UCF Head Coach Josh Heupel
On the offensive performance…
“Offensively I thought the first drive guys went out, executed, good protection. You could see as the day unfolded a lot of guys that have played a lot of football for us that pulled out fairly early in the scrimmage. When that happened, I didn't think we sustained some things. That's to be expected in some respects. I thought guys competed. I thought we ran the ball pretty efficiently. Bentavious and Trillion Coles who got the bulk of the carries today as we get some of the other backs that have played a lot of football for us out. I thought those guys ran with great pad level, finished their runs going north and south. I thought for the most part offensively guys handled the mechanics of how we’re playing. I thought when the real young guys got in there – the threes got in there – we didn't do that as well as we needed to. But a lot of positives. The turnovers, obviously, are two things that you want to take back. I thought it was a great play by Nevelle (Clark) on the sideline reaching out extended making a play dragging his toes and then Shawn (Burgess-Becker) made a great play on the little slip screen to the back right there.”
On the quarterbacks…
“I did not think that today was any of their best days collectively from start to finish. If you look at their day, I thought there were some positive things early in the way we pushed the ball downfield on the first play to Gabe and then to Jacob down the sideline. There are some things where we didn't handle the tempo of it as well as we needed to, just as far as when we're snapping the football and executing in some of our tempo stuff. Some negative plays, it's tough on a day like today too because quarterback run game isn't a part of it. It's not even one hand touch at times. It makes it difficult for some of those guys to show some of who they are as a football player. It's tough on the defense too when you're in a situation where you don't want to hit the quarterback as well. I thought we took care of each other well today on both sides of the ball.”
On if anyone stood out to him…
”It's tough to say. I mentioned earlier but the backs, just the pad level that they ran with, I thought they handled the day really well. Bentavious (Thompson) - behind his pads patient, pressing the line of scrimmage. (Trillion) Coles - open in open space, having the ability to make guys miss. I thought that was glaring today just in the way that they played. I thought defensively the young linebackers played extremely well when they got their opportunity. Jeremiah (Jean-Baptiste) and Tatum (Bethune) - two guys were high school mid-year guys and they've continued to get better every single day. I think, as you look at the defense, going into day today it's true, but coming out of it, I just think we have to be better inside. We have to start changing the line of scrimmage on the interior. Interiorly we're still not where we need to be collectively as a group right there. We have to have a great sense of urgency of those guys pushing and becoming guys that we can count on to play at a championship level every single day. I've got one junior college defensive tackle that's still coming in here that signed with us. He's going to need to come in and push for playing time. I's a group that's got a big summer ahead of them.”
On the spring…
“I've said this since January I think there's been a greater sense of urgency, greater attention to detail and - as much as anything - a great trust between coaches and players of buying into the process that we're trying to go through to become the team that we're capable of being. I love what we did for 15 days, the competitive nature that we had. The way that we competed with ourselves and competed with the guy across from us. We're starting to add some depth and competition at each position. But this is who and what we are today; great learning opportunity for all of our players to go back, digest today but digest the previous 14 days as well. Look at yourself, see yourself on tape. You get an opportunity in June and July to come back physically get yourself stronger, mentally get yourself prepared with a deeper and better understanding of what we're doing in each unit to collectively push ourselves to August and put ourselves in a position to be the type of team we want to be.”
UCF Redshirt Senior WR Jacob Harris
On his journey to UCF…
“The journey definitely was tough, it wasn't easy. At Western Kentucky, it was good ball there but I'm a Florida boy and it just wasn't home to me. UCF has always been the school that I've dreamed to come play at. Actually, I took an unofficial visit my sophomore year of high school for soccer and I fell in love with the campus. I was out of football for a year. I was back home taking classes, helping out my old high school, coaching football and working with receivers. My coach actually opened the door for me and gave me an opportunity with the Frost staff. I sent my film there and then just got the opportunity as a walk-on and took it from there.”
On making plays…
“I put in a lot of work and it's been a grinding, uphill battle to get to this point. I'm just happy to see some light but definitely not taking the foot off the gas.”
On athletic background…
“My whole life I grew up playing soccer. I didn't start playing football until my senior year of high school. I didn't even play receiver; I played free safety. I didn't play receiver until I got recruited out of high school and into college at Western Kentucky.”
