Barnett, UCF Football Embracing 'Why Not Us' Mentality

The time is now for head coach Scott Frost to get UCF back on course.

With the Knights missing out on bowl contention for the past two seasons, getting back to the postseason is the minimum goal for this year's squad.

But, as players and coaches have articulated throughout the preseason, the team has much loftier goals than just making a bowl.

"The one thing that's being reiterated is six championship teams in the past six years," starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III said on Monday. "So why not, why can't it be us? We have the talent."

The six in six that Barnett is referring too is the Big 12 conference's parity at the top of the conference, with multiple different programs taking the league by storm.

Barnett went onto say that the team is taking it day-by-day and focusing on making small improvements to get ready for the upcoming season.

Frost has echoed his starting quarterback's remarks multiple times.

"I'm really confident," Frost said at Big 12 media day on Tuesday. "Everything just feels so much better than it did before."

A lot of this confidence stems from having Barnett, a clear-cut starter, on the roster.

Over the past few seasons, the QB position has been a revolving door for the Knights, as multiple players have seen time and failed to separate themselves as "the guy."

But, Barnett has been hailed as the main man in the room since arriving in Orlando and brings elite experience and winning pedigree to a program looking to return to prominence.

Barnett's dual-threat ability fits UCF's mobile-QB oriented schematics on offense, while his leadership around the facilities has been praised throughout the offseason.

After leading James Madison to a College Football Playoff berth last season, Barnett shined, finishing with 273 yards passing, 45 yards rushing and three total touchdowns.

His opponent, the Oregon Ducks, were one of the most-dominant defensive forces in the country, holding the Big 12 Champion Texas Tech Red Raiders scoreless in the following round.

With talented pass catchers like Josh Derry, Waden Charles, Duane Thomas Jr., and Dylan Wade at his disposal, Barnett is in for another big season.

For Frost, the second year at UCF has been his turnaround point in the past, with the Knights head coach leading his team to a self-proclaimed "National Championship" in his sophomore campaign last go-around.

While a National Championship is certainly a reach, having players with both talent and belief in the direction the program is heading in can be magical.