Evans eyes big season
Aaron Evans says the introduction of Scott Frost as UCF's head coach has been "transformational."
The redshirt junior offensive tackle is seeing positive changes in almost every area, so much so that he doesn't think it's going to take very long for the Knights to get back on top. A bowl game this season? That's just the minimum of Evans' expectations.
UCFSports.com caught up with Evans following a recent practice.
How different has camp been vs. the spring?
"I think the tempo. We run different plays now. It's a totally different call system. The plays themselves are fairly similar overall. Our technique is still fairly constant. In the spring, it was a little messy getting tempo down and the new call system dow. We're no-huddle, so that was an adjustment. We definitely have it down now, we're definitely improving. We're on an upward climb. It's exciting for me to see. We're just growing a lot as a unit. Everyone is communicating better. Not just on calls, but one-on-one has improved. Overall it's a positive atmosphere."
Did you see big improvements this summer in the weight room?
"My squat went up a lot. Me, Tyler Hudanick and Jason Rae actually broke the squat record. That was exciting. I believe (the squat) was 630, 635. We all did above that for one rep. My focus this summer was trying to get bigger arms. I was trying to be more lean. Coach Austin asked me to lower my body fat so at the beginning of the summer that's what I was focusing on. Now I need to put on a little more weight. I got a little too lean probably. I need to put on more weight. All in all, I think our bodies have grown. I'm leaner and faster. I'm more explosive now. I think you could say that about the whole team. It's really good to see."
Last year was rough for the offense. I'm sure you all are incredibly excited about the change in scheme and the ability to put up points. Are you seeing signs of things coming together?
"I definitely see glimmers of greatness already in camp. We just got to keep on our trajectory. Keep working and I believe it's going to be an exciting season offensively.
Have any players stood out to you?
"Definitely the running backs as a whole unit. Some of the new freshmen are really quick and shifty. The running backs are finally really understanding how to read our blocks. That's a big improvement you'll see. Also, the receivers are blocking more, they're blocking harder. I'm bad with names, but I would say as a whole, every position is really focused in being very intentional with their assignments. I'm proud of what we're doing as an offense. It's exciting to see everyone buying in."
How much improvement do you think the offense can make this season?
"Honestly, we can only improve from last year. I think our running stats are going to jump significantly. As I watch all of us develop as an offensive line, we're moving people better. We're hitting our assignments better. Overall we're a better offensive line I would say. I think that's going to translate to way more rushing yards. We're picking up protections better. We're seeing blitz patterns and indicators way better than we used to. I think the experience with the teaching that Coach Austin is giving us is just really helped us to grow a lot. I think all our stats are going to jump a lot. I think the confidence is coming back in the quarterback position with Justin. His confidence is coming back. I think that's really important to see, to see his numbers increase positively."
How would you characterize the vibe of the first camp under Frost?
"It's really positive. I'm about to start my fourth year here. This is the happiest I've seen everyone, consistently. It's not like sporadic jolts of happiness. People are goofing off, having a good time and we're getting work done. It's not like we're super serious all the time. I think we're all growing as a team. We're becoming a brotherhood more than just a team of football players. I think for me it's really exciting. I'm really excited to be a part of this, this new system. I've been thinking about this. It's transformational. They're really trying to invest in us as men and as football players, but mainly as men. I think that's translating to better play on the field."
I heard that early in camp the freshmen had to do skits in front of the team? What was that about?
"Just ice breakers to get the team accustomed to them. They can do whatever they want but it has to be entertainment, like a magic trick or sing a song. It's funny to see what the guys come up with. There's some characters."
Who had the best skit?
"Some of the offensive and defensive line freshmen did a WWE Smackdown skit. They had an announcer, a ref and like two guys wrestling each other, jumping off the table and stuff, being stupid. That was really cool to see. It we approve, we cheer. If we don't, we boo. It's fun. It's building a brotherhood."
Is a bowl game a realistic goal this season?
"We went 0-12 last year, but there's a lot of factors that played into that. We're a talented team. Something just didn't click last year. I can't put my finger on what it was specifically. We're a good team. I have the utmost confident in every man out there. A bowl game is very reasonable. I'm shooting further than that. I'm going as far as we can go. I'm going to shoot for 12-0. You aim for the stars and you land on the moon. That's what I say. I'm standing by that. I believe this team is full of talent. We're going places."