Preseason camp now in the books, UCF quarterback KJ Jefferson is excited to begin first-game prep this week. Here's everything he had to say following Saturday's third scrimmage:
KJ, you've been here the whole year now, just finished your third scrimmage, getting ready for this season. How would you evaluate yourself just kind of acclimating to UCF and getting ready to play your final year in this new offense?
"It's been great. I've embraced the process each and every day, try to come out and get better, focus on my weaknesses a lot more, try to hop on there to make me feel comfortable and confident in those weaknesses and make sure I'm improving on my skills.
"The main thing is just being able to come out and be consistent. That's the main thing at the quarterback position, you want to be consistent, and guys knowing they can count on you in big-time situations."
KJ, what have you seen from this team as you are wrapping up fall camp? What has stood out to you most about this group heading into game prep for week one?
"I would say grit. Grit and toughness. That's the main thing. We're a physical football team from the coaching staff all the way down to the players.
"We always just feed off their energy and just shows our toughness. When we face an adverse situation, how are we going to respond? That's the main thing. When adversity hits you, how are you going to respond? Are you going to lay down or are you going to keep fighting?
"So that's the main thing, we want to keep fighting and make sure that we break through that storm."
KJ, going through the camp and actually even back for December and beyond and all that, what has been the key to help you find and get comfortable in your crew and what has helped you get comfortable in the offseason?
"I would say my teammates. Just coming together, we all just bonding as one. They're welcoming me, making me feel like I'm at home.
"And I can always go to those guys with any problem I have or any situation that I have, not even on the field, but in life. Those guys, I can go to them and talk to them, and they'll be able to give me advice on any situation that I'm faced with in my life. So that's really the main thing, just us.
"Just being able to have that bond and that connection that we can talk about anything."
You've now went through a full spring camp and a full fall camp. How has Coach Hinshaw helped you get through that?
"Coach Hinshaw is a great coach and a great leader as well. A great man overall. He's just helped me just transform my game as far as a mental standpoint. I have a lot of physical ability, but it's always about mental toughness and being mental at the quarterback position.
"So just being able to just go in and we just dissect each other's minds. Just film study, dissecting film and things to look at that will tell you coverage that a defense is trying to disguise, different things like that.
"So he's brought that aspect and that piece that I needed for this upcoming season, just being mentally tough."
