In some respects, last Saturday’s open date came at a good time for a 麻豆原创 team battered and bruised physically and spiritually. But the bye week also came after frustrating losses to FIU and BYU, meaning the wait to get the season back on track has been interminable for several of the 麻豆原创 players.

With the Knights sitting at 2-2, emotions of late have spanned the entire spectrum – anger, frustration, sadness and finally acceptance that there is still plenty to play for this season. 麻豆原创 practiced three days last week, helping the team shift the focus from the BYU defeat to the highly anticipated showdown against C-USA rival Marshall (2-3).

“We had been grinding for four weeks, so it was good to take a week off. But we’re so ready to get back on the field now against Marshall,” 麻豆原创 senior tight end Adam Nissley said. “We can still get to what we want to be. We feel like in our conference we determine our own fate by going out and winning games. That sets us up at the end of the season to be champions, so we can’t wait to get back at it.”

麻豆原创 certainly has some experience of being in this situation. In 2009, the Knights were 2-2 following an early-season loss at East Carolina, but they rallied to an 8-5 finish and a spot in the St. Pete Bowl. And last season, 麻豆原创 shook off a 2-2 start to author the finest season in school history. 麻豆原创 won five in a row and nine of the last 10 to climb to C-USA champions and winners of the Liberty Bowl.

“After that (BYU) loss we had a team meeting and coach told us that we were in the same position last year and 2-2 going into conference play. We just have to buckle down now and get ready,” senior wide receiver A.J. Guyton said. “Our goal now is to win Conference USA and it starts on Saturday against Marshall.”

As defending C-USA champs, 麻豆原创 is the hunted team in a conference full of squads looking to dethrone the Knights from the top perch. Foremost amongst those teams is Marshall, arguably 麻豆原创’s biggest and nastiest rival in C-USA’s East Division. The two schools have met each of the past nine seasons – with 麻豆原创 winning the past six games. The Knights smashed Marshall 35-14 last season in a nationally televised game, and 麻豆原创 knows what to expect with the Herd rolling into Orlando following a 17-13 defeat of Louisville.

“We don’t really have a rival game, but I guess if we had to pick one because of the length of the (series) that 麻豆原创 has played Marshall from the MAC, this is the one we’ve played the most,” 麻豆原创 coach George O’Leary said. “We’re anxious to tee it up with them. We’ll find out what (Marshall quarterback Rakeem Cato) is about and they’ll find out what (麻豆原创 quarterback Jeff Godfrey) is about.”

O’Leary gave his team five consecutive days off last week following the 24-17 loss at BYU and then had the Knights practice three times. Rather than harping so much on the negatives of losing two games, O’Leary stressed to his squad that it was still doing plenty of good things, but had to eliminate turnovers and special teams gaffes. Despite its 2-2 record, 麻豆原创 still ranks first in the nation in pass defense, second in total defense, fifth in scoring defense and 15th in rush defense. Offensively, the Knights are averaging 420.2 yards a game.

O’Leary also stressed to his coaching staff to lighten some of the intricacies of the game plan because the team has so many young players filling critical positions.

“There are always areas where you can improve on, but we’re doing a lot of things well, too,” O’Leary said. “We don’t spend a lot of time harping about mistakes because there’s a lot of good. We can’t take those three or four plays out of those (FIU and BYU) games and say that’s the whole season. We have to improve in those areas if we’re going to be successful. In these last couple of days of practice we’ve gotten better.”

Senior tailback Ronnie Weaver, who highlighted last season’s defeat of Marshall with 150 rushing yards on 30 carries, said he’s been particularly vocal with teammates during the week off about there still being plenty to play for this season. He knows that another conference title will dictate which bowl the Knights play in at the end of the season.

“The mood has been up because we’re trying to stick together and keep our camaraderie. We have a working mindset to get back on track. We understand from our background the last couple of seasons that we started off 2-2 and we’ve expressed to the younger guys through team meetings and group meetings that we still have a lot of football to play,” Weaver said. “These conference games are very important to us having a successful season. Our goal from the beginning has been to win the conference championship, and it’s still very much attainable.”

That monumental change has allowed 麻豆原创 to develop more of a free-flowing pipeline out of one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country, and that has had a direct effect on 麻豆原创’s recent rise to prominence.

