The injury bug has not been kind to UCF in the opening weeks of this college football season. Following the Knight's 27-20 loss to Kansas, where UCF quarterback Tayven Jackson exited the game due to injury for the second straight week, Frost told the media that UCF would also be without standout defensive lineman Horace Lockett for the remainder of the season.
Lockett was injured last week against Kansas State and remained sidelined for this week. Frost confirmed the bad news following the Knights' loss to Kansas, telling media that Lockett underwent surgery for a torn pectoral.
Lockett was effective this season, accounting for 13 total tackles, one sack, and two pass break-ups in the four games he was healthy for.
"He's been great at the beginning of the season," Frost said. "So, I feel terrible for him."
Unfortunately for Lockett, he has been plagued with injuries throughout his college career. Last season, at Georgia Tech, he suffered a hand injury which kept him out for the entire season.
The Knights' poor luck with injuries began week one when UCF's newly named starting quarterback, Cam Fancher, was sidelined after an illegal hit to the head in the first quarter.
Fancher, an FAU transfer, was named the starter just days before week one, edging out Jackson, an Indiana transfer and the incumbent Jacurri Brown for the job. He has not started a game since his injury.
Jackson took over Fancher's role as starter, and helped lead the Knights to a 3-0 start before conference play began. In UCF's conference opener against Kansas State, Jackson suffered an AC joint sprain in his shoulder, which forced him to the locker room. Brown took over as signal caller, but suffered a similar AC joint sprain not even a full quarter after Jackson departed.
Just four weeks into the season, UCF's top three quarterbacks on the depth chart had all suffered injuries.
Thankfully for UCF, Jackson was able to return late in the second half against the Wildcats, finishing the game. He was not listed on the injury report ahead of UCF's home clash against Kansas.
Against the Jayhawks, Jackson looked relatively healthy, completing 14 of 23 passes for 97 yards. But, like deja vu, Jackson was sacked, and came up holding his ribs and injured shoulder.
Jackson once again returned to UCF's sideline later in the game, but this time, with his arm in a sling.
On Monday, in UCF's press conference, Frost told media the x-rays on Jackson's ribs came back negative, and that he would monitor Jackson's progress this week. If Jackson can't go Saturday against Cincinnati, Brown and Fancher should both be healthy and available.
Frost identified that this season's quarterback carousel for UCF has been challenging, comparing it to a "revolving door."
"It's a unique situation. I've never really dealt with, as a coach before, having this much change at quarterback," Frost said. "Hopefully, we have everybody else up and ready to be around the quarterback, whoever it is Saturday, so they can feel a little more comfortable."
Frost said that this "revolving door" type of experience within his quarterback room has been that way since before the season, as the team has continued to give first team reps to all three quarterbacks in practice.
Freshman wide receiver Waden Charles told media that he has enjoyed getting to catch throws from three different arms and praised them for helping him learn. "It's kind of fun though... All of them are very accurate," Charles said. "I have great chemistry with all of them, so it's just a great experience just to learn from all of them."
Charles went on to say that the wide receiver room as a whole is adjusting to the quarterback injuries well, giving credit to having reps from each quarterback in practice.
UCF (3-2, 0-2 Big 12) travels to Cincinnati, OH to take on the (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) Cincinnati Bearcats this Saturday, at 12 pm.