What the University of Central Florida wanted out of quarterback McKenzie Milton last season was a vocal leader.

Turns out what the Knights, not to mention the rest of the so-called Group of Five schools, got from the Mililani High graduate was that and a zealous, no holds (or passes)-barred advocate.

Ever since the Knights finished the 2017 season as the only unbeaten (13-0) team in the 130-member Football Bowl Subdivision — but without a seat in the College Football Playoff — Milton has been the poster player for championing somebody outside the Power Five elite.

The 34-27 victory over Auburn in the Peach Bowl, in which Milton was the offensive MVP, has served as a platform for a spirited advocacy that has hardly waned in the offseason. At the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, La., over the weekend, Milton compared UCF with its in-state marquee teams — Florida, Florida State and Miami — Houma (La.) Today reported.

“Look at the talent, look at the film. They should consider us with those guys. I think we were a better team than all three of them last year. We can compete with any of those guys. We have to keep working, keep recruiting good guys, guys who are going to buy in and stay true to what we’re doing.”

As much as it might have been a continuing salvo at being overlooked last season, Milton’s words also serve as a declaration of intent for 2018. “If (we), personally, were to run the table, people would have no choice but to put us in (the CFP),” Milton said at a media session at the Manning Academy. “We’d be sitting at 25-0 over the past two years. We’ve shown we can play with anybody. We just want the opportunity.”

This is on the heels of last month’s war of words with ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy Jr., a former Crimson Tide quarterback. “Alabama would dust (UCF). So would Clemson, so would Georgia, so would all those teams,” McElroy said during his SiriusXM radio show. “They would dust UCF if the national championship was on the line. And you know what? Auburn would, too.”

To which Milton responded, “Your career was dust buddy,” tagging McElroy (whose father Greg Sr. played at UH during the Dick Tomey era) in a photo on Instagram.

While the debate over whether UCF could have beaten Alabama or Georgia in the CFP and should have a claim to a national title is open ended, the Knights clearly deserved an opportunity to show what they could do, Certainly much more than a No. 12 CFP ranking allowed them.

And Milton, who trailed only Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield among FBS quarterbacks in passing efficiency, was the one who drove them. He completed 67 percent of his passes for 4,037 yards and a remarkable 37 touchdowns against just nine interceptions.

“I think the main thing the playoff committee is looking for is sustained success,” Milton said. “Alabama sustained success. Georgia sustained success. Clemson sustained success. Alabama and Clemson have been in the playoffs all three years. I think they want to see teams be consistent, year in and year out. For sure, we kind of came up out of nowhere, going from 0-12 to 6-7 to 13-0.”

Sounds a lot like Milton is serving fair warning that the Knights should no longer be slept on.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.