June 22, 2012
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By John Denton, Knights Insider
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The start of preseason drills is less than six weeks away, so football season at UCF is right around the corner. And for many here in the football-crazed Sunshine State, that moment can't get here soon enough.
From now until drills begin in August, we here at UCFAthletics.com will be highlighting a UCF player to watch for the coming season and the expectations for that player.
The Knights open the season Aug. 30 at Akron. A week later the Knights travel to Columbus, Ohio to face Ohio State and new coach Urban Meyer. The home-opener at Bright House Networks Stadium is Sept. 15 against FIU. And the Knights will close the non-conference portion of the schedule on Sept. 29 with a marquee home game against Missouri.
UCF football season tickets are currently available for as low as $140, while away game tickets are also on sale. For more information and to place an order, call the UCF Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000 or visit UCFAthletics.com.
Here is a closer look at one of the key Knights expected to make a big impact this season:
NAME: Kemal Ishmael
POSITION: Free safety
HOMETOWN: Miami, Fla.
NUMBER: 18
HEIGHT, WEIGHT, CLASS: 5-11, 211, senior
2011 STATS: Ishmael led the Knights in total tackles for a second-consecutive season. He had 39 solo tackles and 42 assists for 81 total tackles. That was good enough to earn him Honorable Mention All-C-USA honors. He also had 2.5 tackles for loss and three pass break-ups. He forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
BEST MOMENT: Ishamel had double-digit tackles in four games - 10 against BYU, 15 against UAB, 12 against Southern Miss and 11 versus East Carolina - but his finest performance of the season came against BYU. He knocked a BYU receiver out of the game with a big hit on a pass break-up near the goal line and he was dominant in stopping the running game all night. Ishmael's play allowed the Knights to stay in the tight game all the way to the end. Ishmael will enter next season with 244 career tackles. He needs just 35 more tackles to crack the Top 10 in school history.
WHAT LIES AHEAD: About to be a four-year starter and one of the most productive defensive players in school history, Ishmael is easily one of UCF's most respected players. He'll most likely be voted a team captain because of his leadership, toughness and dependability. A proven tackler in the run game, the Knights need Ishmael to be more of a factor in the pass game this season. His football IQ is off the charts and the Knights need him to be more of a factor in breaking up passes and intercepting them. Ishmael's big-hit ability and toughness will most certainly allow him to play professionally in the NFL, but an improvement as a pass defender could cause his draft stock to soar.
John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFAthletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.