Will Egos Be An Issue At UCF Knights' Camp?

Camp has already begun for the UCF Knights and there will be some bumps along the journey. Egos can easily hurt a team at any point of the year, but can Scott Frost and the players prevent that?

Aug 29, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights running back Myles Montgomery (22) runs the ball as New Hampshire Wildcats safety Zedane Williams (10) moves in for the tackle during the first quarter at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The UCF Knights and Scott Frost are in a unique situation with over 60 newcomers, both transfers and high school recruits. Each player has strong goals for themselves for the upcoming season. Whether it's building up draft stocks, stats, accolades, or simply earning more time on the field, everyone has an agenda. It is up to Frost and other leaders to contain these egos to take the program back to its winning ways.

The quarterback and running back battles are prime examples. The starting jobs for both positions are wide open, with players eager to take them.

Tayven Jackson, Jacurri Brown, and Cam Fancher have begun the battle to lead the team's offense on the field at quarterback. Frost made it clear he would not "anoint" one of them as the starter right away. Each of them shares the goal to win the top job on the Knights.

In the backfield, Jaden Nixon and Myles Montgomery are the top starting candidates. As former Knight running back RJ Harvey took his talents to the Denver Broncos, both players see a wide-open window to elevate their roles.

Nixon transferred from Western Michigan, where he was a vocal point of the offense. He rushed 143 times for 919 yards and finished with 12 touchdowns. Montgomery is somewhat of a local legend with the Knights. He's never been a starter at the collegiate level, but may finally earn his chance.

The same situation goes for all other positions on both sides of the field. It is a fresh new start for nearly all players on the roster in their football journey.

"When you have 70 new players, it's hard to get everybody to come together," Nixon said. "There are different egos and personalities."

Linebacker Malachi Lawrence shared his personal goals for the upcomings season.

"10-plus sacks, that's what I'm aiming for," he said.

It's not terrible for players to have goals but Frost and other leaders need to remind everyone that when the team succeeds, everyone succeeds.

Chemistry will be an important factor for the Knights to put together a winning season, which egos can easily destroy. As long as they establish that camaraderie at camp, the rest will take care of itself.

"We know what we have inside the team," Lawrence said. "The outside community doesn't know; they can just judge based on last year. We know what we have as a team and the chemistry we're building."

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