. To me, that has always had better success than maybe taking a flyer. Not to say that doesn’t also work, but when you talk about being a winner, what is it about that? “I don’t know, man. Some guys have it. Some don’t. “I think it’s confidence and leadership ability. I think it’s competitiveness, but I think it’s also processing ability and guys who are able to see the field and make quick decisions. “Even if they don’t have all the physical attributes, those guys can be better than guys who can throw a football through a wall but don’t process the information as quickly. That’s hard to see on tape, but you’ve got to watch a lot.” This time around back at UCF, what do you feel like is different? Is there anything from your success the first time around that you’ve tried to implement, and is there anything you’ve tried to change in the second go-around? “Things change in college football. Obviously, a lot of things have changed. UCF has changed, and we’re proud of the fact that our group last time was probably the catalyst to help us get to the Big 12. “But now we’re in a different league. I think the competition in this league as a whole is awesome. I think it’s a league with a lot of really good teams and challenges that weren’t there before. “But a lot of the things that helped us be good the first time are still there. Our location, our beautiful campus and university, the size of our school — some of those things give us advantages.” What do you think is the deepest position group you have this season? “Oh man, I think we did a really good job with depth. “We lost two really good pass rushers last year, but I love what we have coming back there. Maybe other than that position — and we’ll see — I think it’s pretty clear that we’re better at every single position than we were a year ago. “We have more guys who care, more guys who are working hard and competing. It’s been fun to watch this group.” Coaches often talk about that second year being the first full year to really implement your program in the offseason. Do you feel like your guys have had the buy-in that you wanted to see with your culture? “Yeah, this group has bought in as well as any group I’ve ever been around. “You take better talent at every position and guys who are caring a lot and working hard — it doesn’t guarantee you anything. But I certainly feel really good about it every day I walk into the office.” What is AJ Blazek going to bring to the offensive line room? Obviously, what happened last year was so awful, losing your offensive line coach before the season. That cannot be easy in any way. What does it mean now having that position solidified with a guy who has been around a long time? “First, I’ll talk about Coach (Shawn) Clark. I wasn’t around him that long, but he’s one of my favorite guys I’ve ever been in business with. On top of everything else, he was just a good man and a good father, husband and friend. “It took a toll on us emotionally last year. We started the season really well, and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t sap the guys quite a bit. “It’s good to have continuity there. I really like the school that AJ comes from and the way that he teaches. I think our guys have gravitated toward him, and I expect that group to play a lot better this year.” You obviously open the season with Bethune-Cookman, but then you have a big-time matchup in Week 2 going to Pittsburgh. Is there any prep that goes into that during fall camp, not to look past Week 1, but knowing how tone-setting that game could be? “We might. I think we’ll probably get to that in the middle of camp a little bit, and the kids probably won’t even know it. But we’ll make sure we’re running some things that we might want to do in Week 2 in the middle of camp because we’re going to give Bethune-Cookman full attention. “We’ll turn our attention to that a week and a half or so before the first game. “We’ve got a challenging schedule to start the season with at Pitt. TCU is our opener in the league, and I think they’re going to be really good. Then we have at Houston and Oklahoma State. “We’ve got our work cut out for us, and we’re going to have to be ready for that.” I think there are multiple approaches you can take in the portal. The approach you took, to me, is the right approach in terms of getting experienced guys regardless of level — guys who have played on the field. That speaks to your approach at quarterback, too, right? You want winners, guys who have played and guys with snaps. “Yeah, returning production is the most valuable thing in the portal right now. “I laugh, if my son is ever good enough to play, I might send him to I-AA or something somewhere, get the experience and then find his home after that. “We have kids from Buffalo, Monmouth and Wayne State in Nebraska. It’s amazing, the collection of guys that our group was able to put together. The guys have really gelled, so it’s been fun to be around the group. I think that’s because we’ve got a lot of guys who have high character and love football.” And probably a chip on their shoulder, too, right? “Yeah. Usually, if someone is at a lower level and they find a way to be elite at that level, there’s a good chance they’re going to find a way to be elite at the next. “I’d rather take a flyer and bet on that kid than someone who hasn’t had it work somewhere else.” How does the five-for-five rule impact you guys? Or how do you feel like it will immediately impact not just UCF, but the sport in general? “In general, I wouldn’t like that rule just because I’m a purist, and you’re going to see somebody play for five years and smash every record that’s been in place for 100 years. “But with the new era we’re in, this is going to solve a lot of the problems of guys playing four games and deciding they don’t want to play anymore and quitting on their team so they can save another year of eligibility. “With the rules where they are, it was the best and most needed solution they could come up with.”