2010 SEASON OUTLOOK (OFFENSE) WIDE RECEIVERS One of the team’s most inexperienced offensive position groups in recent years, UCF’s wide receivers have come of age and transformed into a veteran group which will be counted on to make plays in 2010. Three of the top four receivers on the Knights’ depth chart – redshirt senior Jamar Newsome, senior Kamar Aiken and redshirt junior A.J. Guyton – will be in at least their fourth season with the Black and Gold, giving quarterbacks an experienced group to look for in the passing game. Leading the group is Aiken, a 6-foot-2 target who found the end zone a team-high nine times in 2009. The receiver developed into both a deep threat and a go-to guy in the red zone, leading the team in receiving yards (610) and yards per catch (16.9). While graduated starter Rocky Ross (41 receptions, three TDs) will need to be replaced, both Newsome and Guyton have shown they have the ability to produce. Guyton came back from an injury to corral a team-high 44 passes in 2009, while Newsome had 24 receptions and scored touchdowns against two C-USA foes. After bursting onto the scene as a return specialist and spot receiver as a true freshman, sophomore Quincy McDuffie will become a more regular target in 2010. The versatile, speedy McDuffie had 126 receiving yards and 55 yards on the ground in 2009. Redshirt senior Brian Watters and redshirt junior Khymest Williams also add depth and experience to the group. Watters totaled 12 catches and 99 yards a season ago, while Williams will return from injury after totaling 17 catches and three touchdowns as a sophomore in 2008. As a large crop of young, talented receivers fight for playing time, many eyes will be on redshirt freshman Nico Flores. A 6-foot-2 quarterback recruit, Flores was converted to receiver in the spring and his size and athleticism could become assets for the Knights. Redshirt freshmen Marquee Williams and Dontravius Floyd will aim to get on the field after a season in the program. Highly-touted recruit Joshua Reese could be in the mix to make an impact as a true freshman.
OFFENSIVE LINE Despite being a sometimes overlooked group, the effectiveness of the offensive line will have a direct impact on UCF’s success in 2010. It made significant strides a season ago, contributing to tailback Brynn Harvey totaling 1,109 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground and the Knights’ vastly improved offense. The Knights return four starters from the five-man 2009 line, a group which combined for 41 starts a year ago. The returners include a pair of monster 6-foot-7 tackles, right tackle Jah Reid and left tackle Nick Pieschel. Reid started each of the team’s 13 games in 2009 and earned a spot on the All-Conference USA first team. He will certainly gain attention from NFL scouts this season. 8
This fall, the line was given a boost with the NCAA’s decision to grant redshirt junior left guard Cliff McCray (6-foot-2, 316) an additional two seasons of eligibility. McCray made 12 starts in 2009 at left guard and will provide leadership to the squad. At the other guard position, redshirt sophomore Theo Goins (6-foot-4, 322) cemented himself in the starting lineup midway through 2009 and will look to build on that experience this fall. The spot up for grabs appears to be at center, where the Knights need to replace graduated starter Ian Bustillo. The battle for the position looks to be between redshirt sophomore Jordan Rae and redshirt junior Zac Norris. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound Rae has been moved from the defensive line while Norris can bring more size with his 6-foot-3, 290-pound frame. There looks to be significant size in the backup positions, with 6-foot-5 Chris Martin adding depth at the tackles and 6-foot-4 Chad Hounshell and 6-foot-3 Rey Cunha waiting in the wings at guard. Transfer Abré Leggins also made six starts a season ago in his first season as a Knight. A group of six newcomers will add depth and size to the offensive line, including highly-touted guard Torrian Wilson and McCray’s brothers, twins Jordan and Justin McCray. Wilson already measures in at 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds while both McCrays are listed at 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds. Another incoming freshman, tackle Tony Jacob, listed at 6-foot-8 and 310 pounds, immediately becomes the Knights’ tallest player.
