Tayven Jackson didn't need much time to feel comfortable at UCF.

From the moment he stepped on campus in January as a midyear transfer, the junior quarterback found a sense of familiarity—not just in the offense, but in the people around him. Head coach Scott Frost, who had recruited him out of high school, and quarterbacks coach McKenzie Milton, a name synonymous with UCF greatness, were now his mentors. The opportunity to compete for a starting job in an offense he already admired was too good to pass up.

"I got Coach Frost, the head coach, and KZ as a quarterback coach," Jackson said. "That's all you need to be an elite quarterback in college football. Right then I was like, this might be home."

Since arriving in Orlando, Jackson has immersed himself in the program, building chemistry with teammates and soaking up knowledge from coaches who have not only taught the offense—but lived it.

"It's pretty surreal," Jackson said of watching Milton's old UCF game film. "We always joke around when he makes a great play, like, 'Okay, KZ, we see you!' But it's good for us to see a coach who has played in this offense. If we have any questions, he knows the answers."