UCF 2012 Recruiting

UCF Knights 2012 ... Head Coach: George O'Leary

UCF Knights

2011 Record: 5-7

Sep. 3 Charleston South. W 62-0
Sep. 10 Boston College W 30-3
Sep. 17 at FIU L 17-10
Sep. 24 at BYU L 24-17
Oct. 1 OPEN DATE
Oct. 8 Marshall W 16-6
Oct. 15 at SMU L 38-17
Oct. 22 at UAB W 26-24
Oct. 29 Memphis W 41-0
Nov. 5 Tulsa L 24-17
Nov. 12 at Southern Miss L 30-29
Nov. 19 at East Carolina L 38-31
Nov. 26 UTEP W 31-14

2010 CFN Prediction: 7-5
2010 Record: 11-3

Sept. 4 South Dakota W 38-7
Sept. 11 NC State L 28-21
Sept. 18 at Buffalo W 24-10
Sept. 25 at Kansas St L 17-13
Oct. 6 UAB W 42-7
Oct. 13 at Marshall W 35-14
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 Rice W 41-14
Oct. 30 East Carolina W 49-35
Nov. 5 at Houston W 40-33
Nov. 13 Southern Miss L 31-21
Nov. 20 at Tulane W 61-14
Nov. 27 at Memphis W 37-17
C-USA Championship
Dec. 4 SMU 17-7
Liberty Bowl
Dec. 31 Georgia W 10-6
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 UCF Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. QB Jonathan Wallace
6-1, 204, Scout.com 69th ranked, thee-star quarterback. 2010 was Wallace’s first year as a starter for Central-Phenix City first year coach, Woodrow Lowe. Lowe was a star linebacker at the University of Alabama, and an 11-year pro with the San Diego Chargers. Wallace helped Lowe start out a winner in his initial season going 9-2. Wallace accounted for more than 2,000 total yards, 1,200 passing and 850 rushing and 27 touchdowns.

2. S Jacoby Glenn
6-1, 170, Scout.com 118th ranked, three-star safety.

3. WR Drico Johnson
6-3, 205, Scout.com 181st ranked, three-star receiver.

4. OT Colby Watson
6-5, 320, Scout.com 137th ranked, two-star tackle.

5. QB Troy Green
6-1, 200, Scout.com two-star quarterback.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... A passing game. The Knights haven’t been big on pushing the ball down the field under head coach George O’Leary, choosing to mostly pound away with the ground attack. The quarterback situation is solid for the next few seasons with Jeff Godfrey and Blake Bortles in place, but adding more to the receiving corps would be nice. The program hasn’t gone hard after skill players in a few years, but this season that should change.

Team Concerns For 2012: The kicking game. The Knights are loaded with experience just about everywhere, and they should be terrific on defense. Big-tackling middle linebacker Josh Linam is done, and the defensive line could use a few more options, but everything is in place for a huge year. However, kicker Nick Cattoi is done and the punting situation has to be addressed for 2013 and beyond.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: The Knights couldn’t seem to come up with a clutch win even with the nation’s ninth-best defense and an offense that ranked among the best in the league. Eight starters are back on defense, but star corner Josh Robinson bolted early for the NFL. All the top pass rushers return and leading tackler FS Kemail Ishmael is back. QB Jeff Godfrey is back and should be steadier with two years under his belt, while RB Brynn Harvey should be among Conference USA’s top players with four starters up front to run behind. The teams’ top two receivers, Quincy McDuffie and J.J. Worton, return. Rannell Hall and Quincy McDuffie will be among the nation’s top kick returners, and Worton is a terrific punt returner.

2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 54. That Class Was Heavy On ... The defensive front seven. Release the hounds. UCF signed two terrific corners in Bruce Dukes and Jeremy Davis, and the offense wasn’t ignored, but the class is loaded with strong players on the defensive front seven. Troy Gray is a safety-sized outside linebacker who should pair with middle prospect Miles Pace to give the Knights a strong corps in a few years, while JUCO transfers Toby Jackson and Cameron Henderson should be fantastic right away at the ends. With a little time, Demetric Anderson could be an anchor of a tackle.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 63. That Class Was Heavy On ... Offensive line. The offense has been hit-or-miss when the running game wasn't working, and now George O'Leary is taking care of the front wall to keep pounding away. Jose Jose has more than just a terrific name, he's one of the nation's better interior line prospects and should see time at center. Torian Wilson, Justin McCray, and Jordan McCray are large guards who should grow into key cogs for the ground attack, while 6-7, 310-pound Tony Jacob will be a key starting tackle soon.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 57. That Class Was Heavy On ... defensive backs. After losing the entire starting secondary to graduation, this was an absolute priority for George O’Leary and the Knights. The program did a magnificent job a few years ago of taking two-star players, such as CB Joe Burnett, and molding them into defensive stoppers. It may not have to do much coaching up of CB Josh Robinson, an outstanding all-around playmaker, who also drew interest from Michigan, South Carolina, and West Virginia.

