In an appearance on Mike Bianchi’s Open Mike, a radio show in Orlando, FL, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn made an announcement that could change the course of the Knights’ 2024 season.
After stating earlier this week that he was undecided on who would be the starting quarterback against Iowa State on Saturday, Malzahn not only said that Jucarri Brown would be the starter, but didn’t even mention KJ Jefferson when it came to how the Knights are handling the quarterback situation.
“JB [Juccari Brown] has been getting all the one reps,” Malzahn said. “He’s done a really good job for us. I think he’s in a good spot to lead us. EJ [Colson] is a guy that’s right there, too, that’s learning and growing every day and really responding well. So, those are the two guys that, moving forward at this point, we’re going with, but JB will be the first guy out there.”
Things haven’t gone according to plan for KJ Jefferson since he arrived at UCF this offseason. Expectations were high for the senior, as he brought 44 games of experience at an SEC program with him to Orlando, but it didn’t automatically translate to success.
Over his five-game span as the Knights’ starting quarterback, Jefferson has completed 59.3% of his passing attempts for 1,012 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions. He’s also added 193 yards and two scores on the ground.
The Knights will enter Saturday’s game as a 13.5-point underdog and will have their hands full with the Cyclones in Jack Trice Stadium. Iowa State has the Big 12’s top-scoring defense and the fifth-best unit nationally, with just 11 points allowed per game.
The Cyclones and Knights are scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT on FS1, and ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gives Iowa State a 78.7% chance to win the game.