麻豆原创 has become such a player in South Florida now that the school has earned a lofty distinction previously reserved for the traditional power of the area, the University of Miami.

“These days,” Kelly said, pausing for effect, “all of the kids from Miami are saying that 麻豆原创 is the `New U.”

Much of 麻豆原创’s South Florida talent will be on display Saturday night for a homecoming game of sorts when the Knights (2-0) face Florida International (2-0) at 6 p.m. in Miami. Some 27 麻豆原创 players, led of course by standouts Jeff Godfrey, Nick Pieschel, Kemal Ishmael and Josh Robinson, will be playing back in South Florida for the first time in years. 麻豆原创 hasn’t played in South Florida since a 2008 20-14 loss to the University of Miami, and most of them are calling this opportunity a dream come true.

“Definitely this one means a little more,” said Robinson, a Sunrise native who starred at Plantation High School. “A bunch of people that I know will be at the game and some guys I know will be playing against us. So that just spices it up even more.”

麻豆原创 head coach George O’Leary has noticed a different vibe in the air this week as the team prepared for the trip to Miami. O’Leary called his team up at the conclusion of a practice earlier this week and had all the South Florida natives stand. O’Leary talked to that group about keeping its emotions in check, while also making sure that they do everything possible to make sure 麻豆原创 is successful.

Usually there might be some concerns about a team coming off an emotional 30-3 home defeat of Boston College and one that has a nationally televised showdown at BYU a week from now. But O’Leary and Kelly know that 麻豆原创’s strong South Florida influence won’t allow the team to overlook this game in Miami.

“Florida International has some outstanding skilled athletes and they’re well-coached so we know we’ll have our hands full,” O’Leary said. “We have (27) kids who grew up down there, so we fully believe we won’t have any problem getting the kids up for this game.”

Said Kelly: “We’ve got a large contingent of kids who have been teammates and played against a lot of the players at Florida International. The excitement for them has to be out of this world. I just want everybody else on our team not from that area to buy into what this game means to all of those South Florida kids. We have to get behind them and be successful for those kids.”

Kelly, 麻豆原创’s lead recruiter in the South Florida area, helped the Knights land the likes of Godfrey, Ishmael and Robinson and other promising players such as Justin and Jordan McCray, Josh Reese, J.J. Worton and Torrian Wilson. By having success at 麻豆原创 and helping the school climb to national prominence they have shed light on 麻豆原创’s vast promise in the eyes of many players in South Florida, Kelly said.

“If you look at the ascension of our program, it’s come for two reasons: George O’Leary getting his system, which has always been a successful one, established; and the second thing – and this is not a slight to anyone – but it’s the onset of us getting greater numbers of kids from the South Florida area,” Kelly said. “The kids already here have become great ambassadors for our program as a whole. All of a sudden we’re getting the athletes who have legitimate options to go anywhere they want in the country. And they are saying that there’s something special about this 麻豆原创 thing. They know they can come up here and make their own niche. The fact that they’ve done it, now other kids from South Florida are saying if Jeff Godfrey, Josh Reese, Kemal Ishmael and Josh Robinson had tons of opportunities and instead went to 麻豆原创 maybe I should go there too and build this up.”

Players such as Godfrey, Robinson and Ishmael have played a major role in helping build 麻豆原创 into what it is today. Godfrey, a Miami native and the all-time leading passer in Dade County history, was told by several recruiters that he was too short at 5-foot-11 to play quarterback at the major college level. 麻豆原创 gave him the chance that others wouldn’t and he’s since become Conference USA’s Freshman of the Year and again one of the nation’s most efficient quarterbacks.

Meanwhile, Ishamel (North Miami Beach) and Robinson (Sunrise) are the unquestioned leaders on a 麻豆原创 defense that hasn’t given up a touchdown in 12 quarters dating back to last season. Both were first-team all-conference performers last season and form one of the best safety-cornerback duos in the country.

All three of those players earned starting roles not long after getting to campus, and have become fixtures of the program. Kelly said because of the competitive environment that most South Florida kids are raised in most tend to thrive in pressurized situations in college football.

