KJ Jefferson's Rocky Road To Redemption

The University of Central Florida Knights kicked off their season with a commanding 57-3 victory over University of New Hampshire. The Knights' running game was explosive, racking up 454 yards and five touchdowns, while the defense and special teams dominated against a weak UNH team. One glaring concern emerged: the lackluster performance of new Arkansas transfer KJ Jefferson.

Quarterbacks need to be poised, but Jefferson appeared jittery behind the line. Even when he managed to settle down, his accuracy was a problem, with only a 50% completion rate on both short and deep passes. His struggles were evident, and he lacked mobility, failing to show any ability to throw on the run. Jefferson nearly went the entire first half with just one completion for under 20 yards until a last-minute jump ball provided a temporary boost.

At halftime, reporter inquiries prompted Head Coach Gus Malzahn to assess Jefferson and the offense. Malzahn admitted, "Our offense was sloppy with a few bad play calls. We should be ahead by more, and with a new QB, he's still adjusting. We just need to hope things improve in the second half."

UNH came out of halftime drained, making scoring easy for UCF’s run game while the defense caused turnovers with ease. In the second half, Jefferson’s performance didn’t improve; he threw an ugly interception directly into a defensive back’s hands. Despite his 250-pound frame and confidence in lowering his shoulder, his decision-making remains a concern, particularly with the injury risks associated with his style of play. Fans expected to see back-up Quarterback Jacurri brown, but Malzahn kept Jefferson in the game, who finished with 7 completions on 14 attempts for 164 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception.

Malzahn downplayed these issues as mere growing pains, but skepticism remains. The Knights face Sam Houston next week, which should be another straightforward win, but the real test begins with upcoming games against TCU, Cincinnati, Arizona, and Utah. If Jefferson continues to falter against teams like UNH and Sam Houston, concerns about a repeat of last season may be justified.