Four-star recruit Rocco Marriott is the highest-rated incoming quarterback in UCF history
UCF coach Scott Frost was a quarterback during his playing days, so he knows a lot about the position.
For Frost, he's particularly tough on quarterbacks he covets. After so much inconsistency this season and the transfer of Tayven Jackson, the Knights will once again have a competition at the position in the offseason and during training camp.
"Yeah, I'm picky about quarterbacks," Frost said during his National Signing Day press conference. "[UCF quarterback coach Mackenzie Milton] is picky about quarterbacks, you know. And, and that's a just a game of musical chairs and a dance that you have to play right up to the end."
The Knights may have landed the quarterback of the future in Rocco Marriott. A four-star recruit, he is UCF's highest-rated player at the position. Frost was able to flip Marriott's commitment from James Madison last month.
Marriott, who is one of the top players in Missouri, will lead his Platte County team in the state championship game this weekend. Frost explained how the recruiting process heated up with Marriott.
"We actually spoke with Rocco some, back earlier in the year," Frost said. "We had a commitment at the time. He was committed somewhere else at the time, and we didn't want to get really serious about it unless the opportunity here was going to be available and felt like he was in a position that it was viable. So that all kind of happened late, but he's had a great senior season and has a lot of the traits that we're looking for and I'm thrilled to have him here."
There are thoughts of the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Marriott competing for the starting job. In Frost's first comments about him, he was overly complimentary. The Knights surely need some comfort at the position after what they endured this season. Jackson and Cam Fancher both battled injuries at different points. There were even times third-stringer Davy Belfort was thrown into action.
If Marriott can pick up the college game quickly, he could find himself in the mix. The Knights are coming off a 5-7 season. They missed the postseason for a second straight season, so improvement is needed.
"He's big. He's fast," Frost said. "He can really throw it. He's a competitor. He's played multiple sports. I think he's hungry. I think he has a lot of potential."
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of UCFRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com