June 1, 2010
By Leigh Torbin
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Preseason preview magazines continue to roll in with high praise for UCF. In addition to previously announced acclaim for the Knights from The Sporting News and Phil Steele's College Football preview, Athlon and Lindy's annuals have recently hit the newsstands with good things to say about UCF.
Lindy's lists Bruce Miller as the 10th-best defensive lineman in the nation, leaving him just shy of making the magazine's preseason All-America teams. He is rated as the league's top NFL talent, ahead of Houston quarterback Case Keenum. Miller is picked as C-USA's Defensive Player of the Year (an award he won following the 2009 season) and is tabbed for first team All-C-USA honors, along with teammates Jah Reid and Josh Robinson. Brynn Harvey, Cliff McCray, David Williams and Derrick Hallman represent the Knights on the second team. Reid was named the league's best run blocker, Miller the conference's best pass rusher and Robinson the best C-USA cover corner. As a whole, Lindy's tabs UCF as the top team in the East Division by virtue of a No. 64 national ranking.
Athlon's annual preview magazine awarded UCF the top positional unit ranking in C-USA for its linebackers and secondary while also ranking UCF's defensive line and running backs second-best in the 12 team league. The lofty rankings are not a surprise as the Knights return seven starters and student-athletes who accounted for 79.3-percent of its 2009 tackles, tied for eighth in the nation, from a 2009 unit that led C-USA in total, rushing and scoring defense along with sacks and tackles for loss.
Athlon's first-team All-Conference USA squad includes Harvey, Reid, Miller and Robinson. The second team features Hallman, Lawrence Young and Kemal Ishmael. Athlon projects UCF to face Louisiana Tech in the Hawaii Bowl. Athlon also ranks UCF as the second-best coaching job in C-USA behind only Houston and, on the field, as the No. 60 team in the country.
Last week, The Sporting News tabbed the Knights for No. 47 in its annual ranking and tops in C-USA's East Division. With the magazine's release, TSN placed Harvey, Reid, Miller and Robinson on the All-C-USA first team. The magazine also states that "the Knights will have the league's top defense and, if quarterback Rob Calabrese can be effective, could head to the CUSA title game for the third time in six seasons... The Knights have a great defense and an offense that's almost there."
Phil Steele's magazine released its national and conference honors a couple of weeks ago. It featured Miller, the nation's active leader in both career sacks (27) and TFLs (44) on the preseason All-America team. Miller, Reid, Robinson and Young made Phil Steele's first-team All-C-USA squad while the second team saw Hallman, Harvey, Kamar Aiken and Adam Nissley represent the Knights.
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