The Scott Frost reunion tour in Orlando officially kicked off with a bang—and a bunch of questions. Since Frost last wore the headset at UCF Knights in 2017, the program has flipped conferences, importantly moving from the AAC to the Big 12. Their top guy, though, remains the new DC they’ve got from Wisconsin, who has one of the more polarizing résumés in recent memory. It’s a new era in the Big 12 for the Knights, and every decision feels like a dice roll with the stakes cranked to the max.

The good news? UCF’s defensive line is treading in the right direction. Transfers are pouring in to bolster both sides of the ball, particularly up front, where the Knights needed help badly. The defensive front last year was aggressive—even disruptive, but gave up too many chunk plays due to an offense that couldn’t sustain drives or control tempo. That’s exactly where the splash hire of Alex Grinch comes in. Once had a Grinch/Lincoln Riley era at Sooners.

“I think a lot of UCF fans are kind of lukewarm about Grinch as the defensive coordinator,” The host asked about the UCF OC to ESPN’s Eli Lederman on the Sons of UCF podcast. “He’s had obviously a tough run at Oklahoma and flamed out at USC.” But Lederman explained why he called the hire ‘exciting’. “You’ve got to consider the fact that Lincoln Riley worked with this guy for nearly a decade and thought highly enough of him to bring him to LA. It didn’t go great at Southern California. They had a lot to fix in these last couple of years… But maybe like a lot of other things about this team and program right now, it’s a gamble.”

There it is—the word that sums up UCF’s offseason: gamble. From the staff to the roster rebuild, from the scheme to the transfer portal strategy, it’s all a high-risk, high-reward play. Lederman added, “If we’re talking about UCF being one of the big surprises… part of that is Alex Grinch realizing some of that potential that flashed along the way when he was at Oklahoma and USC.”

The Knights are gambling big off the field, too. When AD Terry Mohajir arrived, the school’s athletic budget was $59 million. “And what’s the budget now?” he was asked recently. “$121 million,” Mohajir replied without hesitation. That’s a $62 million climb and a real-life reflection of how quickly UCF has vaulted into Power Five relevance. Their first year in the Big 12 netted them between $21 and $29 million in media rights alone—nearly triple their AAC take in 2022.

Scott Frost’s hiring received a B+ from Athlon Sports, which noted, “Can Frost recapture the magic from his first stint at UCF? From 2016-17, the Knights went 19-7, including a perfect 13-0 campaign. However, Frost’s tenure at Nebraska was a massive disappointment.” The hope in Orlando is that with less pressure than Lincoln, Frost can recalibrate and thrive again.

Alex Grinch, meanwhile, is still battling ghosts from his last two jobs. “How did we get from Broyles Award finalist Alex Grinch to we’re talking about him as a fan base now that doesn’t think he can be a coordinator. How did that happen?” the host asked Lederman. His answer? “There’s plenty to point to on that front… but if it hits, if the gamble works, he’ll be part of the formula that gets UCF knocking on the door of the playoff.” That’s the dream. That’s the gamble.

A Big 12 coach believes Scott Frost-UCF reunion could actually work

There’s plenty of skepticism around the country anytime a coach returns for a second act, especially when the stage has changed. But in Scott Frost’s case, at least one anonymous Big 12 coach thinks the encore might actually hit the right notes. Speaking with reporters recently, the coach offered a refreshingly optimistic take on Frost’s return to Orlando.

“Usually, the trend of hiring the former coach back when the program was in a different league doesn’t pan out the way boosters think,” Coach Frost said. “[Bobby] Petrino coming back to Louisville, for instance. But I think this is a situation where it might be good for both parties. [Scott] Frost and UCF put each other on the map. The talent level is higher in the Big 12, but the personnel and schematic blueprint he used the last time can still work.”

That’s high praise in a conference that’s no stranger to coaching carousel skepticism. Still, Frost isn’t being asked to relive the past—he’s being asked to evolve it. The undefeated season in 2017 gave UCF national credibility, but the Knights now face bigger, deeper rosters every week.

With opening night against Jacksonville State just weeks away, there’s real buzz in Orlando.