Scott Frost arrived in Orlando last week and has immediately made an impact. He has UCF up and running, turning them into Oregon as fas as he can.
It did not take long for UCF coach Scott Frost to hit the ground running.
Then again, it does not take Scott Frost’s offense long to do much of anything. Frost inherited the Chip Kelly juggernaut offense. There are plenty of accusations Mark Helfrich has simply built on the success Kelly brought to Oregon, and that follows down to Frost. But there is also no arguing with the results. Oregon’s offense is still among the very best in the country.
Frost promised in his introductory news conference to bring the Oregon offense to UCF. He promised to speed things up and make an impact in the American with the innovative offense that has torched the national landscape:
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“I’ll bring the whole playbook,” Frost said. “We play fast but we play efficiently and the things our kids will have to learn make sense and they’re fairly easy to pick up. I told the team earlier today if they’ll buy into the process it’s a proven process that I’ve seen work.”
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It is going to be a slog to get there.
The Knights clearly had issues with depth throughout this past season in falling apart to an 0-12 record. The quarterback, Justin Holman, lacks a lot of the touch necessary to hit players in stride near the line of scrimmage to get them running.
The Oregon offense is one that requires getting athletes in space and delivering the ball to them in a way that keeps their momentum moving forward to the goal. Any minor adjustment to catch a wayward ball can throw a whole play off.
And missing on one play disrupts the rhythm of the offense with its fast tempo entirely.
This is a group that has to move fast. There certainly should be some skepticism UCF can bring in the players to fit this system and build the depth necessary to do it successfully.
Then again, even the coaching staff is moving fast.
The Knights have moved quickly on some big-name recruits in the Orlando area. They have already quickly secured a commitment from Dr. Phillips wide receiver Jacquarius Bargnare, a speedster who led the Orlando area in receiving yards. He told Brandon Helwig of UCFSports.com Scott Frost called him a perfect fit for his offense:
“He says it’s perfect for what I am as player,” Bargnare said. “It’s a major jump from the offense they had. Frost said they’d like to get the ball in my hands and make plays. Do the things Oregon did… Things I really loved hearing. He said he’d put the ball in my hands and let me make plays. Bubble screens, little routes, basically everything I’m doing right now. ‘Come to UCF and make plays,’ is what he said. He thinks I’d be perfect for that.”
Bargnare could certainly be perfect for that offense. Dr. Phillips has used him much the same way UCF might.
Knight Nation Baby ⚡️🏈 pic.twitter.com/k7X76iKPJ7
— Q3 (@Qbargnare3) December 6, 2015
UCF has quickly made Orlando a huge priority. Bagnare was not the only Orlando-area player to commit. Daytona Mainland running back Adrian Killins and Seminole cornerback Brandon “Bam” Moore. These are all players who fit the kind of system Oregon runs and Frost will bring to UCF.
These are all guys who get in space and get north and south very quickly.
That is what Frost wants to bring. Already season ticket interest has picked up for the Knights.
Even the promise of a more powerful offense and the promise to recruit Central Florida hard has enticed plenty to buy in to the Frost program.
But it will not be easy to build. It is going to take time to get the Knights. . . up to speed, so to speak.
Frost though is already laying his foundations to get them there.
