UCF Spring Practice Update

The Knights began today’s practice by running position drills, then following up with individual drills, seven-on-seven’s, and finally eleven-on-eleven’s.

As has been the case during the initial week of spring practice, the Knights defense, which returns eight starters, has clearly been the more effective unit. The Knights will be depending on a lot of young players to try and successfully defend their Conference USA title, especially on offense.

Junior Michael Greco, the only returning quarterback with game experience, ran the first-team offense, and although the Knights defense was the more dominant unit on this day, the 6’3”, 211 lb. was very composed at the line of scrimmage and was able to move the ball well in spots. Greco looks to be a nice fit in coach O’Leary’s spread offense due to his superior athleticism.

Some of the other players vying for snaps at quarterback were Joe Weatherford, whose brother Drew is the starting quarterback at Florida State University, Nate Tice, who’s the son of Jacksonville Jaguars assistant head coach Mike Tice, and Andy Slowik. All three quarterbacks are redshirt freshman.

Weatherford looked the most ready to garner playing time out of the three, as he has a smooth release and good accuracy on intermediate routes. Tice is a large guy, at 6’4”, 203 lbs. and possesses a strong arm, although he did show signs of inaccuracy on this particular morning. Andy Slowik was a nice surprise for a fourth-string quarterback as he showed a very live arm during passing drills. Slowik’s arm was so strong that at times he telegraphed his throws and was still able to fit the ball in small windows.

The Knights running backs have a tall task in front of them due to the early entry in the NFL Draft of 2007’s national rushing leader, Kevin Smith. The most likely fill-in for the NFL bound Smith goes by the same last name, in 6’1”, 194 lb. running back Phillip Smith. Phillip injured his leg in a Sunday practice, and the severity of the injury is undetermined at this time.

Other players vying for time in the Knights backfield are James Jamison, a 5’11”, 215 lb. sophomore who showed a nice burst and solid hands. Redshirt freshman Ronnie Weaver ran well between the tackles, but had a few untimely drops in morning drills. The team also had defensive back Jayson Williams take some handoffs, and the 6’0”, 206 lb. senior showed an ability to be elusive and showed nice speed.

The passing game is generally the last part of the offense that takes off, especially early in camp. This was certainly no different as the Knights receivers had to play against a very experienced, talented secondary led by cornerback Joe Burnett, who will almost certainly find himself playing on Sunday’s following his senior season at UCF. Burnett is an engaging figure who showed supreme confidence when I asked him if he was the best cornerback in the country, and he responded definitively with “I think I am.”

Wide receiver Kamar Aiken appears to be the most accomplished route runner of the group, as the 6’2”, 205 lb. sophomore was able to find himself open in many instances. Senior Rocky Ross was able to find some open areas and the 6’2”, 196 lb. receiver showed some deep speed. None of the other receivers seemed to make much of an impact during this session.

As we stated earlier, the Knights defense certainly appears to be ahead of the offense at this time, but the offense showed some signs of being explosive. Michael Greco has undeniable athletic abilities, and Joe Weatherford stands tall in the pocket and has an arm that shows he can fit in at any level. The running backs didn’t appear to have immediate star power, but they did show burst and potential. The wide receivers were able to get open, but at this point they wouldn’t be considered as sure handed. Stay tuned for more updates from Knights practice.