ORLANDO - The UCF football team announced the addition of eight transfer players for the upcoming 2022 season on Wednesday, joining the 15 signees announced in December.
Head coach Gus Malzahn added four players on the offensive side in tight end Kemore Gamble from Florida, receiver Kobe Hudson from Auburn, quarterback John Rhys Plumlee from Ole Miss, and offensive lineman Ryan Swoboda from Virginia.
On the defensive side the additions are defensive tackle Lee Hunter from Auburn, linebacker Terrence Lewis from Maryland, defensive end K.D. McDaniel from Kentucky, and defensive back Koby Perry from Austin Peay.
More on each new Knight below:
KEMORE GAMBLE
Miami, Fla. | Miami Southridge High School
Last School: Florida
Position: Tight End
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 245
Twitter: @kemoregamble15
Instagram: @_kgamble88
• Transferred to UCF in January 2022 after playing 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons at Florida
• Played in 49 games at Florida with 48 receptions, 632 receiving yards and seven touchdowns
• Started 12 games at tight end for Florida in 2021
• Made 31 receptions for 414 yards and tied for team lead with four TD catches
• Had career-high six grabs for 122 yards and two TDs vs. Samford and five for 32 versus Alabama
• Made three catches for 80 yards versus Florida State
• Had one reception for 15 yards in Gasparilla Bowl against UCF
• Appeared in all 12 games in 2020, recording 10 receptions for 160 yards and three TDs
• Had three catches for 66 yards and two TDs at Vanderbilt
• Appeared in 11 games in 2019 as a reserve tight end
• Played in all 13 games in 2018 as key member of Florida's special teams units and served as reserve tight end
• Tallied seven catches for 58, including two catches for 19 yards in both of Florida's wins over Charleston Southern and Idaho
• Did not appear in a game in 2017 in redshirt season
• Helped Miami Southridge High School to 2016 Florida 8A state championship
• Totaled 15 receptions for 184 yards and five TDs in 2015 for Spartans
• Participated in The Opening Miami 2016
• Traveled with WarZone, a 7-on-7 all-star football squad, to Pylon 7v7 Nationals in Dallas in summer 2016
• Played for Coach Billy Rolle at Miami Southridge
KOBE HUDSON
Pine Mountain, Ga. | Troup County High School
Last School: Auburn
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 200
Twitter: @GoLiveK5
Instagram: @5.kobe
• Transferred to UCF in January 2022 after spending the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Auburn
• Leading receiver at Auburn in 2021 with 44 catches for 580 yards and four touchdowns
• Scored his first career touchdown against Akron, a 28-yard completion from Bo Nix
• Had four catches gaining 66 yards at Penn State, five for team-best 76 vs. Georgia State, five for 50 vs. Georgia, six for 79 vs. Ole Miss, then career-best eight for 107 yards against Mississippi State
• Made three catches gaining 33 yards against Alabama, with a 15-yard TD reception
• Had four catches for 57 yards, including a 12-yard TD catch, against Houston in Birmingham Bowl
• Played in every game in 2020 as true freshman
• Had three catches gaining 29 yards in Citrus Bowl against Northwestern
• Made 62 catches for 1,424 yards, 28 TD as a freshman and sophomore for coach Tanner Glisson and Troup County Tigers
• Named to Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11
•Georgia Class 4A state player of year and Region 5-AAAA player of year as a junior QB, passing for 3,386 yards, 38 TDs, and rushing for 1,410 yards, 18 scores
• Passed for 1,629 yards, 18 TDs, and rushed for 976 yards, seven TDs as a senior
• Played in All-American Bowl
• Also a basketball letterman
LEE HUNTER
Mobile, Ala. | Blount High School
Last School: Auburn
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 320
Twitter: @LeeHunter7
Instagram: @lee_hunter7
• Transferred to UCF in January 2022 after playing 2021 season at Auburn
• Did not play in a game in 2021 season
• Recorded 54 tackles, 20 TFL, 4.5 sacks as senior in 2020 for coach Lev Holly and the Leopards at Blount High School in Mobile, Alabama
• Also scored a rushing and receiving TD and had nine catches for 149 yards
• Made 77 tackles, 23 TFL as junior in 2019
• First team AHSAA Class 6A all-state
• AL.com A-List
• Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game selection
• Rated a top five overall recruit from Alabama by ESPN, 24/7, Rivals, PrepStar
• Nationally ranked No. 7 among defensive tackle prospects by ESPN and 24/7
TERRENCE LEWIS
Opa-locka, Fla. | Miami Central High School
Last School: Maryland
