2023 Ultimate College Football Preview-UCF

Welcome to the Ultimate College Football Preview for 2023. Every team in FBS Football will be covered in this daily blog release. All of your favorite teams from the ACC, AAC, Big 12, Big 10, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, PAC 12, SEC, Sun Belt & even every Independent. Think of these daily college football previews as a cheat sheet going into next year.

2022 Recap:

The Knights had a good year in 2022 finishing the regular season at 9-3. They lost their last two games, the AAC Championship vs. Tulane and the Military Bowl vs. Duke. UCF was a very good team on both sides of the ball. On Offense they were ranked 31st in points per game and Defense they were 46th. The Knights were the second best team in the AAC and they showed that on the field.

Head Coach:

Coach Gus Malzahn is one of the most successful head coaches in college football. He has a National Championship under his belt as well as an SEC, and Sun Belt Championship. Malzahn also won the Bobby Bowden Coach of the Year Award in 2013. Malzahn is known to be one of the best Offensive minds in all of college football as well. In his 2 years so far at UCF he has led them to back to back 9 win seasons and at the top of the AAC. His hurry up no huddle offense has been adopted by most of major college football. What I am saying is Gus is a top ten active coach.

Key Players:

Everyone knows their can not be a college football preview without talking about the most important position. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee is back for his senior season. Last year Plumlee threw for 2,586 yards on a 63% completion percentage with 14 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He also rushed for 856 yards and 11 more touchdowns. He split time in 4 games with QB Mikey Keene but this year it will all be up to him. Plumlee has his two leading WR from last year back. Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson combined for 1,437 yards on 95 catches with 12 touchdowns. R.J. Harvey is back in the backfield bringing his 6.7 yards per carry and 5 touchdowns from last year. Last year he split time but he will be the load carrier all yer for the Knights running game. The defense has a lot of senior leadership on it this year for UCF. Big time playmakers are back like LB Tre’mon Morris-Brash who had 52 tackles, 13 TFL and 6 sacks last season. Along with Brash 4 of the 5 leading tackles are back for the Knights. LB Jason Johnson, DE Josh Celiscar and LB Walter Yates combined last year for 234 tackles, 17.5 sacks and 17.5 TFL’s. Most of the defensive production is back for the Knights and that is a scary thought for their opponent’s.

2023 Prediction:

The Knights will be playing their first Big 12 schedule this year and that will be tough. I do think however they will go 3-0 in the non-conference with their games vs. Kent State and Villanova at home and Boise State away. I honestly think they can go 5-4 or 6-3 in conference this year and surprise some critics. UCF is 20-1 to win the division and I may take a flier on that. Most of their production on both sides of the ball are back and they have Coach Malzahn. UCF will be going to a pretty decent bowl and will be in the talk to winning the conference year one.