Following a disappointing conference debut, Brett McMurphy’s latest rankings snub the Knights’ leader. Now, a revamped roster must overcome low expectations to prove the doubters wrong.
On3's Brett McMurphy ranked UCF 11th in his Big 12 preseason power rankings, and five days later, Scott Frost appears as a bottom-four coach in his Big 12 head coach rankings.
McMurphy placed Frost 13th on his list. He finished higher than Iowa State's Jimmy Rodgers, Colorado's Deion Sanders and Kansas State's Collin Klein -- Klein is the Wildcats' new coach after his predecessor, Chris Kleiman, retired.
UCF's 5-7 finish last season could have played a role in McMurphy's rankings. Frost's squad started the season by sweeping their non-conference matchups, but struggled once conference play started.
The Knights had a 2-7 record in Big 12 play, with two three-game losing streaks. Their two victories came against the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
West Virginia finished with the same conference record, and Oklahoma State could not win one Big 12 matchup. However, last season's woes have not affected their coaches' rankings.
Coaches Rich Rodriguez (West Virginia, seventh) and Eric Morris (Oklahoma State, eighth) placed higher than Frost in McMurphy's list. That suggests the programs' offseason could influence their rankings.
The Cowboys had the 15th-best transfer portal class, according to 247Sports. Their offseason, much like the Knights', is characterized by landing a top quarterback.
Drew Mestermaker transferred from North Texas. He had a breakout year for the Mean Green, throwing for 4,379 yards, 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Frost and his coaching staff did not land the biggest names in the transfer portal, but valued proven production and experience. Their approach may be why the program hasn't received much love in Big 12 rankings.
However, Frost is heading into the second year of his second tenure and is confident in his squad. History may not repeat itself like 2017, but the energy and vibes during spring camp were very similar.
"Then it all kind of came together with the second year of guys being around us and playing for each other and coming together," Frost told reporters on May 5. "We got rid of some guys that didn't fit what we wanted on the field and off, and everybody else kind of came even closer together, and then something special happened."
Frost may have a chip on his shoulder next season, as he wants to prove UCF had the best offseason in the Big 12.
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