KJ Jefferson seems to be making waves at UCF in more than one way. Gus Malzahn and his crew were excited when they landed Jefferson from the transfer portal and it was known after one of Malzahn's famous "Boom" tweets.
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #ChargeOn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#UCFuture24!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Coach Gus Malzahn (@CoachGusMalzahn) January 1, 2024
Jefferson is exactly who Malzahn was hoping to get after the Knights lost former quarterback John Rhys Plumlee to the NFL. Jefferson has made his name known and had a great career at Arkansas, but feels like the sky is the limit at UCF.
With many watch lists rolling out before the season starts, Jefferson, who was already named the Big 12 preseason Newcomer of the Year, made his way onto one prestigious watch list for an award exclusively given to quarterbacks.
The Davey O'Brien Award watch list came out for the 2024 season and Jefferson was able to find his name among other great quarterbacks in the country such as Heisman favorite and former UCF star Dillon Gabriel, Will Howard, Carson Beck, and others.
Jefferson was one of eight Big 12 quarterbacks named to the list and with how some analysts believe he will do at UCF, he could be a favorite to win it.
Many said that when Jefferson transferred to UCF, he made them an automatic contender for the Big 12 title, which would also give UCF a ticket to the College Football Playoff. The Knights however could make it even if they don't win the conference title, and Jefferson might be able to give the Knights enough firepower to get them their first appearance.
UCF is about to enter its second season in the Big 12, and Jefferson knows what it's like to play in a power conference coming from the SEC. With certain strong pieces of the offense returning as well, the Knights could be primed to make a run in year, two.