UCF's 2019 defensive line will rely on a bevy of newcomers. One of those who has impressed early in camp is Noah Hancock, a 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive tackle who enrolled earlier this summer after playing last season at ASA College in Miami.

"His size, his speed, those are things that are starting to flash," head coach Josh Heupel said recently, name dropping Hancock as a player that has caught his eye.

On the verge of playing his first college football season at the Division I level, Hancock, a native of Beckley, W. Va., spoke about his journey to UCF, which began at a Division II school (Concord University in West Virginia) and even included a year away from the game.

Tell us a little bit about your background. I see that you're originally from West Virginia. You played at Concord for like a year? Maybe took some time off and ended up in Miami. What was your journey to get here?

"After a couple setbacks at Concord, I decided to go the junior college route which took me to ASA in Miami. After getting my GPA back to where I needed to be, I got the call from UCF and have been committed ever since, so that's what got me here. And being from West Virginia, I know that there's not a lot of exposure, so that's why I had to make that trip down to Miami."

What was your high school experience like? Were you overlooked? How did you end up at Concord?

"Overlooked. I didn't really get that much exposure. I was a two sport athlete. I played football and basketball. First team all state in both, so I had the athleticism. And even the local paper said I was D1 (recruit) that was overlooked. So just being here is a blessing. I'm just glad to be here."

Did you play defensive tackle back then?

"I was actually 30 pounds lighter playing d-end. Once I put on 20 more pounds, they just moved me inside. I kept my athleticism, the speed and power. So I've just been a d-tackle ever since."

Can you describe what 2017 was like with the GPA situation and leaving Concord?

"Well, it wasn't just the GPA. My grandmother had terminal cancer. She was like my best friend. So when that happened, I was so focused on her and focused on home, that I kind of just pushed back on everything because I was doing everything. I was doing everything and just wasn't getting a shot at that point. So it kind of pushed me back into a depressed state. Since then, I've just been trying regain that that confidence. Just get back to where I was once."

She was diagnosed when you were at Concord?

"Yes. I was always worried about home. Worried about how she was doing. Worried about family. That's where my state of mind was. Once my parents told me that it's okay, not to worry about them, that's when I got back into the grind."

So what was your mindset when you got to ASA College in Miami? I'm sure you were looking for an opportunity at the D1 level. Was that a goal?

"Yeah, that was the whole goal from the get go, prove to myself, prove ot my hometown, my state, that I was not just another guy that just got looked over and I was just gonna stay in town. I was going to work my butt off and put in extra work. Going from 12 to three in the mid day. It was hot in Miami. Two-a-days. Working by myself and with my mentor. That gave me more confidence when I got up here."

Did schools find out about you at ASA? What was your recruitment like?

"I guess it was slow at first. Then it was kind of like a rolling ball. First it was just one, then it was two. First it was the local schools back home like Marshall and West Virginia, they recruited me and then just kept stacking on, stacking on. Eventually UCF came with that call and I was ready from then on."

What did you like about UCF?

"The opportunity, the family atmosphere, the way these guys work. I witnessed the past two years where they came from the same type of attitude I had, went from a depressed state to undefeated. I wanted that attitude. I wanted to be surrounded by guys who know that attitude and know that culture."

You started at a Division II school, then JUCO and now you're at a top 20 school.

"Just a blessing, to be honest. It's rare to be in this position. Not a lot of people have this opportunity. So for me, I know that I have to take every day, step by step and not stress it. Just know that it's a marathon, not a sprint. Eventually I'll get to the finish line."

Coach Heupel praised you last week for the jumps you've made in the first 10 days of camp. Where do you feel you've improved?

"Mainly just stressing that strain for five. They talk to us all the time, strain for five, over five seconds. Just pushing, going harder and just pursuit after the play. And just working on my game, game recall, learning the plays and stuff like that."

What's it like facing the speed of this offense?

"It's just so fast. As soon as you go and you get the play call, they're gone. As soon as they get their play done, it's another play. It's crazy. They keep going and going. We have to keep up. Even after pursuit, you have to run back and get down. It's really difficult at times."

What's the family atmosphere like here?

"These guys are more like it's a brotherhood. Nothing exits. Once it goes in, it doesn't exit. Everyone is close knit. If we have a problem, we solve it with each other. We don't take it elsewhere. We don't take it to social media. We keep everything in. I just love that. Everyone has a brotherhood about each other."