The 2017 season for the UCF football team is just around the corner and now is the time to get your first look at the Knights. UCFKnights.com will preview each position group in the weeks leading into camp to give Knight Nation an idea of what to expect this fall.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
All four of the Knights' starting defensive backs from 2016 were either drafted or signed by NFL squads. Corners Shaquill Griffin and D.J. Killings, along with safeties Drico Johnson and T.J. Mutcherson, leave huge holes to fill in the secondary.
Kyle Gibson and Tre Neal both have a good deal of experience in the secondary and the addition of Alabama transfer Shawn Burgess-Becker brings some unique talents to the position.
"I feel really good about where we are at safety," head coach Scott Frost said. "Kyle Gibson played a lot last year. Tre Neal played a lot last year. Those guys are going to be really solid for us. Shawn Burgess-Becker gives us an elite athlete back there, once he gets familiar enough with our system."
The cornerback position is a bigger question mark. When Jeremy Boykins is included in the discussion with Griffin and Killings, the Knights' lost three valuable players at the position.
The Knights' coaching staff was pleased with the play of redshirt freshman Richie Grant in the spring. Grant could play either corner or safety. Bryon Brown suffered a knee injury during his freshman season in 2016, but the coaching staff is high on Brown. If he is healthy in the fall, he should get a long look at the corner position. Early enrollee Antwan Collier will likely be in the mix at cornerback, as well.
"We lost our top three corners," Frost said. "That's the position where we need some young guys to step up. I think we have some really talented guys at corner. They're all young and inexperienced, so we're going to need some guys to grow up and get ready fast."
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW
The second season of UCF Football under head coach Scott Frost is just around the corner. Fans can explore all of the new ticket options at Spectrum Stadium by visiting WeRiseandConquer.com or calling (407) 823-1000.
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