John Denton's Knights Insider Live Blog

7:11 a.m.

Stanley Sylverain, a rangy linebacker with the kind of size, speed and coverage skills that UCF head coach George O'Leary likes, has sent in his National Letter of Intent to the Knights.

A 6-foot-3, 215-pound linebacker out of Naples, was also recruited by Boston College, Iowa, Iowa State and Maryland, but chose the Knights because of his ability to play right away.

O'Leary said that the Knights expect to sign a class of 22 players on Wednesday. O'Leary and his entire staff were in the Wayne Densch facility before sunrise on Wednesday and expect signings to roll in throughout the day.

Sylverain instantly became a favorite of the UCF coaching staff upon his visit to campus because of his all-business manner and his focus on football. O'Leary feels that Sylverain can help the Knights in a variety of ways because of his combination of speed and power.

``He was a player whose contact speed I was greatly impressed with,'' O'Leary said. ``He can also play defensive end on third downs in the pass rush. He has a great future ahead of him. All of these guys have great range and great production futures at the Division I level ahead of them.''

Sylverain projects as an outside linebacker for the Knights. He had 98 tackles and nine sacks last season while playing at Golden Gate High School in Naples.

7:32 a.m.

Troy Green, who has a football background and was regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the state of New York this past season, has signed a National Letter of Intent with UCF.

Green, whose father Tim was once a first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons, led Shaneateles Senior High School to a 9-0 season as a senior. He threw for 2,385 yards and 34 touchdowns this past season.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound quarterback expects to add depth to the quarterback position.

``He's a developmental quarterback who will give us some depth at the position,'' UCF offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe said. ``He had limited opportunities in New York, playing just nine games a year and no spring ball. He's an athletic kid who comes from a football background. He's kind of the gym rat type who loves football. We hope that he can develop into someone who can really help us here at UCF.''

7:52 a.m.

Chester Brown, a 6-foot-5, 340-pounder who was heavily recruited by several Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference schools, has signed his National Letter of Intent with UCF.

Brown, who is a native of Samoa, could play either offensive line or defensive line for the Knights. He originally committed to the University of Georgia, but instead will be a Knight. He was also recruited by Tennessee, Auburn, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, NC State and Georgia Tech, but instead will be a Knight and could be a big hit at UCF.

He joins a defensive line at UCF already solid with speed and strength. Sophomore Victor Gray was a standout last season with the Knights, while sophomore tackle Jose Jose made an immediate impact on goal line and short yardage situations.

UCF was delighted land Brown, who the coaching staff projects as a nose guard. Former Knight defensive line Wes Tunuufi Sauvao, a fellow Samoan, helped recruit Brown to UCF.

``He's big, but he's really agile too with really good feet,'' UCF defensive line coach Jim Panagos said. ``He's really explosive. We project him as a nose guard and a guy who could play really early for us. He's raw, but we like him a lot.''

8:09 a.m.

Taylor Oldham, who first caught the eye of UCF coaches at a 7-on-7 summer camp and back that performance up with an all-state senior season, has signed a National Letter of Intent with the Knights.

Oldham, a Daytona Beach native, was a Class 2A all-state performer this past season at Warner Christian Academy. UCF projects Oldham, a 6-foot-1, 195-pounder, as a future standout out because of his pass-catching skills and his deceptive speed.

``He has unbelievable ball skills and as a true wide receiver, he's as polished as any receiver we've signed in the last few years,'' UCF wide receivers coach Sean Beckton. ``We first saw him at our 7-on-7 camp where he did a tremendous job and then Coach (George) O'Leary followed him throughout the season and we really liked what we saw.''

UCF head coach George O'Leary said that the Knights expect to sign a class of 22 players on Wednesday. O'Leary and his entire staff were in the Wayne Densch facility before sunrise on Wednesday and expect signings to roll in throughout the day.

Oldham, who split time at running back and linebacker in addition to playing receiver, averaged 18 yards a catch as a senior. Beckton, a Hall of Famer at UCF during his playing days, said that Oldham projects initially as a slot receiver, but could make the move to the outside.

``I think that eventually there will be a lot that he can do on the outside for us,'' Beckton said. ``He's deceptively fast and I'm not sure even he knows how good he is going to be.''

8:25 a.m.

Kelly Parfitt, a massive tackle/guard who was recruited by several SEC and ACC schools, has inked his National Letter of Intent with UCF.

Parfitt, a 6-foot-5, 320-pounder from Boca Raton, played American Heritage in Boca Raton. He was a Class 3A all-state performer this past season after grading out at 90 percent and registering 35 pancake blocks.