Nov. 25 at UCF 31 … UTEP 14
(AP) ORLANDO, Fla. -- Latavius Murray rushed for a career-high 233 yards and scored three times to help Central Florida rout Texas-El Paso 31-14 on Friday night in the season finale for both teams.

Murray, a junior tailback, scored on runs of 38 and 40 yards and caught a 6-yard pass from freshman quarterback Blake Bortles as the Knights (5-7, 3-5 Conference USA) stopped a three-game losing streak.

UTEP avoided a shutout with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Jordan Leslie caught a 2-yard pass from Nick Lamaison on a fourth-and-goal play and Joe Banyard added a 7-yard scoring run.

The Miners (5-7, 2-6) needed a win to become bowl eligible.

UCF led 24-0 after its most dominating first-half performance of the season. Murray had 98 yards rushing and two touchdowns by halftime and the Knights' defense limited UTEP to five first downs and 94 yards total offense in the first two quarters.

Nov. 19 at East Carolina 38 … UCF 31

Nov. 12 at Southern Miss 30 … UCF 29

Nov. 3 Tulsa 24 … at UCF 17
CFN Analysis: Jeff Godfrey threw as well as he had all season long, completing 16-of-23 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown, but the running game couldn’t seem to find any footing against a Tulsa defense that’s been surprisingly great all year long against the run. Against the high-powered Tulsa passing game, the UCF defense did a nice job, but Josh Robinson – who made eight tackles – had to do too much against the run. It was a close, tight game and Tulsa was just a little bit better, but the Conference USA hopes aren’t gone quite yet with dates at Southern Miss and East Carolina up next. The defense that’s been so great all year long has to be better than it was against Tulsa, and the pass rush has to be a bit stronger. 

Oct. 29 at UCF 41 … Memphis 0  

Oct. 20 at UAB 26 … UCF 24
CFN Analysis: Who gives up 501 yards to a UAB offense?! UCF came into this game No. 3 in the nation in total defense, No. 4 in pass efficiency defense, and No. 9 in scoring defense, but it couldn’t keep the nation’s 106th-ranked offense in check and couldn’t come up with a sop in the clutch. Just when it seemed like the team was going to escape, the D failed in the final moments. Blake Bortels was far sharper than Jeff Godfrey throwing the ball and rallying the team back, but the offense still needs Godfrey’s running ability. Now at 1-2 in the conference, it’s going to take a ton of work to have any hope of getting back in the title race, but fortunately, Memphis is up next. 

Oct. 15 at SMU 38 … UCF 17
CFN Analysis:  What happened to the UCF defensive front? The special teams have been a nightmare, and the passing game has been sketchy at times, but the defensive line has been a puzzling problem over the last few weeks with no pressure and not enough production against the run. Jeff Godfrey wasn’t bad, completing 23-of-32 passes for 231 yards and a score, but Blake Bortles was a bit better completing 9-of-12 passes for 1198 yards and a score. Even so, it was still a disastrous loss that all but ends any hopes to repeat. Fortunately, UAB and Memphis are up next to quickly turn the record back around after losing three of the last four games. 

Oct. 8 at UCF 16 … Marshall 6
CFN Analysis: The pass defense is playing at a whole other level. Marshall doesn’t have a high-octane passing attack, but the secondary is playing at a high level. The Knights didn’t generate much of a pass rush, but Josh Robinson and the corners are clamping down and not giving up any room to move. The run defense wasn’t bad, either, giving up just 43 yards. Jeff Godfrey isn’t bombing away, but he didn’t need to with Brynn Harvey running for 180 yards as the workhorse helping the Knights hold on to the ball for over 40 minutes. This might not look like much of a blowout, but it was a dominant 16-6 win. 

Sept. 23 at BYU 24 … UCF 17
CFN Analysis: UCF flat-out gagged away the game to the Cougars. Even though he was banged up and made some poor decisions on the final desperate drive, Jeff Godfrey threw for 272 yards, while Blake Bortles stepped up when forced into action and was accurate. The special teams breakdowns, the three turnovers, and the problems in the second half meant a second straight tough loss after a terrific start to the year. Fortunately, UCF is still 0-0 in conference play with Marshall and a trip to SMU coming up next, and if the defense continues to play as well as it did against the Cougars, the mistakes on offense will come around. One key thing to work on is the return game, with the one return going for -4 yards and with nothing coming on the kickoff returns.

Sept. 17 at FIU 17 … UCF 10
CFN Analysis: UCF couldn’t get the offense going against the Golden Panther defense, hurt by a mediocre day from the line. The defense continues to be stellar, only allowing one offensive touchdown and giving up just 238 yards of total offense. It was still a loss to a Sun Belt team. Ten penalties and two fumbles proved to be the difference in a tight game that it should’ve pulled out, and now it’ll be a must to get in the right mindset with a wounded and embarrassed BYU team coming up next. And then Conference USA play kicks off with Marshall, and if the defense can continue to be this strong, there won’t be many more missed opportunities like this one.

