No player on the UCF football team is more familiar with Gus Malzahn than senior wide receiver Kobe Hudson.

The Georgia native has known Malzahn since his early high school days, committing to him at Auburn and playing two seasons there before rejoining him at UCF in 2022.

Speaking after Saturday's scrimmage, Hudson said this camp - his fifth under Malzahn - has been different.

"'Tough and Together' is our team motto, and we've been that the whole camp," Hudson said. "Just the grit and just the bite. Coach always said he wanted us to bite. Some days, you don't get the job done. But the next day, he pushes us to have the mindset to come out and just be better than we were the first day.

"So we've just been tough, just competing every day, being tough with each other and just encouraging each other. Just being together as a team, coaches being with the players more. We're all just coming together as a team. It's just been great. It's an awesome feeling, to be honest."

Hudson says he's trying to become more of a leader to the younger players.

"I just feel like if I'm a blessing to those guys and just helping them, God will bless me in all the other areas," Hudson said.

Other areas of focus including refining his skills as a receiver.

"I work on all the things, like my 50-50 balls and just playing in space, playing in crowded areas, just making contested catches," Hudson said. "And in those areas, I feel I improved a lot."

UCF has a new wide receivers coach this season in Tim Harris Jr., who is also the offensive coordinator. He previously coached at UCF from 2021-22, but focused on running backs during his first stint.

"Coach Harris is just real," Hudson said. "Like I told him, I want to be the best in the country. And every day, if I didn't meet that standard, he's going to let me know. But it's more days that I meet it than not.

"He's one of the best coaches I ever had that just pushed me. The guy believes in me just as much as I believe in myself, and believes in all the guys in the room. He pushes us to our maximum potential every day. And if we don't get the job done, he's not going to sugarcoat it.

"If it's an okay day, it's not a good day for us. We want to come out and we're chasing excellence every day. So if it's an average day, we weren't the best in the country, so we didn't meet our expectations.

"It's a blessing to have Coach Harris around here. It's a true blessing. He's a real voice and a powerful man."