McKenzie Milton knew he wanted to be a coach long before his sensational college career at UCF, or before he worked with some of the rising stars of the game. Instead, he was playing youth football for the Waipio Panthers with his dad, Mark, teaching him how to join the burgeoning lineage of great Hawaiian quarterbacks.
“It was just youth football, but he’s been as good as any coach I’ve ever been taught by,” Milton told CBS Sports. “Life lessons and just the small details of playing the game, a lot of the lessons I teach my guys, I learned from my dad.”
When Scott Frost recruited Milton to UCF, he promised Milton that he would allow him to be a graduate assistant with the program after his career was over. But when Frost returned to the program in 2025 for his second stint, Milton was overqualified for the role after two years at a rising Tennessee program as an offensive analyst.
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Only five years after leaving UCF for the final time as a player, Milton is back on campus as quarterbacks coach under Frost. On Monday, he was named to the 247Sports 30 Under 30 list as one of the top rising figures in college athletics.
“Honestly, I don’t feel like I’ve done much yet,” Milton said. “I kind of inherited a great program at Tennessee and I feel blessed to be here with Coach Frost and offensive coordinator Steve Cooper. I’m just trying to be a sponge with all the great coaches we have here at UCF right now.”
Milton is truly a legendary figure in the history of the UCF program. As a true sophomore, he stepped into the lineup and led the Knights to 23 straight wins, including a claimed Colley Matrix National Championship in 2017. Playing for both Frost and Josh Heupel at UCF, Milton twice won AAC Offensive Player of the Year and conference championships while compiling nearly 10,000 total yards and 95 touchdowns.
A catastrophic knee surgery suffered at the end of the 2018 season cratered any chance Milton had of reaching the next level. After spending multiple years recovering — with one final swan song as a Florida State backup quarterback in 2021 — Milton was ready to move on with his life.
After one season working with the UCF radio crew, a familiar face gave him a call: Heupel, now at Tennessee. He remembered Milton’s dream of becoming a coach.
“I’ve gotta thank Coach Heupel from the bottom of my heart because if he didn’t give me that opportunity up at Tennessee, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to come back to UCF so quickly,” Milton said. “It just speaks volumes, you know, you’ve got to earn respect by the way you carry yourself every day.”
When Frost came back to UCF five years after leaving for Nebraska, he quickly turned his sights on the up-and-coming young analyst. Milton played a key role working with the offense during Tennessee’s run to the College Football Playoff. Between his experiences under Frost, Heupel and Mike Norvell, he was a seasoned football mind. On Dec. 10, Frost made Milton his first hire of the new era.
“Milton’s impressed those in the industry with his scheme knowledge and ability to relate to players. He’s someone one source described as a future potential head coach,” Chris Hummer of 247Sports and CBS Sports wrote.
While many faces are the same, UCF is a substantially different place in 2025 than when Frost left in 2017. Largely based on Frost and Milton’s success, the Knights moved up to the Big 12. The revenue sharing and transfer worlds made for a dramatic start as UCF had to bring more than 55 new players to campus. Frost also returns after a disappointing tenure at Nebraska, a move he has said was the wrong decision for him. However, Milton believes those experiences have only helped Frost grow.
“I still see the same guy in terms of consistency, passion, grit, competitive makeup,” Milton said. “I feel like the main growth I’ve seen is being a father of three now and just being more seasoned with lessons he’s learned over the years. He’s carrying it into this new journey here at UCF.”
On a roster with several question marks, Milton plays a critical role. At least three quarterbacks are still competing for the starting job: junior Tayven Jackson, senior Jacurri Brown and senior Cam Fancher. The pressure will come early as UCF is coming off the first missed bowl since 2015, the year before Milton arrived on campus. Getting the position right will prove critical.
Much will be expected of Milton as he returns home to the Bounce House as a coach on Aug. 28 against Jacksonville State. But even before games have kicked off, UCF is thrilled to see its most beloved son back where he belongs.
“McKenzie’s gonna be a really good coach and he continues to learn and work under Scott,” UCF athletic director Terry Mohajir told CBS Sports. “It’s exciting for him to be back. Our fans love it and I think he loves it too.”
MORE AT 247SPORTS — College football’s top young coaches, rising stars: The 30under30 for 2025
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