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 190
Twitter: @lewis_t2
Instagram: @notori0u2__
• Transferred to UCF in January 2022 after spending 2021 season at Maryland
• Former top-rated prep linebacker by 247Sports
• Second-team linebacker on 2020 MaxPreps High School All-America Team
• Did not play at all in 2021 due to injury
• Helped Miami Central High School to 2020 Florida 6A state title and 8-1 record
• First-team linebacker on MaxPreps Florida all-state team for 2020
• First-team linebacker on Florida 6A all-state team by floridahsfootball.com
• Starred as junior in 20219 on Miami Northwestern High School team that finished 13-2 and won Florida 5A state crown
• Made 105 tackles to go with nine sacks and three interceptions in 2019
• First-team linebacker on 2019 Florida 5A all-state team by floridahsfootball.com
• Played in Legend's Football All-Florida Junior Showcase
• Helped Miami Northwestern claim Florida 5A state title as sophomore in 2018
K.D. MCDANIEL
Tifton, Ga. | Tift County High School
Last School: Kentucky
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 250
Twitter: @mcdaniel_kd
Instagram: @mack47_
• Transferred to UCF in January 2022 after spending 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons at Kentucky
• Helped Kentucky defeat 15th-rated Iowa in 2022 Citrus Bowl, recording two tackles
• Totaled 13 tackles in 2021 while appearing in 10 games
• Had three quarterback hurries in win over New Mexico State and charted career-high three tackles at Vanderbilt
• Saw action in five games at Kentucky as redshirt freshman in 2020 and made one tackle
• Played in four games as true freshman at Kentucky in 2019 and produced three tackles and two quarterback hurries
• Consensus pick as one of the nation's top 40 outside linebackers and one of the top 61 players in Georgia by Rivals, 247sports and ESPN at Tift County High School in Tifton, Georgia
• Named to Georgia 7A all-state squad as senior in 2018
• First-team all-region as prep junior and senior
• Helped lead Tift County to Georgia 7A playoff quarterfinals as both junior and senior
• Totaled six tackles, seven tackles for loss, two passes broken up, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble as prep senior in 2018
• Had 84 tackles, six sacks, three TFL and 12 QB hurries in 2017 as junior
• Coached by Ashley Anders at Tift County
KOBY PERRY
Covington, Ga. | Alcovy High School
Last School: Austin Peay
Position: Defensive Back
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 175
Twitter: @koby24beast
Instagram: @destined4._
• Transferred to UCF in January 2022 after playing 2020 and 2021 seasons at Austin Peay
• 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a 2021 first-team all-OVC selection
• Third Governor player to be named OVC Defensive Player of the Year and first selection in 43 years
• Consensus FCS All-America selection in 2021
• Led Austin Peay and ranked third in the OVC in 2021 with 85 tackles (7.7. per game)--and his 51 solo stops were second-best mark in the league
• Racked up 8.0 tackles for loss--with 4.5 coming in OVC play--ranking eighth in league in TFLs, but leading all defensive backs in stops behind line of scrimmage
• Led Governors in tackles three times in 2021: 11 at Ole Miss, career-high 16 at UT Martin (most by any Austin Peay defender in 2021) and 11 against Tennessee Tech
• Also recorded 75-yard pick-six in first quarter vs. UT Martin, adding a tackle for loss, pass breakup and a quarterback hurry to earn OVC Defensive Player of the Week award
• Finalist for 2021 STATS FCS Buck Buchannan Award, given annually to top defensive player in FCS division
• Appeared in all nine games of split 2020-21 season after transferring from Troy
• Had season-high eight tackles against Murray State (March 3)
• Finished season with 36 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two pass breakups
• Attended Troy but did not play in 2019
• Led Dodge City (Kansas) Community College with 81 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss as sophomore in 2018
• Intercepted a pass, broke up two passes, forced a fumble and recovered two fumbles
• Finished freshman season in 2017 with 67 tackles, seven tackles for loss, a pass break up, a fumble recovery and three blocked punts
• Standout safety for coach Jason Dukes at Alcovy High School in Covington, Georgia
• Recorded 56 tackles, eight tackles for loss, a pair of interceptions, eight pass break ups and 305 all-purpose yards as prep senior
• Earned first team all-region and all-conference honors following senior season
• Also lettered in basketball and track for Tigers