TIGHT ENDS AND H-BACKS As a redshirt freshman in 2008, Adam Nissley spent time at both tight end and offensive tackle. At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, Nissley certainly has the size of an offensive lineman, but with his strength and athleticism, also has the ability to shine as a tight end. As a result, the Georgia native was moved back to the position full-time prior to the 2009 campaign and did not disappoint. Nissley started all 13 games a year ago and finished the season with 10 receptions for 159 yards. He averaged an impressive 15.9 yards a catch and had his best game of the year against Marshall. In the win over the Thundering Herd, Nissley recorded three receptions for 46 yards. Willie Gaetjens, a hard-nosed junior who is in his fourth year in the program, will serve as Nissley’s backup. The local product from Titusville appeared in 10 games last season and is a more than adaquate blocker. Redshirt freshman D.J. Brown learned the UCF offense a year ago and will provide depth at tight end in 2010. The Knights enter the campaign with a deep group of blocking backs, led by Ricky Kay and Billy Giovanetti. Kay played in 12 games last season and started two. The senior had 15 receptions for 171 yards with two scores. In the win over visiting Memphis, Kay totaled four catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. He enters his senior campaign with 28 career receptions.
Giovanetti made an immediate impact as a redshirt freshman. He started four games, beginning with the season opener against Samford, and had seven receptions for 46 yards with a touchdown. The gritty former Bishop Moore High School star registered 23 yards receiving on two receptions versus Miami. His main task was to pave the way for tailback Brynn Harvey, who rushed for 1,109 yards with 14 touchdowns. Joining the H-back corps is redshirt sophomore Latavius Murray. As a freshman in 2008, Murray played in eight games at tailback, carrying the ball 46 times for 132 yards and three touchdowns. His three rushing scores led the squad. The upstate New York native suffered an injury last summer, and was moved to another position in the backfield.
QUARTERBACKS The Knights do not lose many key starters on either offense or defense in 2010, but one of them is quarterback Brett Hodges. The Winter Springs native transferred back home to Orlando from Wake Forest for his final season of play in 2009 and went 8-3 as a starter, cracking several of the school’s seasonal top-10 record charts. Hodges was a big reason why the Knights earned a spot in the St. Petersburg Bowl to conclude the season. In some ways though it will seem like Hodges is still around as he passed on much of his perpetually relaxed demeanor to Rob Calabrese, who has reassumed the starting role heading into his true junior season for UCF. Calabrese consistently throughout the spring showed a level of poise in both the huddle and pocket that was new and had been lacking in his previous turns as UCF’s starter at quarterback. Calabrese’s last two appearances of the 2009 season served as rays of hope. He battled hard even when UCF was down on the road at Texas. He also collectively marched UCF on a strong touchdown drive late in the St. Petersburg Bowl against Rutgers, making plays with both his feet and arm in the process. Electrifying true freshman Jeffrey Godfrey is behind Calabrese heading into the season. Godfrey set the Miami-Dade County career passing record as a part of a stellar prep career at Miami Central where he led his team to the state semifinals and was widely recruited. Godfrey chose UCF, along with several of his Miami Central teammates, and enrolled in January. Although inexperienced and still learning the offense, Godfrey showed his tremendous ability as a dual-threat quarterback on a regular basis during the spring.
RUNNING BACKS A George O’Leary football team will invariably be solid in the running game and 2010 should prove to be no exception. Although junior Brynn Harvey will start the season recovering from a knee injury, the sophomore tandem of Brendan Kelly and Jonathan Davis ran together well during spring practice when Harvey was out. The respect for Harvey is apparent around the league and nation as many media outlets have selected him as the first-team preseason All-Conference USA running back. A 1,109-yard rusher in 2009 with 14 touchdowns to his credit, Harvey’s sophomore year numbers eclipsed those of Kevin Smith in 2006 as a sophomore. He will be slowed in the early part of 2010 while recovering from the spring practice injury, but should be running at full-steam soon enough. In the meantime, Kelly and Davis have been battling it out for the starting spot. Kelly is a strong north-south runner who saw action in 10 games last fall as a redshirt freshman. He proved to be both a decent running and receiving threat, scoring his lone touchdown through the air. Whether he begins the season as the starter or not, Kelly could use his large frame to become a threat in goal-line situations. Davis ended up with 64 carries for 310 yards and four scores as a true freshman a year ago in relief of Harvey. Showing the ability to find the end zone, Davis also proved he could produce good numbers when getting numerous carries. Against Tulane at the end of the season, Davis rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Adding to the team’s options in the backfield will be junior Brandon Davis and Iowa transfer Jeff Brinson, who will add depth and will fight for carries. Brandon Davis has seen action in both 2008 and 2009 as a backup and had eight carries for 34 yards against Tulane last year. Brinson, who will be eligible to play right away, is a St. Petersburg native who was a first-team all-state pick at Northeast High School as a senior in 2007. Junior Ronnie Weaver will provide more depth at the position. Weaver had 19 attempts for 86 yards last year. His best game of the season came at Rice when he carried the ball five times for 58 yards with a touchdown in the victory over the Owls.
