The "national champions" got back to work Tuesday morning.

Under overcast skies with hip-hop music blaring, UCF returned to the field for the start of spring practice.

It was the first practice for new Knights coach Josh Heupel, who was hired in December to replace Scott Frost.

“It was a lot of fun just to get out there and compete and really get through a full practice and the flow of it,” Heupel said. “I thought our kids handled it and transitioned really well and competed really well.”

Players started walking onto the field at 8:30am and practice lasted for a little more than two and a half hours.

“Guys were flying around,” quarterback McKenzie Milton said. “We got to knock the rust off a little after a long break but it was a lot of fun out there today.”

The team has spent the last two months conditioning and working out and all of the players were excited to be back out on the field.

“We had just been going through the motions, trying to get the playbook with the new staff so it was really fun to just get out there and run around with the new staff and some of our returning players and building off the season we had last year,” redshirt sophomore cornerback Brandon Moore said.

Players said Tuesday’s practice with Heupel felt very similar to last year’s practices with Frost.

“It’s not a lot different, honestly,” Milton said. “That was my first one so I’ll be learning a lot more as the spring goes on but it was high energy and it was awesome today.”

The Knights will have 13 more practices before their spring game at Spectrum Stadium on April 21.