Big Kat Bryant is ready to unleash his full potential.
The former Auburn defensive end transferred to UCF this summer to continue his journey with head coach Gus Malzahn, who had recruited him out of Cordele, Ga., in the Class of 2017. A second team All-SEC defensive lineman in 2020, Bryant told reporters at Tuesday's media day about his big plans for this fall.
"When I took my helmet off on New Year's last (season), when (Auburn) played in the Citrus Bowl, I felt a rush go through me," Bryant said. "I'm so hungry. I'm so eager. The fuel. I don't need any more motivation. The proof is in the pudding. I'm ready to show the world what I'm about."
He noted that injuries have gotten in his way, but he now feels better than ever.
"That high-ankle sprain, when you play on the defensive line, it slows you down in everything," Bryant said. "You can't plant. You can't do your moves. I'm going to show the world what I'm all about."
So is Boise State's quarterback in trouble?
"That offensive line is in trouble," Bryant replied. "Their running back is in trouble. Whomever is in front of me is in trouble. Plain and simple. Anybody that lines up in front of me. I mean that."
Bryant graduated from Auburn earlier this spring, then arrived at UCF in June to begin summer workouts.
"As soon as I got here, I went all gas and no brakes," Bryant said. "The first month, I think I worked out every day. Sunday through Sunday. When I was sitting home I realized you don't get those days back. Once I got here, I knew I can't waste a day. I don't want to look back. I've been doing it four years and I don't want to wish that I could have done more. That's the chip I have. That's how I move every day."
Bryant, whose given first name is Markaviest, told the story about how he came to be known as Big Kat.
"Back in high school, I had a high school coach, Shelton Felton, who got the job my junior year at my high school," Bryant said. "He asked me what my real name was. I told him, Markaviest. 'Markaviest?' I went out that spring and at the time I wasn't the biggest player on the team. He was like, 'Big Cat, bring your behind over here!' I was looking around. He was like, 'I'm talking about your behind!' I was like, oh! So I'm Big Cat? It kind of stuck. On recruiting visits, people would ask me my name and I'd say Big Kat. I put a K in it because my name has a K in it."
After spending four seasons in the SEC, Bryant was asked how he thinks this UCF team would stack up against the best conference in college football.
"Right now? We'd beat somebody like Auburn for sure," Bryant said. "We'd beat Auburn for sure."
Bryant clarified that he was a true freshman in 2017 when UCF defeated Auburn in the Peach Bowl.
"It's a lot different, a lot of different caliber guys (in the SEC)," Bryant said. "But we'd beat a team like Auburn and Ole Miss."
Does he feel like UCF has a chip on its shoulder?
"For sure," Bryant replied. "That's why I came here. That's something I was looking for in a team and I felt like UCF had it. That's why I came."
He also spoke of the close relationship he has with Gus Malzahn, noting how he's different than most head coaches.
"Over the three or four years I've known him, the relationship he's built with his players is something important," Bryant said. "That's something I think a lot of guys don't get from their head coach. You don't get that affection and that relationship from their head coaches."
He did feel that it was "unfair" Auburn fired Malzahn after finishing 6-4 in 2020. Malzahn's eight-year run on the Plains included one SEC Championship and a trip to the National Championship game.
"Because it was a COVID year," Bryant said. "Everybody had a bad year. But hey, it's a business. You gotta look at it like that. I think he should have gotten another year because of COVID."
In January, Bryant initially committed to transfer to Tennessee but those plans quickly changed following the ouster of head coach Jeremy Pruitt. He was close to committing to Oklahoma when Malzahn accepted the UCF job in February. He initially scoffed at Malzahn's pitch to join him in Orlando.
"When he first got the job I told myself I wasn't coming here," Bryant said. "I said I'm not going to UCF. He called me and I was like alright. He said, 'I'm gonna call you back with a plan.' He was like, 'Okay, we're gonna do this, do that. We're gonna get recruits here.' Then T-Will (Travis Williams) called me and told me the whole plan. I was like okay, I'm gonna do it. I was going to Oklahoma, but I didn't feel comfortable going there for six months. I kept praying on it. Then Gus called me and I was like you know what, I'm going to Orlando."
What does he want to accomplish this season?
"Everything," Bryant said. "I want to show the world and I want to prove to myself that I'm the best player in the country. I am the best defensive player in the country. I was the best defensive player in the country last year. I just got hurt. I'm gonna wake everybody up and show them. The proof is in the pudding. That's all I've gotta say."
As for statistical goals, Bryant has numbers in mind.
"I'm gonna have over 15 sacks," he said. "I don't know how many TFLs. We'll see how that goes. 15 sacks. That's the goal."