Former Stanford signal caller L.D. Crow joins the mix in 2010 after the Palm Harbor native sat out last fall due to NCAA transfer regulations. Crow has a prototypical pocket passer’s makeup and held his own as the number three quarterback during his first spring in Orlando. True freshman Blake Bortles will make the short trek from Oviedo High School to UCF this year. Bortles set the Seminole County career passing record with 5,576 yards as he helped Oviedo to a pair of district titles. 9
2010 SEASON OUTLOOK (DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS) DEFENSIVE LINE A hallmark of UCF’s team the past several seasons has been its stout defensive line play. The Knights have led Conference USA in rushing defense each of the past two seasons, a feat only previously accomplished once in league history (TCU in 2002-03). The Knights were fourth in the nation last year in rushing defense, trailing only BCS bowl participants Texas, Alabama and TCU. UCF brings back a slew of talented ends, including preseason AllAmerican Bruce Miller, but will be lining up several new faces in the tackle position. Bookend fifth-year seniors start at either end position in Miller and David Williams. Miller leads the nation’s active players in career sacks with 27 as well as in tackles for loss with 44. Also possessing the brawn to line up in a three-technique at defensive tackle when UCF goes to the nickel, Miller was named the 2009 C-USA Defensive Player of the Year. He is amongst the top-10 leaders in career sacks for any player in Florida major college football history. Williams has been a fixture at the other end the past few years and turned in six tackles for loss last fall along with a sack and three forced hurries. Redshirt junior Darius Nall returns to the end group after a four-sack performance in 2009. He returned to the field dramatically a season ago after missing the 2008 season while undergoing cancer treatments. Sophomore Troy Davis, who turned a lot of heads during spring practice for his ability to get through blocks and into the backfield, enters the fall as the backup at the other end position.
Heading into the season, redshirt senior Wes Tunuufi Sauvao and true freshman E.J. Dunston hold down the starting spots at tackle. Tunuufi Sauvo has been a regular contributor for the Knights, particularly in goal-line situations, but is aiming to be a first-time regular starter this fall. Dunston came to UCF early in January after a strong prep career at Edgewater High School and showed the potential to be an immediate contributor for the Knights. Another Orlando product, redshirt freshman Victor Gray, showed that he should be able to contribute this fall at tackle, as did Atlanta’s Brandon Bryant. Bryant also redshirted in 2009, which served as his first year in Orlando.
LINEBACKERS The 2010 linebackers are a tough and experienced group that look to lead the defense to another successful season as one of the conference’s best. The top tackler from the 2009 season, graduated senior Cory Hogue, is gone, but don’t expect much of a drop off with redshirt senior Chance Henderson returning to the middle linebacker position after sitting out with an injury. Flanking Henderson are two of the team’s top tacklers from 2009, seniors Derrick Hallman and Lawrence Young, making the starting linebackers an experienced and talented unit. Henderson is coming back after a knee injury sidelined him for all of the 2009 season. Looking to regain his 2008 form where he started in 12 games and garnered 57 tackles, Henderson aims to be the anchor in the middle of a talented Knights’ defense.
Seniors Bruce Miller (49), Lawrence Young (57) and Derrick Hallman (38) are three of the Knights who have helped UCF lead C-USA in rushing defense two years in a row and also rank fourth in the nation last fall (82.77 ypg), trailing only Texas, Alabama and TCU. 10
The team’s leading returning tackler, Hallman racked up 85 tackles and forced two fumbles last season despite switching back from safety to outside linebacker midway through the season. In his tenure at UCF, the Fort Pierce native has registered nearly 200 tackles, four forced fumbles and four picks. Another reliable linebacker for the Knights, Young has had a great impact for the defense since arriving on campus as a freshman in 2007. The team’s second-leading returning tackler from 2009, Young tallied 78 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one sack a season ago. Young is a linebacker who the defense will again lean on to help stop the run game. Hallman and Young were two major reasons why UCF owned the country’s fourth-ranked rushing defense a season ago, and with Henderson operating the middle linebacker position the group should expect similar success in 2010. The Knights are confident with their depth at linebacker because of the time each reserve player has put into the system. With a combined 10 years of experience between them, Josh Linam, Loren Robinson and Jordan Becker will provide depth at the position. Linam looks to be the most experienced backup out of the bunch after registering 14 tackles and appearing in all 13 games last season as a sophomore. Robinson, a local product from Longwood, and Becker give UCF depth at the outside linebacker slots.
