Feb. 27, 2012
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By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Football is never far from fans minds in Florida - not even in the dead of a 70-degree winter. So with football still fresh on the brain for most in Florida, and more specifically UCF, we're going to take a peek ahead to spring drills and next season with the Knights' football team.
Over the course of the next few weeks until spring drills begin, we will be highlighting a returning UCF player and what fans can expect next season.
UCF head coach George O'Leary was hard at work on adding some new talent to the roster through recruiting, which culminated in Signing Day Feb. 1. But the veteran coach is also excited about the core of returning talent to next year's squad and feels the Knights have the pieces in place to potentially author another special season.
Here is a closer look at one of the key players returning for next season for the Knights:
NAME: Josh Reese
POSITION: Wide receiver
HOMETOWN: Miami
NUMBER: 80
HEIGHT, WEIGHT, CLASS: 6-1, 178, redshirt sophomore
2011 STATS: Reese caught 30 passes for 461 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 15.4 yards per catch. He came on late in the season, earning five starts in the final six games. The 30 catches were the fifth most ever by a UCF receiver, while the 461 receiving yards were the third most by a UCF freshman.
BEST MOMENT: Reese blossomed alongside of J.J. Worton late in the season and had a big game at East Carolina. He caught four passes for 51 yards, including a dazzling two-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. Reese also had a big role in the back-and-forth fourth quarter as the two teams repeatedly traded the lead.
WHAT LIES AHEAD: With Reese developing a strong bond with quarterback Blake Bortles, he should be poised for a big season. Reese impressed head coach George O'Leary with his ability to go up into traffic and come down with ball. Somewhat smallish at 6-1 and 178 pounds, Reese makes up for it with exceptional leaping ability. The next step will be Reese showing an ability to go over the middle and catch balls on the inside on third down plays. But his future projects primarily as UCF's deep-ball threat, and he has shown flashes of big-play potential. The trio of Reese, Worton and Rannell Hall project to be stellar wide outs next season and should give UCF an elite pass game in Conference USA.
John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFAthletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.