The Knights now have nine players officially signed as part of their 2012 signing class.

Parfitt was recruited by Georgia, Miami, Wisconsin, USF, Connecticut and Illinois before selecting UCF. UCF offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Brent Key considers Parfitt to be one of the jewels of the recruiting class.

``He's big and versatile and strong and I project him as a right tackle or right guard,'' Key said. ``He has good feet and does a good job of pulling. But what I like most about him is that he really likes to hit people. He's a really, really tough guy.''

8:37 a.m.

Tight end Cal Bloom, whose father Wayne ``The Train'' Bloom once wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation, has signed his National Letter of Intent to play for UCF.

Bloom, a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder, hails from Maple Grove, Minn. He was a three-sport star in high school, going 12-1 as a pitcher, while also averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds as a power forward. This past season in football, he caught 18 passes for 498 yards and led the team in touchdowns.

``He's a big-boned guy who just looks like what tight ends are supposed to look like,'' UCF tight ends coach Allen Mogridge said. ``He's big, explosive and athletic. He's a three-sport guy with a good frame and we think he can be a really good tight end for us here at UCF.''

The Knights now have 11 players officially signed as part of their 2012 signing class.

Bloom's father, Wayne, had a big influence on his sports career. Wayne, who was a part of famed tag-team duos such as The Destruction Crew, The Minnesota Wrecking Crew 2 and The Beverly Brothers, wrestled professionally from 1988-99 in the WCW and WWF.

``His dad instilled a great work ethic in Cal and you can see it in how serious he is about football,'' Mogridge said. ``They have a weight room in the basement of their home and let's just say that Cal never misses a workout.''

8:54 a.m.

Blake Davis, a prep teammate of fellow UCF signee Kelly Parfitt at American Heritage High School in Boca Raton, has signed his National Letter of Intent with the Knights.

Davis, a 6-foot-4, 235-pounder, starred on both sides of the ball in high school, but projects as a tight end at UCF. He could help provide instant depth at tight end for a UCF program that lost leader Adam Nissley to graduation.

Davis played in high school next to Parfitt, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound tackle, who signed with the Knights earlier in the day on Wednesday. Davis was heavily recruited by Georgia, Miami, Vanderbilt, Maryland, NC State, Boston College and Connecticut, but instead picked the Knights.

``He's a big, rangy guy, who played on both sides of the ball,'' UCF tight ends coach Allen Mogridge said. ``He was a (summer) camp guy here and the staff here had the opportunity to evaluate him all season. He's a big athlete and when we go into these schools looking for kids, he's the type of player that we're looking for.''

Davis is the second tight end of National Signing Day to ink a NLI with the Knights. Cal Bloom, a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder out of Minnesota, also signed with UCF on Wednesday.

The Knights now have 11 players officially signed as part of their 2012 signing class.

Davis and Parfitt helped American Heritage win a Class 3A state championship this season. As a tight end, Davis caught two touchdown passes and recorded 22 pancake blocks. Defensively, he had 56 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 26 quarterback hurries.

Davis also handles long-snapping duties and that could be a need for the Knights following the graduation of senior snapper Charley Hughlett.

``You look at the two tight ends that we've signed and the No. 1 prerequisite is that they sort of look like me,'' said Mogridge, a 6-foot-5 former tight end at the University of North Carolina. ``They both are tall and have good range and I think they are going to be good ones for us.''

9:12 a.m.

Hoping to add some size to its wide receiving corps next season, UCF added Drico Johnson on Wednesday on National Signing Day. Johnson, an Orlando native, signed his National Letter of Intent with the Knights Wednesday morning.

Playing for Agape Christian Academy, Johnson was a Class 2A All-State performer. He led Central Florida in receiving with 1,052 yards. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder was rated at No. 87 among wide receivers by Rivals.com and he was the MVP of the Nike Camp in Tallahassee in April of 2011.

UCF wide receivers coach Sean Beckton said that while Johnson hails from a small school, he will bring a big, physical presence to the Knights' receiving corps next season.

``He's a very physical wide receiver with tremendous athletic ability,'' Beckton said. ``He'll bring an added dimension to our young receiving corps because he's a bigger guy who can go inside and block a linebacker. He's from a small school, but he's worked hard to become the player that he is now.''

O'Leary said adding quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive linemen were the thrust of this recruiting class.

9:20 a.m.

