From predictive injury analytics to scouting film, the Knights’ head coach weighs the game-changing potential and complex learning curves of bringing cutting-edge technology to the gridiron.
AI has become an emerging tool over the past several years, and it's gaining influence in the football world as San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch advocated for its use in scouting.
Coach Scott Frost is aware of the growing emergence of AI in football. He said he understands the importance of the tool's guidance, but there is a learning curve for users.
"I think there's some ways that it's going to be obvious that it can help you immediately," Frost said on Tuesday. "And some other ways that we're going to have to get used to doing things a different way if it is going to help."
Frost said he has a friend who works for an AI company that UCF recently met. Their technology does an in-depth analysis of a player's movements, which plays a significant role in comparing players, and it can determine injury risks.
"They have technology that can look at how a player moves on tape, determine ankle flexibility and hip movement and predict injuries," Frost said. "I think there's ways to relate players that you've liked before to other players and try to identify them that way."
AI can help expedite the process of breaking down film and telling players what skills they can improve and how coaches can alter their training regimen.
It can serve as a crucial tool for programs to mitigate weaknesses and maximize strengths. However, Frost noted that football is complex and with so much activity on the field, it's difficult to single out one area for AI to analyze.
"It's a lot harder to isolate one movement or one statistic like baseball," Frost said. "You can look at one guy's swing or a spin rate, and you can try to improve that. There's so much going on in football that it's a little harder to isolate one factor and work on that factor. So, I think there's some steps that are going to have to happen here, but it intrigues me just the idea of it."
AI is a resourceful tool, playing a significant role in film breakdown and predicting injuries to focus on prevention. However, there is also a learning curve that programs must figure out to use AI effectively.
Frost is intrigued by the integration of AI into football, and UCF could join the growing wave of sports teams using AI to aid in scouting and practices.
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