UCF Knights 2018 Football Preview
Opening Statement: Whether or not you believe that UCF deserved at least a share of the national title or not, there is no doubt that the Knights won my national title last fall after our Power Ratings System showed through the numbers that they had done enough to claim said title when all was said and done. Scott Forst moved on to the job he could not refuse at Nebraska, and now the program is in the hands of Josh Heupel, who ran the high power offensive machine at Missouri as OC last fall. That's good news for this offense, as McKenzie Milton, one of the most exciting players in the college game, is back. Frost left the cupboard mostly stocked for Heupel, and all he has to do is no waste the opportunity given with this job.
Breakdown Offense: Milton was electrifying at times last fall, as he passed for 4037 yards and 37 TDs to just 9 INTs on the season. He was highly accurate, completing 67.1% of his passes, and added another 613 yards with his legs. He added 8 rushing scores, while averaging a rock solid 5.78 yards per carry. He is one of the top returning QBs in the nation this fall. Noah Vedral, his backup last fall, traveled with Frost to Lincoln, and so Damian Mack takes over that role in fall camp.
Adrian Killins is back to start at RB as well. He rushed for 790 yards and scored 10 TDs last fall while averaging 6.48 yards per carry. His role should be much the same this fall. Taj McGowan, who carried the ball 69 times last fall, is the primary backup, while Cordarrian Richardson announced he would be transferring to Texas A&M. That opens an opportunity for sophomore Greg McCRae. Jawon Hamilton, who would have been in the mix for the RB3 spot, transferred to James Madison.
More good news comes at WR, as both Gabriel Davis and Dredrick Snelson return to start. The Knights do have some bad news, however, as Tre'Quon Smith bolted for the NFL. Snelson posted a line of 46-695-8, and averaged 15.11 yards per catch. Davis caught 27 passes last fall for 391 yards and 4 scores. Otis Anderson steps in as the 3rd receiver, and is as much a threat as a rusher as he is a receiver. He caught 30 passes as a freshman, and rushed for 494 yards and 4 scores. Marlon Williams and Tristan Payton add depth.
The Knights got solid news with the transfer of Wisconsin TE Jake Hescock this fall. That's great news due to the fact that UCF loses 3 seniors at the position, which is a valued one in Heupel's offense.
Jordan Johnson (C) and Wyatt Miller (RT) both return on the line to start. Trevor Albert (LT), Tyler Hudanick (LG) and Parker Boudreaux (RG) are all projected to cut the lineup in fall camp. Jake Brown could make a push for the LT job, while Samuel Jackson could push for time at LG. Boman Swanson could also make himself known at RT in camp.
Breakdown Defense: The defense takes a bit of a hit this season, especially on the line, where only one starter returns in DT Trysten Hill. Hill was good for 4 TFLs last fall. Gabriel Luyanda and Brendan Hayes are penciled in at DE, while Joey Connors is projected to start at the open DT spot. Luyanda and Connors combined for 8 TFLs last season, while Hayes was not part of the equation.
Pat Jasinki and Titus Davis are back at LB to start. Jasinki led the Knights with 104 tackles last fal, while adding 8.5 TFLs. Davis totaled 67 tackles with 5 TFLs. Shawn Burgess-Becker is penciled in to replace Shaquem Griffin this fall, which is a huge task. He totaled just 15 tackles last season. Nate Evans and Eric Mitchell should add some depth.
The secondary gets back 3 starters this fall, which is great news. Brandon Moore will return to start at CB. He was good for 8 PBUs in coverage last season, and totaled 31 tackles. He should be joined by new starter Nevelle Clarke. He played in 7 games as a sophomore, and totaled 3 PBUs.
Tre Neal and Kyle Gibson are both back to start at Safety. Neal was good for 68 tackles and 3 PBUs, while Gibson grabbed 64 tackles and 4 PBUs. Gibson also tied with the now departed Mike Hughes with 4 INTs. Antwan Collier and Richie Grant provide backup depth.
Breakdown Special Teams: Matthew Wright is back at PK, but he needs more consistency and accuracy, as he hit just 13/18 FGs last fall. He was a busy guy on PATs, however, as he hit 80/81.
Mac Loudermilk is back at Punter, and averaged just 39.61 yards per punt, and could use a good push.
With Mike Hughes gone, both KR and PR jobs are open in camp.
Final Analysis: The schedule sets up nicely to make another massive run in 2018, and there is plenty of talent on hand to make that a reality for the Knights this fall. UCF should be favored in all 12 of their regular season games this season, and another AAC title is well within the range of possibilities, as is another run on a NY6 bowl game this fall. Auburn felt the sting of losing to UCF in the Peach Bowl, and someone else could be lining up for the same sting in 2018. No matter what the Knights do, the selection committee will never allow a non P5 team to crash their pathetic playoff party, so UCF needs to take what they can get their hands on, and allow people like me to proclaim them national champs.
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