Nicco Whigham, a mid-January verbal commitment to UCF, followed through on Wednesday by signing his National Letter of Intent to play for the Knights next season.

Whigham played safety and cornerback at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, but projects strictly as a cornerback at UCF. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder has both the size and speed the Knights were looking for as they try to replace standout corner Josh Robinson, who left to enter the NFL Draft.

``He has great size and athleticism and gives us position versatility in the secondary,'' UCF defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley said. ``He also has really good ball skills and the size to go up and get it.''

The Knights now have 12 players officially signed as part of their 2012 signing class.

Whigham ran track at Cardinal Gibbons and was a part of an 8-3 football team that reached the Class 5A Regional quarterfinals. Ansley, who was hired away from Alabama recently, sees a bright future ahead for Whigham at UCF.

``He's a great kid and comes from a good family. Academics are important to him, and football is too,'' Ansley said. ``We're counting on him to help us right away.''

9:50 a.m.

Colby Watson, who has the potential to be one of the strongest players in school history, has signed his National Letter of Intent with UCF and could be a future star for the Knights.

Watson, a 6-foot-5, 320-pounder, projects as a guard for the Knights. He received interest from Alabama, Auburn, Florida and LSU. ESPN.com considered him to be the No. 16 guard in the country and the No. 46 overall prospect out of Florida.

Watson joins tackle Kelly Parfitt and guard Phil Smith as part of a stellar offensive line recruiting class for the Knights. UCF head coach George O'Leary said that offensive linemen, quarterback and receivers are the thrust of this recruiting class.

Watson once bench-pressed 520 pounds and has elite numbers in most weight-lifting categories. Noted recruiting analyst Tom Lemming referred to Watson as ``a road grader who dominates from the left tackle position.''

UCF's success with guard Josh Sitton helped them make inroads with Watson, a Pensacola native. Sitton, formerly a two-star recruit out of Pensacola Catholic High School, won a Super Bowl ring with the Green Bay Packers last season.

``Colby just told me that he was going one the next great one to come out of North Florida for UCF,'' offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Brent Key said. ``He's a big, strong kid who is really tough. I'm stoked about getting him and the other linemen that we have in the fold.''

Key said the Knights have had good success recruiting North Florida in the past because of their persistence in following the talent there. He feels that Watson could be one of the best offensive linemen to come out of the area.

``A lot of schools don't recruit up there. They go through there in the spring, but they don't stay in touch with the kids up there. We stay on those kids because there is good talent up there,'' Key said. ``We've had a lot of success with guys like (Josh) Sitton, Lawrence Young and Emery Allen and I think it's opened eyes to the recruits there in the Panhandle to UCF.''

10:31 a.m.

With the addition of tackle Michael Campbell, UCF continued its run on standout offensive linemen on Wednesday's National Signing Day. Campbell, a 6-foot-6, 265-pounder from Pace, Fla., signed his National Letter of Intent to play for the Knights.

Campbell spent his first three seasons as a tight end, but played tackle as a senior at Pace High School. He was a second-team all-state pick at the 6A level this past season.

With Campbell, Colby Watson and another projected lineman, UCF expects to have three of the five linemen picked to the Pensacola News-Journal all-star team. Kelly Parfitt (6-6, 290), Colby Watson (6-6, 320) and Campbell (6-6, 265) give the Knights a stellar young linemen class.

UCF offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Brent Key expects big things from Campbell. Campbell has put on 13 pounds in recent months and Key expects him to top 300 pounds after spending time in UCF's weight-lifting program in the coming years.

``He's a good blocker and he's obviously got good feet from playing tight end before switching to tackle,'' Key said. ``He's nasty as a lineman and from a great program. He's tough and hard-nosed - just our type of guy here at UCF.''

The Knights now have 14 players officially signed as part of their 2012 signing class. O'Leary said adding quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive linemen were the thrust of this recruiting class.

11:01 a.m.

With a desire to get back to having more taller and physical receivers such as Brandon Marshall and Mike Sims-Walker, UCF targeted the likes of Miami Norland receiver Dareen Owi in this recruiting class.

And on Wednesday, Owi signed his National Letter of Intent to play for the Knights.

Owi, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound wide out, led Norland High School to the Class 5A state championship this year. In the 38-0 defeat of Wakulla in the state title game, Owi caught four passes for 69 yards. During the regular season, he caught 32 passes for 567 yards and 12 touchdowns.

``He's a 6-3, 200-pound kid who comes from a traditional powerhouse team and he's a great athlete,'' UCF wide receivers coach Sean Beckton said.

