UCF = NFL U?
It felt that way on the sidelines of the spring game with many UCF alumni returning to Orlando for the programs #Fastival and opening of a new era. The Knights have a proud football tradition that was somewhat sullied by last year’s winless season.
Yes, the UCF football program has been a steady pipeline of talent to the NFL over the years.
But in the 2016 NFL Draft, UCF was blanked out for the first time in more than a decade. The 2016 NFL Draft was the first time since 2005 that no UCF Football players were selected.
UCF football has had players drafted in a wide range with the highest being third overall (Blake Bortles to Jacksonville) to the seventh round and even some undrafted gems too.
In today’s NFL, there are three Pro Bowl Players that once called UCF home — 6-time Pro Bowler WR Brandon Marshall (2006 4th Round by Denver Broncos), 3-time Pro Bowler OG Josh Sitton also a Super Bowl Champion (2008 4th Round by Green Bay Packers) and one-time Pro Bowler Kicker Matt Prater (Undrafted).
Since Brandon Marshall was drafted in the 4th Round in 2006 draft, UCF had at least one player drafted in a 10-year span. The list includes:
2007: WR Mike Sims-Walker (Jacksonville, third round)
2008: RB Kevin Smith (Detroit, third round)
OL Josh Sitton (Green Bay, fourth round)
TE Mike Merritt (Kansas City, seventh round)
2009: CB Joe Burnett (Pittsburgh, fifth round)
2010: DT Torell Troup (Buffalo, second round)
2011: OL Jah Reid (Baltimore, third round)
FB Bruce Miller (San Francisco, seventh round)
2012: CB Josh Robinson (Minnesota, third round)
2013: RB Latavius Murray (Oakland, sixth round)
S Kemal Ishmael (Atlanta, seventh round)
2014: QB Blake Bortles (Jacksonville, first round)
RB Storm Johnson (Jacksonville, seventh round)
2015: WR Breshad Perriman (Baltimore, first round)
S Clayton Geathers (Indianapolis, fourth round)
There have been plenty of former UCF Football players who went undrafted as well, including:
WR Kamar Aiken 2011 (Undrafted) Now starts for Baltimore Ravens.
CB AJ Bouye 2013 (Undrafted) Plays for Houston Texans.
DL Leger Douzable (Undrafted) Plays for New York Jets.
DB Jacoby Glenn 2015 (Undrafted) Plays for Chicago Bears.
WR Rannell Hall 2015 (Undrafted) Plays for Cleveland Browns.
LS Charley Hughlett 2012 (Undrafted) Plays for Cleveland Browns.
LB Terrance Plummer 2015 (Undrafted) Plays for Minnesota Vikings.
K Matt Prater 2005 (Undrafted) Plays for Detroit Lions
Last year’s UCF football team only had a total of nine seniors on the roster as the team was one of the youngest in the nation.
The player who had the best chance of being drafted was defensive end Thomas Niles, who had 17.5 sacks as a Knight, second to now-San Francisco 49ers fullback Bruce Miller who had 35.5 sacks. However, Niles went undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft and is still looking for a rookie camp to tag on to.
UCF football had a great run of producing NFL talent. But like on the football field in 2015, the team has had some trouble making any progress. It was simply not a good year on the gridiron for the UCF football program.