DEFENSIVE BACKS A young secondary stepped up in 2009 and proved they were up for the task of replacing four graduated standout starters from the 2008 season. Now a more veteran group, this year’s unit will be expected to continue to improve and become a strength of the defense. The group will include a mix of veterans looking for a chance to shine in their last seasons at UCF and standout sophomores looking to build off impressive freshmen campaigns. Fifth-year seniors Emery Allen and Justin Boddie will both compete for starting spots and playing time at cornerback. Allen returns after missing the majority of 2009 due to injury while Boddie aims to back-up his career-best 58 tackles as a junior. Two more seniors - Darin Baldwin and Reggie Weams - will compete to start at strong safety. Baldwin made 32 tackles and had seven pass break-ups last season while Weams contributed 24 tackles and an interception. Indicating their potential for impressive careers with the Black and Gold, Josh Robinson and Kemal Ishmael burst onto the scene to make an immediate impact as true freshmen a year ago. Starting nine games at free safety, Ishmael led all secondary players with 70 tackles in 2009, but it was Robinson who really made a splash. Robinson’s six interceptions were tied for the most nationally among true freshmen, and he added 59 tackles and eight pass break-ups. His performance led to a laundry list of accolades, including him being a consensus freshman All-America selection and a second-team All-Conference USA performer. Expectations
are high for Robinson, who has been listed as a consensus firstteam preseason all-conference pick. Two other returning young players will vie for time with redshirt freshman Jarrett Swaby slated to backup Ishmael while sophomore A.J. Bouye will aim to get on the field at cornerback. Bouye appeared in 10 games as a rookie in 2009 and registered 10 total tackles. Among the UCF newcomers who could find time in the secondary is freshman Clayton Geathers, a 6-foot-3 safety from Hemingway, S.C., who already has the size to play collegiately. Freshmen cornerbacks Jordan Ozerites and Cornelius Whitehead will both be in the battle for playing time as well. Ozerites was an early enrollee who had a chance to participate in spring practice.
SPECIAL TEAMS Expect much of the same this year when it comes to the Knights’ kicking game. The Knights return successful starters at both placekicker and punter in junior Nick Cattoi and senior Blake Clingan, respectively. Cattoi, who at 6-foot-5 could pass for a linebacker, made 14 of his 20 field-goal attempts in 2009, connecting on five from beyond 40 yards. Cattoi will likely also handle the kickoffs for the Knights after a successful season of averaging 65.2 yards a kick and 11 touchbacks. Talented sophomore Jamie Boyle got a small taste of action as a true freshman and could use his big leg to challenge the more experienced Cattoi for the job. Clingan, who already holds many of UCF’s punting records, will look to stay the course for his senior season after a junior campaign where he averaged 37.3 yards an attempt, with six punts being for 50 yards or more. Junior Charley Hughlett will handle the long-snapping duties for the third-straight season. After the loss of All-American Joe Burnett in 2008, a handful of Knights were given time at punt returner in 2009, with redshirt junior A.J. Guyton and veteran Rocky Ross splitting the majority of the reps. With the graduation of Ross, look to Guyton to see a lot of time fielding punts as the team’s most experienced option. Guyton averaged 10.8 yards a return a season ago. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of Burnett, sophomore cornerback Josh Robinson may get a chance to return punts as well. The athletic Robinson showed flashes of ability during the spring and may give the team big-play potential. Big-play potential was certainly shown by Quincy McDuffie as a true freshman a season ago. In his first appearance in a Knights’ jersey, McDuffie returned a kickoff for a score against Samford. Now with a year under his belt, the speedy McDuffie returns after posting a 24.2-yard average kick return from 2009. Veteran Darin Baldwin has a couple years of experience returning kicks and will likely line up next to McDuffie for kickoffs. Baldwin averaged 27.2 yards per return last season.
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