``In high school they put him at tight end when they ran the ball with (University of Miami signee) Duke Johnson, and they split him out at receiver and he was their go-to guy in the passing game. He has big hands, phenomenal hands, and he's so fluid for being such a big receiver.''

The Knights now have 15 players officially signed as part of their 2012 signing class. O'Leary said adding quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive linemen were the thrust of this recruiting class.

At 6-foot-3, Owi is one of the tallest receivers signed during the O'Leary era at UCF.

UCF also made a concerted effort to get bigger at the receiver position after depending heavily last season on Quincy McDuffie (5-9), A.J. Guyton (5-10), Josh Reese (6-0) and J.J. Worton (6-2).

``The thrust of our recruiting was to get bigger at receiver,'' Beckton said. ``We had size prior to last season and we wanted to get back to that. We want those bigger guys like Dareen who can go up and make the tough catch on third down and someone who you can just kind of throw it up and let a kid make a play. We're seeing more and more teams with these big receivers and we know that bigger, stronger guys are better most times.''

11:38 a.m.

Continuing its run on talented defensive backs, UCF landed 6-foot-1 cornerback Jacoby Glenn out of Prichard, Ala. on Wednesday's National Signing Day. Glenn just sent in his signed National Letter of Intent to the Knights.

Glenn was rated by Rivals.com as the 34th best prospect out of Alabama after anchoring a defense that reached the Class 5A quarterfinals this past season. Glenn was recruited by Kentucky, Mississippi State, Southern Miss and Memphis, but chose the Knights after a long recruiting period.

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Glenn had an interception for Alabama in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic. He joins safety Jared Henry and cornerbacks Nicco Whigham and Jeremy Davis in the 2012 recruiting class for the Knights.

``The thing we like the best about Jacoby is his size as a (wide-side) corner. He's 6-1 and over 175 pounds and very versatile in his cover skills,'' said new UCF defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley. ``He gets his hands on balls and jams people to disrupt the passing routes.''

UCF head coach George O'Leary said that the Knights expect to sign a class of 22 players on Wednesday. O'Leary and his entire staff were in the Wayne Densch facility before sunrise on Wednesday and expect signings to roll in throughout the day.

The Knights now have 16 players officially signed as part of their 2012 signing class.

12:08 p.m.

Quarterback Tyler Gabbert and offensive tackle Phil Smith, transfers from Missouri and Georgia Tech, have submitted their grant-in-aid paperwork to officially become Knights on National Signing Day.

They join 2011 grayshirts Jared Henry, Breshad Perriman and Jeremy Davis among the newest Knights of the 2012 signing class.

Gabbert, the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert, should provide depth at quarterback and will compete right away with incumbent quarterback Blake Bortles. He will have three years of eligibility remaining and was recruited to UCF by offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe.

``With our quarterback situation I thought it was important to find an older quarterback with experience if available,'' Taaffe said. ``He's been in a college program, been on a college field and he can compete with Blake right away. He's got a strong arm and he's fairly mobile. I sort of compare him to (former UCF quarterback) Brett Hodges because he's a cerebral kid with a very strong arm.''

Smith, a 6-foot-5, 292-pound tackle, spent the previous four years at Georgia Tech and comes to the Knights with one year of eligibility remaining. He will be entering the Master's program at UCF.

Smith has played in 33 college games, including 20 as a starter at Georgia Tech. He was a starter each of the past two seasons for a squad that ranked No. 18 in the country in total offense.

``He was a starter on the championship team as a redshirt freshman and he's a veteran who can help us right away,'' UCF offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Brent Key said. ``He's an intelligent player and he'll be an asset to us as a run-blocker.''

12:59 p.m.

Hailing from the same high school as one of the most successful linemen in school history, Luke Adams of Pensacola Catholic High School signed with UCF by midday on National Signing Day.

Adams, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive end, was a first-team all-state pick out of Pensacola Catholic, the school where former UCF great Josh Sitton hailed from. Sitton, a Knight from 2004-07, won a Super Bowl championship ring as the starting guard for the Green Bay Packers last February.

Adams received interest from Kentucky, Ole Miss, USF and Texas Tech and had scholarship offers from Memphis, Florida Atlantic and Western Michigan.

Adams joins a trio of signees from Florida's panhandle region. Michael Campbell (Pace) and Colby Watson (Pine Forest) also inked National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.

In all, the Knights signed 19 players with a heavy emphasis on offensive linemen, wide receivers and quarterbacks.