Coming off the best season in school history, which culminated with an upset victory over Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl, the UCF Knights, 12-1 a year ago, will look to sustain that momentum heading into the 2014-15 season.
With last year’s leaders Blake Bortles, the 2013 AAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Storm Johnson now playing in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, UCF has some rebuilding to do on offense.
“There’s a new team, new chemistry, new leadership and a couple of key positions that have to come through for us,” said UCF head coach George O’Leary following a spring practice session. “But we’ll be a solid football team from what I can see.”
With just three weeks remaining to prepare for their Aug. 30 season opener in Dublin, Ireland against Penn State, UCF must fill key skill positions on offense created with the departures of Bortles and Johnson.
Four signal callers—Justin Holman (Bortles’ backup in 2013), redshirt freshman Pete DiNovo, true freshman Tyler Harris and Nick Patti, a Boise State transfer—are competing for the starting job at quarterback.
Determining Bortles’ successor is a top priority and O’Leary is hoping to name a starter as soon as this week.
“It’s going to shake itself out—they’ve all had their good time and bad times,” O’Leary said in the West Orange Times and Observer. “We just need that kid that can move the chains. I won’t take it very long—we’ll name one (soon) because I think you need that from a chemistry standpoint.”
Even with lingering questions at quarterback, the Knights possess plenty of talented targets. The team brings back five receivers, including 2013 team leaders Rannell Hall (57 receptions, 886 yards), J.J. Worton (47 receptions, 721 yards) and Breshad Perriman (39 receptions, 811 yards).
Stepping in to replace Johnson at running back is sophomore Will Stanback, who rushed for 443 yards and six touchdowns last year as a freshman. With good size and speed, Stanback is considered an NFL prospect.
O’Leary has high expectations for wide receiver Jordan Akins, who first committed to UCF in 2010. After four years in the Texas Rangers farm system, Akins, at 6-foot-3, 237 pounds, has given up baseball to pursue a career in football.
“It brings back memories and it feels good getting used to the game speed and getting used to the weight of the pads and game flow,” the 22-year-old freshman said in the Orlando Sentinel. “But I’m really enjoying it and just trying to adjust.”
The coaching staff expects Akins to parlay his speed and natural athleticism into being an impact player, either at tight end or receiver, for the Knights.
“He’s a receiver in my eyes because I work with him in my drills at receiver and then coach (Allen Mogridge) works with him at the tight end spot for certain situations. He’s kind of a hybrid kid,” said UCF receivers coach Sean Beckton. “We don’t want to give him too much in our offensive scheme. But right now in my eyes, as the receivers coach, he’s a receiver for me.”
The Knights’ defense should be a stronger unit this year. Last year’s inexperienced but steady defense ranked No. 17 in the country, allowing just 21.3 points per game. Nine starters return on defense and major junior college transfers Lance McDowdell, a defensive tackle, and linebacker Errol Clarke should bolster the unit.
Shawn Moffitt, UCF’s place-kicker, enters the season on national watch lists for the Lou Groza Award and for the College Football Performance Awards Placekickers Trophy. Moffitt’s strong performances throughout the 2013 season contributed greatly to the team’s success. He connected on 21-of-23 field goal attempts last year and hit all 49 extra-point attempts.
Despite returning most of the starters from last year’s team, the Knights enter this season not among the Top 25 in preseason polls after finishing last season ranked at No. 10 on the Associated Press poll. The lack of respect isn’t fazing O’Leary, who appears confident in his team of athletes.
“We have more depth than we’ve had in the past,” the veteran coach said. “It’s just a matter of getting a couple positions straightened out and getting a guy in there (at quarterback) who can make things happen for us.”
In a preseason media poll, UCF, the outright AAC champion in 2013, received seven first-place votes and is picked to finish second behind Cincinnati (17 first-place votes) in the conference race this year. The Bearcats went 9-4 last year in the team’s first season under Tommy Tuberville and return 16 starters for the 2014 season.
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