Sept. 10 at UCF 30 … Boston College 3
CFN Analysis: The Golden Knights ripped up Boston College in the fourth quarter to make the final score look a whole lot better than the game was, but all that really matters is that they beat an ACC team by 27 points. UCF has outscored its first two opponents by a combined score of 92-3 thanks to great play from the O line and a fantastic start from Jeff Godfrey, who completed 20-of-25 passes for 187 yards, and ran 13 times for 69 yards and two scores. The Knight defense stuffed BC all game long, and while it would’ve been nice to have put the game away earlier, the defense never made it a problem. A strong pass rush, a great game by Godfrey, and three Nick Cattoi field goals made it a laugher, and now comes a shockingly interesting game against a red-hot FIU. 
 
Sept. 3 at UCF 62 … Charleston Southern 0
CFN Analysis: That’s what a defending Conference USA champion is supposed to do. UCF dominated in every way possible with 244 passing yards and 316 yards on the ground with eight touchdowns. Jeff Godfrey was unstoppable completing 6-of-10 passes for 100 yards and running seven times for 46 yards and three touchdowns, and the defense was dominant with eight tackles for loss and allowing just 119 yards of total offense. Dealing with Boston College next will be a far bigger problem, but everything was humming out of the gate. 

The 2011 Recruiting Class Is Heavy On … The defensive front seven. Release the hounds. UCF signed two terrific corners in Bruce Dukes and Jeremy Davis, and the offense wasn’t ignored, but the class is loaded with strong players on the defensive front seven. Troy Gray is a safety-sized outside linebacker who should pair with middle prospect Miles Pace to give the Knights a strong corps in a few years, while JUCO transfers Toby Jackson and Cameron Henderson should be fantastic right away at the ends. With a little time, Demetric Anderson could be an anchor of a tackle.

Five UCF Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. DE Toby Jackson
Jackson is a big, athletic defensive end prospect that excels when his options are limited. Jackson is at his best when he's able to pin his ears back and use his athleticism to rush the passer. When he's asked to read and react to a play, he becomes a liability. He's best in space as he can go inside or outside on a tackle that's on an island with him, but the closer to the center, the easier he becomes to block.

2. C Tarik Cook
Cook is an ideal center when it comes to build, strength, smarts, technique, and experience. He can still improve his footwork and getting off the ball, but he is very powerful, he moves around well, and he understands the position. One of the most impressive things about Cook is how he finishes off his blocks. He has that intensity you look for in an OL.

3. CB Jeremy Davis
5-11, 190, three-star prospect.

4. LB Miles Pace
6-0, 235, Scout.com’s 43rd ranked middle linebacker

5. DT Demetris Anderson
6-2, 285, Scout.com’s 59th ranked defensive tackle

2011 Entire Recruiting Class

Demetris Anderson DT 6-2 285 Fr. Ft. Pierce, Fla./Westwood
Brandon Bragg S 6-1 190 Fr. Orlando, Fla./University
Terran Buck LB 6-2 235 Jr. Aurora, Ill./West Aurora/College of DuPage
Tarik Cook C 6-3 294 Fr. Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson
Ray Cottman LB 6-2 225 Jr. Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood Ridge/Glendale CC
Jeremy Davis CB 6-0 170 Fr. Cape Coral, Fla./Cape Coral/Milford Academy (N.Y.)
Bruce Dukes CB 5-10 185 Fr. Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek
Mike Easton S 6-0 180 Fr. Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven
Joey Grant* DE 6-4 245 Jr. Apopka, Fla./Lake Brantley
Troy Gray LB 6-1 220 Fr. Kennesaw, Ga./North Cobb
Deion Green DE 6-3 220 Fr. Orlando, Fla./Edgewater
Rannell Hall WR 6-2 175 Fr. Miami, Fla./Carol City
Cam Henderson DE 6-5 250 Fr. Birmingham, Ala./Shades Valley/Navarro College
Jared Henry S 6-1 190 Fr. Jacksonville, Fla./First Coast
Kentorius Jackson LB 6-2 198 Fr. Griffin, Ga./Griffin/Georgia Military College
Toby Jackson DE 6-5 265 Jr. Griffin, Ga./Griffin/Hargrave Mil. Acad. (Va.)/Navarro Coll.
Jose Jose* DT 6-3 330 Jr. Miami, Fla./Miami Central/Eastern Arizona College
Jacques Mackeroy WR 6-0 200 Fr. Lakeland, Fla./Kathleen
Kevin Miller TE 6-4 241 Fr. Delran, N.J./Holy Cross
Willie Mitchell LB 6-1 240 Fr. Deltona, Fla./Pine Ridge
Thomas Niles DT 6-2 260 Fr. Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville
Miles Pace LB 6-0 237 Fr. Miami, Fla./Miami Central
Breshad Perriman WR 6-2 180 Fr. Lithonia, Ga./Arabia Mountain
Terrance Plummer LB 6-1 221 Fr. Orange Park, Fla./Orange Park
Cedric Thompson RB 6-0 207 Fr. Miramar, Fla./Everglades
Justin Tukes* TE 6-5 230 Jr. Sylvester, Ga./Worth County
Dalton Wertz DT 6-1 295 Fr. Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County