• Earned bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Austin Peay in May 2021 and was pursuing master's degree in general communication
JOHN RHYS PLUMLEE
Hattiesburg, Miss. | Oak Grove High School
Last School: Ole Miss
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 200
Twitter: @PlumleeJohn
Instagram: @john_rhys_plumlee
• Transferred to UCF in January 2022 after playing 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons at Ole Miss
• Caught 19 passes for 201 yards in 2021 while also rushing nine times for 72 yards as a receiver
• Rushed for 64 yards on four carries vs. Austin Peay
• Registered first 100-yard receiving game of his career, finishing with career-high seven catches for 110 yards against Liberty
• Appeared in seven contests in 2020 with one start at wide receiver
• Rushed 25 times for 94 yards, hauled in six receptions for 79 yards and completed five of seven passes for 65 yards and one touchdown
• Garnered Freshman All-America recognition from The Athletic at all-purpose position as a true freshman in 2019
• Named to 247Sports True Freshman All-American team
• Appeared in nine games with eight starts at quarterback
• Set Ole Miss freshman rushing record with 1,023 yards as well as total TDs with 16 (four passing, 12 rushing)
• His 1,023 rushing yards shattered Ole Miss record by a quarterback, passing Jeremiah Masoli's 544 rushing yards in 2010
• Mississippi Class 6A High School Offensive Player of the Year as prep senior in 2018
• Led Oak Grove to South State Championship and runner-up finish in 2018 state title game --Threw for 5,430 yards with 51 TDs and 19 INTs throughout high school career
• Member of Ole Miss baseball team, appearing in 13 games in 2020, with two starts in center field
• Earned Ole Miss Chancellor's Honor Roll accolades in fall 2019, spring 2020 and fall 2020
• Also garnered Dean's List honors in spring 2021 at Ole Miss
RYAN SWOBODA
Clermont, Fla. | Windermere Prep
Last School: Virginia
Position: Offensive Line
Height: 6-10 | Weight: 325
Twitter: @ryan_swoboda
Instagram: @ryanswoboda72
• Transferred to UCF in January 2022 after five seasons at Virginia
• Started 11 of 12 games at right tackle for Virginia in 2021
• Blocked on offensive line that helped Virginia averaged 515.8 yards of total offense, third-most of any FBS program
• According to Pro Football Focus, allowed five sacks on 549 allowed pressure opportunities, a 96.6 pass blocking efficiency rating
• Played 100 percent of snaps in seven of 11 games he played
• Missed Georgia Tech game due to illness and snapped streak of 20 straight starts.
• Started all 10 Virginia games at right tackle in 2020
• Part of offensive line that ranked No. 1 in ACC and No. 12 in the nation in tackles for loss allowed (4.2), while also ranking No. 2 in ACC with 2.0 sacks allowed per game
• Named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Dec. 7 after grading out at near-perfect 96 percent in pass protection (allowing no sacks) in a 42-32 win over Boston College in which Virginia amassed 262 rushing yards and season-high 549 yards of total offense
• Helped block for quarterback Brennan Armstrong, who led FBS with six game totals of 200+ passing yards and 45+ rushing yards
• Appeared in 10 of Virginia's 14 games in 2019
• Started one game at left tackle and two at right tackle
• Helped block for quarterback Bryce Perkins, one of two quarterbacks in nation with 3,000+ passing yards and 700+ rushing yards
• Blocked for Perkins as he broke Virginia single-season passing record and single-season total offense record
• Appeared in all 13 Virginia games in 2018 with one start at tight end vs. Ohio
• Made collegiate debut in season-opening win over Richmond
• Helped block for Perkins, who was one of two players in nation with 2,600+ passing yards (2,680) and 900+ rushing yards (923), joining Oklahoma's Kyler Murray
• Did not appear in any games in 2017 as true freshman
• Played offensive line at Windermere Prep for head coach Jacob Doss
• Helped Windermere to 10-1 record as prep senior in 2016 and semifinal appearance in FHSAA Sunshine State tournament
• First-team All-SSAC honoree from the Orlando Sentinel
• Two-time Florida Athletic Coaches Association first-team All-District 11 1A-4A honoree
• Member of Windermere's 2014 11-0 FHSAA Sunshine State championship
• Played in 2016 Central Florida All-Star game
• Played basketball at Windermere and won a state championship
• Earned his degree from Virginia in American Studies and is pursuing master's degree at UCF in Interdisciplinary Studies (combining education and management)
• Born in Portland, Oregon