Olympia head coach Travis Gabriel is excited about the direction of UCF Football under head coach Scott Frost.
Earlier this week, Gabriel, the head coach of the Titans since 2018, posted his thoughts on X:
"I should've sent this a while ago," Gabriel wrote. "I am giving UCF Football, Coach Frost, Coach (Brandon) Harris, Coach (Alex) Grinch, Coach (Sean) Beckton and staff their flowers for being different with recruiting. As a coach, it's rare to witness college football coaches, especially FBS coaches, be different."
Gabriel, a proud UCF alumnus and older brother of former Knights star wide receiver Doug Gabriel, praised Frost and his staff for their authentic recruiting approach—one that focuses on evaluation, not dictated by star rankings or which other schools had already offered a player.
"These guys are actually doing what they've said they will do and go after 'football players,'" Gabriel said. "Not waiting on hype, ratings, rankings, or other schools to offer a kid. They do the work and go after who they see as a fit for them."
The inspiration behind Gabriel's post was Ja'Cari Jackson, his star player who recently committed to UCF. Jackson had just one offer from FCS Mercer prior to the Knights entering the picture.
In a follow-up interview with UCFSports.com, Coach Gabriel shared more about Ja'Cari's journey and how refreshing it was to deal with UCF's new staff.
Gabriel vividly remembers the emotional moment when Jackson was informed he had an offer. The pair had attended one of UCF's spring practices and met with the staff afterward.
"Ja'Cari fell to his knees. He cried," Gabriel recounted. "He immediately called his mama, put her on speakerphone, and said, 'Mama, UCF just offered me.' She screamed, he cried, and asked the coaches if they were serious. They assured him they absolutely were."
For Gabriel, this moment encapsulated exactly what differentiates Frost and his staff. Unlike many programs that wait for a player's star rating to rise or other schools to offer first, Frost's staff identified Jackson's talent and acted decisively.
"Coach Harris looked me straight in the eye and said, 'Coach, we don't care about rankings,'" Gabriel said. "'Coach Frost told us to get football players, and we believe Ja'Cari is exactly that—a football player.'"
UCF sees Jackson as a versatile piece of their future defensive backfield.
"Coach Harris told me they're looking for four high school defensive backs who fit specific roles," Gabriel said. "They want a long corner, a fast corner, a long safety, and one defensive back who can do it all—and they see Ja'Cari as that guy. He can cover in the slot, play outside corner, or line up at safety. He fits exactly what they're looking for."
Jackson's versatility was quickly evident to Gabriel as well. Originally playing offense, Jackson moved to cornerback out of necessity, quickly showcasing his talent despite being brand new to the position.
"Every week he matched up with the opposing team's best receiver," Gabriel said. "When we played Winter Park, he went head-to-head with Ayden Pouncey, arguably the best safety in the state of Florida, and made a big play, taking it 70 yards. He's explosive, athletic, and just an absolute baller. He's the type of football player every coach wants on their team."
Since committing, Jackson started to draw significant interest from other Power Four programs. Gabriel said dozens of schools stopped by this spring to inquire, but Jackson remains firmly committed.
"When other schools asked about his commitment level, Ja'Cari told them straight: 'UCF wanted me when nobody else did,'" Gabriel said. "He values loyalty, and the loyalty UCF showed him sealed the deal."
Jackson's excitement and pride in being a future Knight are evident daily. During spring practice at Olympia, he wrote "UCF commit" on his helmet, wore UCF clothing daily, and even asked Gabriel if he could wear a UCF decal on his helmet during his upcoming senior season.
"He asked me about the UCF decal, and I told him, 'You can do no such thing,'" Gabriel laughed. "I told him, 'You're still at Olympia!' But it just shows how genuinely excited and proud he is to represent UCF."
During Olympia's recent spring game against Lake Minneola, Jackson had a standout performance with a sack, a tackle for loss, three receptions, and a 50-yard touchdown.
As for his overall outlook on UCF, Gabriel is excited.
"Give Coach Frost a couple years," Gabriel said. "He's building something special. UCF is coming back."
