Born a Knight: QB Garrett Kruczek, son of former UCF coach, joins program
UCF's quarterback competition will feature a familiar name this season.
Garrett Kruczek, the son of former head coach Mike Kruczek, announced Monday he plans to join the team as a walk-on. The Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College star and former Lake Howell quarterback had offers from several western schools, but preferred to stay home and play for the team his dad coached from 1985-2003, the last six of which as the head coach.
"The recruiting process was good to me, but it just wasn't convenient," Kruczek said. "I had a few schools offering me, like UNLV, North Texas, Utah State and UTSA, but I really didn't want to go that far west. UCF is an opportunity to play close to home and in a system that I think I fit in pretty well. I think I can make a difference at UCF. I can throw the ball around a little bit and contribute. I think I could make a difference anywhere and I think I can do that here. I watched a lot of football this season and I really wanted to be back in the hometown playing in front of my family and friends."
Shortly after Scott Frost was named head coach in December, the Kruczeks reached out to longtime staff member Sean Beckton who facilitated a meeting with Frost before the close of the dead period.
"Coach Frost watched my film and was pretty interested," Kruczek said. "He liked how I delivered the ball and my mechanics. It was really nice talking to him. I know he can turn the program around by the way he talks and in how he's recruited. I've been paying attention to that and it's something else."
The transition to a spread offense will certainly be a change for UCF's returning quarterbacks, but won't be much of an adjustment for Kruczek whose junior college team ran a similar style.
"Coach Frost and I did talk a little bit what we'd be running," Kruczek said. "At Co-Lin we actually studied Oregon film and put in a lot of that stuff, the same things he'll have in his offense here. No matter what offense he puts in, I know I can improvise and adapt. Growing up, I learned the traditional quarterback position, the three-step, five-step and seven-step drops from under center, but the game has changed a lot. We're all in the gun now and spread out. I learned under center, but I haven't been under center since Pop Warner. It's an exciting time. I really think Frost's offense is going be a perfect fit."
Kruczek was initially recruited to Co-Lin by former UCF offensive coordinator and line coach Robert McFarland, who last year moved on to the Louisiana Tech staff. In his one season in junior college, Kruczek completed 62 percent of his passes (202-of-326) for 2,336 yards and 16 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Co-Lin was ranked the nation's No. 1 JUCO team through the first six weeks of the season before a couple losses knocked them down to a final ranking of No. 4.
Since he was only in junior college for one year, Kruczek preserves an extra year of eligibility and will have four years to play three.
"I really think junior college ball maturated me," Kruczek said. "It's good competition too, going against SEC and ACC guys week in and week out, typically guys who didn't qualify or are transferring. My two tackles on our offensive line came from Mississippi State. We had good players at that level."
Many of Kruczek's first memories revolve around UCF. He was born during the 1995 season, a few days before freshman quarterback Daunte Culpepper and the Knights went on the road to battle No. 1 ranked Florida State. He was three years old when his father was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach.
"I remember the old Wayne Densch building and my dad's old office," Kruczek said. "I was in there a little bit (on Monday) actually. I remember the old practice fields, which are the intramural fields now. It's really cool being in the new building and seeing how far they've come. UCF is basically like a town now."
In the years after leaving UCF, Mike Kruczek coached in the NFL, the fledgling UFL and also spent a year at UMass. Since 2013 he's been the head coach at Trinity Prep.
"He's happy I'm home," Kruczek said of his father, who won two Super Bowls as a quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers. "He was really excited for me when he heard about the UCF deal. He wants to be able to see me play instead of having to fly all the way out to Las Vegas or someplace like that. I'm as excited as he is. I grew up around UCF and it's really nice to finally say I'm a Knight."
Kruczek will enter a quarterback competition this spring that includes returning starter Justin Holman as well as returners Bo Schneider and Tyler Harris. Former quarterbacks Nick Patti and Pete DiNovo could also be options to move back to the position.
"I'm looking forward to the spring to show what I can do," Kruczek said. "I think I can bring a lot to the Knight offense. I'm looking forward to working with Justin and all the guys. I met a lot of the wide receivers already. Hopefully we can rack up a few wins with the new leadership under Coach Frost. I know Coach (George) O'Leary set the bar high and I'm looking forward to seeing how high we can these next couple years."
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