UCF Knights Football's 2010 Verbal Commitments

No matter how the season turns out this year, 13 seniors will be leaving UCF's football squad, including quarterback Brett Hodges.

I decided to take a look at this year's recruiting information to find out who is coming to UCF next year, who might be coming to UCF next year, and what that will mean for a young 2010 team.

Rivals.com, a recruiting database, lists the committed/unsigned recruits from each NCAA football team, how many “stars” they are worth, and a multitude of other statistics. I utilized the web site to take a look at the verbal commitments we have on board already for the 2010 season.

Verbal Commitments

Blake Bortles, quarterback from Oviedo High School, just might be Brett Hodges' more successful successor. Bortles, who plays on his field just miles from UCF's, has had ample opportunity to take in the Knights' lifestyle.

Bortles is listed with three stars at Rivals.com, is 6'4”, and 230 lbs. Look for him to bulk up in the offseason and make a big impression on coaches before next season.

Glen Stanley, a linebacker from Thatcher, AZ, is one of UCF's big-time recruits and the kind of pick up we expect from the team. He is listed with four stars at Rivals.com, the average star number of a Florida recruit.

He's 6'2”, 245 lbs., and will definitely also have to hit the weight room this offseason. However, he's sure to be a powerful component of the Knights' squad in 2010.

Justin and Jordan McCray, brothers from Miami, FL, are both outside linebackers also star-rated. They will surely be a dynamic duo on the UCF defense.

Other star rated verbal commitments include Cornelius Whitehead, a WR from Mount Dora, FL, Cody Ralston, a linebacker from Georgia, Jordan Ozerities, a DB also from Mount Dora, Quenton Brown, a DE from Tucker, Georgia, Tommy Sanders, a linebacker from Cordele, Georgia, and Perry Meiklejohn, an OL from Miami.

There are eight other non-star-rated players that have verbally committed to the UCF football program.

The Knights, overall, look to have made some good recruiting decisions, especially for being one of the less glamorous Florida programs to play for. Ten of the players are star rated, and only 13 are leaving, which means that the team is replacing its strength, not just their numbers.

My prediction: The Knights will rule C-USA next year, with Blake Bortles at the helm.