UCF Freshman QB Dillon Gabriel
On where he saw growth as a player…
”In general, I think all around. Whether it’s physically, mentally, emotionally – all around. I just feel like I’ve improved. I’m definitely a different person, but I think it was a pretty good spring.”
On any specific improvement he saw…
“I think it’s just all around. I think every aspect of my game got a little better. I think this summer will be huge for me, as well as the other quarterbacks, to just to improve and solidify that foundation for us.”
UCF Redshirt Sophomore QB Darriel Mack Jr.
On if he won the job today…
“That's not what I was focused on. I was focused on going out there, just getting better. I'm not really worried about competition or anything like that. All I can do is be who I am and let the rest take care of itself.”
On this past spring…
“(I) went out there every day, trying to be a better leader, be a better football player, be a better person.”
UCF Redshirt Freshman QB Quadry Jones
On his spring…
“I've improved a whole lot from when I first got here as far as knowing the plays, knowing the playbook, and seeing certain players on the field. I made a big jump.”
On his deep TD pass…
“I’d seen the safety kind of confused over there. So I looked at my receiver and gave him that look like, ‘you better run’."
UCF Senior QB Brandon Wimbush
On what he needs to work on:
“It's getting more comfortable within the offense. You come in – it’s a quick transition for you – but it's coming in the spring, I think that's what you come in the spring for when you're transfers, to get that session under your belt. Just getting more reps into the summer. I think that will help me leap into the fall and be where I want to be.”
On what he saw in in the spring:
“I saw a significant improvement from not just myself but from the entire quarterback room so I'm excited about that and where it leaves us going into the summer session.”
UCF Redshirt Sophomore DL Kalia Davis
On preparing during offseason…
“I'm getting in the weight room a little more. They say that they play the four best d-linemen. I could be an end, but they could move me to three technique, one technique. I've got to be prepared for that.”
On biggest adjustment to position change…
“I was trying to stand up and come up the edge, but he wanted me to get a good stance. When I get the stance, I come off the ball harder and keep the offense guessing. For me, that was the hardest adjustment. The big guys are touching the offensive lineman every play. You've got to be physical down there.”
On transitioning positions…
“It was a little tough change. I've never played d-line, I've played linebacker my whole. It's a little different to put your hand in the dirt. Brendon Hayes and Randy Charlton took me under before we even got to meet with the coaches after winter break. They got me caught up, took me into the indoor and got some extra work. They made it a lot easier on me.”
On who had a good spring game…
“Cam Goode - forhim to be here for such a short time, he had a really good spring. Bam Bam – Dedrion Bacote-Sweat – had a really good spring. In the second scrimmage, he had six sacks coming off the edge. Those two guys had a really good spring. We just have to improve and get better both inside and outside.”
UCF Redshirt Sophomore RB Bentavious Thompson
On his role in the offense…
“I see myself all around the back. I can catch at the back field, run between tackles. Once I get on the second level, I can make guys miss. Just a compete back.”
On his breakout performance…
“I knew to stay patient. I knew my time was going to come. We’ve got a great o-line, great coaching staff. Coach Tuck, our running back coach, I just had faith in him. He told me throughout last year, the time's going to come, and your time will come to shine, and that's what I did.”
On Dillon Gabriel…
“Quarterback number 11, great quarterback. He came in to compete, complete passes. He knew the playbook; he picked up the scheme pretty fast. He caught my eye.”
UCF Senior LB Nate Evans
On how the spring game went for the defense…
“Overall for the whole defense, spring was really good. I was just impressed by how guys came in and were able to adapt with the culture and the playbook and just perform as well as they did. We wouldn't consider them freshmen; we considered them top guys that could go in any time. I'm just happy that they came out and handled the whole spring ball.”
On taking a leadership role...
“For me, just taking that leadership role and me being a guy is really good for me. I'm a leader; I'm not a leader - who's going to be fussing? Yeah that's not me. I'm a guy who is making jokes. I don't care if we’re in the situation. I want people to laugh and just have good energy. Bad vibes, you know that's contagious so I just try to keep good energy everywhere around throughout the whole locker room and throughout the whole facilities.”
On any young players that could have bigger roles...
“I work with just being around Tatum and Jeremiah. Linebackers. Those guys are overall good. You know what? I just get goosebumps when I talk about them because just actually seeing them - they are very mature for their age - so seeing those guys like that was a big shock to me because of my freshmen, they are more like me my freshman year coming in. So that's a good thing to see from those guys.”