ORLANDO — UCF takes the field for its 2024 football opener one week from Thursday, welcoming Football Championship Subdivision program New Hampshire to the Bounce House.
It’s Year 2 in the Big 12 Conference for the Knights, picked to finish eighth in the league’s preseason media poll. They dug an 0-5 hole in league play from the outset last season, but rallied to win three of their last four games to achieve bowl eligibility. Still, a disappointing 30-17 defeat in the Gasparilla Bowl to Georgia Tech marked the first losing record of Gus Malzahn’s collegiate coaching career.
Changes were made, both to the coaching staff and to the roster. More than 40 new players joined the squad from the NCAA’s transfer portal and the high school ranks, and Malzahn named Tim Harris Jr. and Ted Roof as his offensive and defensive coordinators.
UCF Knights football: The News-Journal’s 2024 preseason coverage in one place
Harboring competition while building camaraderie has been the primary objective for UCF’s coaches over the course of three scrimmages and, as of Thursday morning, 19 practice sessions.
“It’s been a very demanding, very physical camp, and the guys have responded,” Malzahn said Saturday. “I think we have a really good idea how we’ll respond in adversity. I think that’s very important.
“We’re in a better spot than we were this time last year. But we’ve got to keep working. The job’s not done.”
UCF will release its first official depth chart Monday, with starters and backups listed at each position. Based on the the limited portions of practice open to the media, and comments from players and coaches throughout fall camp, here is The News-Journal’s projection for the Knights’ offensive, defensive and special teams starters.
Note: Players’ heights, weights, eligibility status and hometowns are listed in parentheses.
UCF…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ucf-football-projecting-offensive-defensive-091159592.html
Author : Daytona Beach News-Journal
Publish date : 2024-08-22 09:11:59
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