Jacksonville State head coach Charles Kelly praised Scott Frost and his UCF staff ahead of Thursday’s opener. He also named Gavin Wimsatt the starting QB.
As UCF prepares to kick off the 2025 season Thursday night at the Bounce House against Jacksonville State, the mutual respect between the programs’ new head coaches was front and center during Gamecocks coach Charles Kelly’s weekly press conference.
While this marks Kelly’s debut as a head coach, he spoke glowingly about Scott Frost’s return to Orlando, calling it a “huge challenge” to face a staff he deeply respects.
“What Scott Frost has done in his career, I mean, it speaks for itself,” Kelly said. “What he did at UCF the first time, and in my opinion, what he did at Nebraska… I’ve watched about every game that Nebraska played. He was in some tight, tight games with Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin. He had that thing turned around and lost a bunch of games by single digits. He’s done an incredible job.”
Kelly, a veteran defensive mind with coordinator stops at Florida State, Alabama, Auburn and Colorado, said he doesn’t personally know Frost but has always admired his path.
“I have great respect for him as a player and what he was as a player. Nobody gave him anything in coaching—he earned everything he got. He started coaching at Northern Iowa on defense. He knows the whole game.”
This won’t be the first time Frost and Kelly have shared opposing sidelines. They clashed in the 2015 Rose Bowl semifinal, with Frost as Oregon’s OC and Kelly overseeing Florida State’s defense. The Ducks ran away with a 59-20 win.
“They had a fabulous offense, one of the best in the country,” Kelly noted.
Portal-era opener
In many ways, Thursday’s game is a matchup emblematic of modern college football. Both teams are undergoing significant transition. UCF’s roster includes around 70 new players, while Jacksonville State brings in 51 newcomers themselves. Kelly said that level of roster turnover is simply the new norm.
“It wouldn’t matter if I was the head coach or Rich Rod was still here,” Kelly said of his predecessor. “There was still going to be a big turnover in the roster.”
Kelly added that the coaching carousel and the transfer portal don’t necessarily make things more complicated schematically, but they do bring new variables to evaluate.
“In the transfer portal world, we’re all evaluating the same players. So we know a lot of the players they got. From a schematic standpoint, I don’t think it’s an advantage or disadvantage. Coaches are creatures of habit. They’re going to do what they do. At the end of the day, you’ve got to execute and play.”
Gavin Wimsatt named Jax State’s starting QB
Kelly also officially named Gavin Wimsatt as Jacksonville State’s starting quarterback for Thursday’s game. Wimsatt, a Kentucky transfer, started 19 games across three seasons at Rutgers before serving in a backup and wildcat role last season with the Wildcats.
“Gavin’s our starting quarterback,” Kelly said. “But I feel comfortable with the three quarterbacks we have. All of them have shown good leadership and the ability to move the team.”
Wimsatt completed 16 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns last season while also finishing as Kentucky’s third-leading rusher. In 2023 at Rutgers, he passed for 1,735 yards and nine touchdowns with eight interceptions.
Kelly is excited about the dynamic play Wimsatt can bring to the field.
“He’s a big guy, very athletic, has a really strong arm. He can make every throw you ask of him. But he’s also a threat with his legs. When he gets rolling, he can move.”
Staying focused
While Thursday’s opener is Kelly’s first career game as a head coach, he downplayed the personal significance, instead placing the spotlight on his team and their preparation.
“To me, this game is about the players. It’s not about me. It’s about two good programs playing each other. My job is to get our players prepared to play.”
The game marks the beginning of Jacksonville State’s third season in FBS and first under Kelly’s leadership. For Frost, it’s the beginning of his second stint at UCF, a place where he went 19-7 from 2016 to 2017, including a 13-0 season and Peach Bowl victory in his final year before leaving for Nebraska.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at Acrisure Bounce House.
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Category: General Sports
