DJ Black delivers game-winner in UCF debut

In his very first game as a Knight, DJ Black delivered the defining play, hauling in a 33-yard touchdown catch from Tayven Jackson with just over a minute left to lift UCF past Jacksonville State, 17-10.

For Black, it was a moment months in the making.

The 6-foot-3 wideout transferred to UCF this past January after a standout season at Division II Limestone, where he averaged nearly 23 yards per catch and earned Honorable Mention All-American honors. Last December in the transfer portal, he picked the Knights over several other suitors, including Michigan State.

“It can be real emotional,” Black said following his three-catch, 59-yard debut. “I’m real passionate about the game, so being in that moment was electric for me. Getting the game ball and being able to just celebrate with my teammates, it just feels amazing.”

Black credited everyone around him for the play that sealed it.

“It was just a great play call by Coach (Scott) Frost,” he said. “The offensive line held up real well. D-Wade (tight end Dylan Wade) made a good block on the edge. And then Tayven just threw me a great ball and it landed right in the pocket.”

Jackson, who entered the game following a two-hour weather delay and injury to starting quarterback Cam Fancher, calmly led the final scoring drive to break a 10-10 tie. It capped off a night where the Knights offense struggled to find rhythm, but found just enough when it mattered.

“He did a great job stepping in,” Black said of Jackson. “He was great all fall, all spring. And he just did his thing by stepping up.”

The offense, admittedly, left points on the board. Penalties and miscues stalled drives. Frost was blunt in his postgame remarks that the Knights were far from a finished product.

“Yeah, we shot ourselves in the foot a lot of times,” Black said. “Penalties, that held us back a lot. Going into practice, we’re going to wrap it up. Make sure that we hone in on the small details and keep our poise. No lazy techniques so we get no flags.”

Black said the team stayed focused throughout the weather delays and quarterback change.

“Just staying locked in and doing your job,” he said. “No matter what the circumstances, if something changes, we’ve got to continue to do our job.”

A former walk-on at South Carolina, Black’s journey has taken him from small-town Inman, S.C., to a breakout year in D-II, and now to the Big 12 stage. And in his very first game as a Knight, he etched his name into the early season highlight reel.

“I think we’re way better than what we showed tonight,” he said. “It was just us beating us. Once we eliminate those small mistakes and hone in on the details, we’re going to be electric, I think.”