Ty Bartrum sets high bar at UCF: “My goal is a Big 12 championship”
Ty Bartrum built a reputation at Harvard as a captain, leader and high-level producer.
Now at UCF, the veteran safety is aiming even higher. After recording 83 tackles last season and earning All-America honors at the FCS level, Bartrum said his goal for his final year of college football is simple: help the Knights win a Big 12 championship.
Following UCF’s second spring practice, Bartrum discussed his early transition to Orlando, his fit in Alex Grinch’s defense and the mindset he brings into 2026.
Here’s everything he had to say:
First off, can you just kind of talk about this transition? You come in from a successful career at Harvard, now you’re transitioning to UCF and the P4 level. How has it been, the first few months here and the first two spring practices?
“It’s been great. It’s been great since I got here a little over a month and a half ago, two months ago. I had a great winter with the team, working hard, just building every single day.
“Obviously, second spring practice, a lot of guys, a lot of hungry guys, a lot of older guys. I think that’s the idea here, the philosophy here. A lot of guys that have played, things like that, but it’s a blessing.
“Every day, have this big ole indoor. We didn’t have that at Harvard. We had a bubble. Put a bubble up because it’s so cold, but I mean, I love it here.”
What kind of player are you?
“I’m a team-first guy. Love my teammates. Try to get the best out of them, because if I’m doing that, they’re going to get the best out of me every day. Things like that. Dependable and exciting. Try to make some plays.”
What was your portal recruitment like?
“So UCF, they reached out to me pretty early in the process, which I respect that. And just getting to know the coaches, getting to know the staff, getting to know the type of people they are, on and off the field was one of the first things.
“And then, obviously, scheme, trying to figure out where I could fit myself in the scheme, things like that, try to be the best player I can be, and ultimately help this team win a championship.”
What’s been the biggest difference you’ve noticed coming from Harvard?
“I think there’s definitely a higher ceiling for the amount of guys, which is great. I mean, obviously, you come out here, you’re playing against a lot of guys, they’ve got a lot of snaps, a lot of big plays in big games, which is ultimately what you want to do in this game. You want to play against the best, be with the best.
“So I think it’s a healthy jump, but definitely had a lot of guys at Harvard, too, that are playing elsewhere and things like that.”
You had an excellent career at Harvard. How eager are you to kind of show what you can do at this next level?
“Obviously, my goal is just to play at the highest level I can. And to come in here and doing this, this has been great.
“And everything I learned at Harvard, I’m going to bring here. At the end of the day, it’s football. Not a lot of things change. So I just put my best foot forward and keep doing what I do.”
Having been a captain, what does that say about the leadership you bring?
“I think you could say a lot from my past teammates and things like that. But, I mean, we have a lot. I always said this. There’s one sole captain at Harvard, but we had many captains. There’s always more than one leader on a team.
“Same thing here. A lot of captains, a lot of great guys on this team to build off of and ultimately just get the best out of each other.”
Why did you choose Harvard?
“So coming out for me, kind of like COVID timing in high school. And I was in Jersey at the time. My dad coached, so I moved a couple times in high school. And I was in Jersey, never thought about going to the Ivy League, didn’t know much about it. And I started to get recruited by the Ivy League.
“And when you get recruited by the Ivy League, one Ivy League offers you and they all will. And I hopped on a couple calls with a couple guys and then a couple alumni from Harvard. And I realized the amount of sacrifices my family’s made for me coming up until I was little playing AU basketball, playing flag football, the tackle football, all the sacrifices my older brothers have made.
“I was like, it’d be a disservice for me not to pursue this for the rest of my life, set me up in a lot of different ways and ultimately play, I think, high-level football and FCS.”
Do you get people who, when you say you went to Harvard, do they give you a look?
“Yeah. Then I got to tell them I’m not a wizard, I’m the same as you, had a great education, but it was a blessing, blessing. So definitely blessed.”
Ty, after you committed to UCF, you said you’re excited to contribute to a winning culture. What have you made of that culture?
“I think it’s been great. As I said earlier, there’s a lot of hungry guys, and I feel like that can be dangerous in terms of how we can excel coming into the fall, into our season, into our schedule, trying to go 1-0 each week. Yeah, and every day I’ve seen that, and I think it’ll continue to grow.”
How do you like working with Alex Grinch?
“Grinch is the man. He’s been a lot of places. He knows a lot of ball. And I kind of like that a lot, just picking his brain, trying to be the best mentally focused player I can be along with physically, but trying to read the routes, read the concepts, get into my spot, get to my landmark, things like that to allow me to make plays in his scheme.”
Can you describe what kind of player you are? What are we going to see on the field this year? What are your best traits?
“I try to focus on tackling. I mean, if you don’t miss tackles, you’re going to be a great player. So eliminate missed tackles. Ball’s in the air. It’s your ball. Get it at the highest point. And if you’re around the ball a lot, you’re going to make a lot of plays, and that’s what I try to focus on.”
Playing safety, did you focus on that through high school, or did you play a bunch of positions and settle in on safety once you got to Harvard? Kind of what’s your background with the position?
“Yeah, so crazy high school experience. I was in Ohio my freshman year. My dad was a coach. My middle brother was a senior. Played like outside backer at a small school in Ohio. Played receiver. Went to Jersey my sophomore, junior year. Played offense, defense, wildcat, quarterback, kind of a little bit of everything.
“Then senior year, I was in West Virginia. My dad was coaching at Marshall at the time, and I was doing a little bit of the same thing, like wide receiver, safety, wildcat, quarterback, things like that. I just liked football at the end of the day.”
What was your first conversation like with Coach Frost, and what are your initial reactions after meeting him in person?
“It was on my official visit. I came up here. We sat in the office. He told me a little about his story. I told him about my story. We had some similarities in that sense, and I could really see the type of guy he was, like a realist. He’s going to tell you how it is. I respect that a lot. No BS and things like that.”
Is there any advice that he’s given you that’s stuck with you so far?
“Just his experiences from being in college, transferring, being a dog in Nebraska, being in the league. He’s kind of just made it work, and he was always just a football player. I can kind of see myself in that. I love to play football, and that’s what I do.”
What are your goals for your final season of college football?
“My goal is a Big 12 championship.”
What are you looking to prove?
“Prove myself right, that I can play at this level, that that jump between FCS and FBS is only as big as you make it. I think at the end of the day, as I said multiple times, if you’re a football player, you can figure it out. Get your nose on the ball, be around the ball, punch at the ball, and I think you’ll have a good career.”
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