All things considered, UCF fans should pleased with how the 2014 season went for George O’Leary’s team. Despite losing Blake Bortles and Storm Johnson to the NFL and stumbling out of the gates to an 0-2 start, the Knights finished the year 9-4, winning a share of the AAC title along the way.
As is the case with every team, UCF will lose a key players from this season’s team, and will need to adjust accordingly to put itself in a position to be a contender in the AAC in 2015. The good news for UCF fans is that the program seems to have reached a point under O’Leary where they are able to reload after losing several key players, rather than have to go through a rebuilding year.
Here are a few of the primary areas of concern for O’Leary and his staff during the offseason.
1. Replace Departing Receiving Corps
The highlight of the Knights’ offense in 2014 was their talented receiving corps, which boasted four players that recorded at least 500 yards receiving on the year. Breshad Perriman led the way with 1,044 yards and nine touchdowns on 50 receptions, Josh Reese added 552 yards and six touchdowns on 39 receptions, J.J. Worton had 514 yards and five touchdowns on 36 receptions, and Rannell Hall chipped in 500 yards on 49 receptions.
The bad news for UCF? Reese, Worton and Hall are all graduating, and Perriman has declared for the NFL Draft.
The Knights will have a massive production void to fill with the departures of these four players, but they do have a few players that may be able to rise to the occasion, including Jordan Akins and Tre’Quan Smith.
The 6-foot-3, 237-pound Akins had a limited role during his freshman season, accumulating 135 yards on 12 catches. However, he is a physically gifted player and will be asked to step up in 2015, especially with Perriman leaving for the NFL.
Smith, also a member of the 2014 recruiting class, was named UCF’s Scout Team Player of the Year and has the speed to be a true deep ball threat.
Led by these two, the Knights definitely have a chance to fill the void left by the departures of their top four receivers from 2014.
2. Replacing Jacoby Glenn (and the rest of the secondary)
UCF boasted one of the best defenses in the entire country, this past season, ranking No. 3 in the nation in total defense, and a big reason for that was the stellar play of sophomore cornerback Jacoby Glenn.
Glenn ranked third in the FBS in both interceptions (7) and passes defended (18) and was named the AAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts. While he originally stated in December that he would be return for his junior year, Glenn had a change of heart and announced Tuesday that he would be forgoing his final two years of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft.
This is a big blow to a UCF secondary that is already losing three starters (strong safety Clayton Geathers, free safety Brandon Alexander and corner Jordan Ozerities) to graduation.
Now, defensive backs like D.J. Killings, Shaquill Griffin, Jared Henry and Drico Johnson will need to step into starting roles, but they’ll have big shoes to fill. The defense will almost certainly take a step back in 2015, but it still has a chance to be very effective, especially if the new starters in the secondary are able to make a smooth transition into their new roles.
3. Improving Justin Holman
Quarterback Justin Holman had a roller coaster sophomore campaign, but could be poised for a breakout junior year.
Replacing Blake Bortles is not an enviable task, but Holman was fairly effective for the Knights in 2014. He completed 223 of his 392 passes for 2,952 yards and 23 touchdowns in his first season as UCF’s starter, but also was picked off 14 times.
He did certainly have his flashes of brilliance, including a game-winning Hail Mary to Perriman against East Carolina to clinch a share of the conference title.
All things considered, the good definitely outweighed the bad for Holman during his sophomore season, and he did an admirable job under center, especially when you consider who he had to replace. That being said, Holman does need to be more consistent and show signs of steady improvement in 2015 if the Knights’ offense is going to be able to overcome some key departures, especially at wide receiver.
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