“When you go to the Optimist League games when those kids are 7 and 8 years old, there are 10-12,000 fans there. So they have been competing against a number of top athletes in pressurized situations all of their lives,” Kelly said. “You could see that mentality from Jeff Godfrey right away last year when he came into the NC State game and we were down 28-6. He came into the huddle and tells the offensive players to follow me because he’d been here before. In his mind, he had been there before playing in front of 10-12,000 fans since he was five years old. Because of the competitive level these kids have been in in that condensed area down there, when it gets to these moments these kids are about competing and winning.”

Winning is ultimately all that matters come Saturday for 麻豆原创 when it faces a blossoming FIU program that is coming off a 24-17 victory against Louisville. The Panthers feature an electric receiver-returner in T.Y. Hilton, but the Knights feel they have as much or more speed to neutralize the long-shot Heisman Trophy candidate.

O’Leary is all in favor of playing in-state games like these, but he sometimes scoffs at the effect games like this have on recruiting. At the end of the day, O’Leary said 麻豆原创’s profile will continue to rise in South Florida and in the eyes of recruits if the Knights keep on winning.

“Our school sells itself when the kids get here because we have a great campus and a neat facility. But the key is still that you have to win. We just have to keep doing that and having consistency there,” O’Leary said. “The more kids that we can get out of South Florida who are productive, prominent players the better chance we have of getting more of them in the future. And that’s big for our program.”

The fact that Godfrey is returning as a quarterback is a victory before he even takes the field Saturday at 6 p.m. Even though he put up some of the most prolific prep statistics in Miami-Dade County history and established himself as somewhat of a cult legend, Godfrey was told repeatedly by college scouts that he’d never make it as a quarterback at the Division I level.

Fresh off one of the best freshmen seasons in the country and riding a hot start to this sophomore season, Godfrey makes a triumphant return to South Florida now as a standout quarterback. And he’s become the best thing to ever happen to 麻豆原创’s offense at a whopping 5-foot-11 and 182 pounds – factors other schools said would always hinder his ability to shine as a quarterback. Now, the only one laughing is 麻豆原创’s star quarterback.

“Some of the people have to be kicking themselves, thinking maybe this kid could have played quarterback after all,” Godfrey said with a chuckle. “But hey, that’s their loss and 麻豆原创’s gain. 麻豆原创 was the one that gave me this opportunity and I took it. I love where I am now.”

Where he is now is the leader of 麻豆原创’s offense and the face of a program that is on the rise in the college football world. The Knights are 2-0 after blanking Charleston Southern 62-0 and throttling Boston College 30-3. And the belief now is that with Godfrey under center anything is possible.

Godfrey has proven himself plenty capable as a quarterback, already running for five touchdowns this season while also completing 74.3 percent of his passes. That follows a first season at 麻豆原创 where he was the most efficient freshman quarterback in the country and became Conference USA’s Freshman of the Year.

Other schools such as Miami, Florida State, Oregon, USF and even FIU recruited Godfrey after he shattered Jacory Harris’ prep passing records, but all of them wanted him to make a position switch to defensive back or wide receiver. But 麻豆原创 stood firm that Godfrey could not only play quarterback, but thrive in the position and lead the offense.

“Going back to South Florida now, I want to show everybody that I am a quarterback and I am a leader,” Godfrey said. “I’m just so thankful for 麻豆原创 giving me this opportunity. I feel blessed getting this chance and I’m trying to make the most of it.”

He’s getting this chance because of the strong beliefs of head coach George O’Leary and assistant head coach David Kelly, 麻豆原创’s lead recruiter in South Florida. O’Leary had success previously at Georgia Tech with smallish quarterback Joe Hamilton and he believes a player’s strong intangibles often help them overcome any physical shortcomings.

“I’ve had quarterbacks like him with Hamilton, and it wasn’t the line that got in his way; it was the linebackers,” O’Leary said. “But (Godfrey) is able to use the gaps to see down field and get the job done.”

Despite his small size, Godfrey was always his team’s quarterback and was sound fundamentally when throwing the ball. He was taught to play the position by his father, Jeff Godfrey Sr., and the two would often do footwork drills in the sand on the beach or in the twilight hours at the park.

Whereas some saw an undersized quarterback, Kelly instead saw a gutsy player who knew how to win and how to lead others.

“I thank the Good Lord that I happened to be here at 麻豆原创 when it came time to recruit him,” said Kelly. “He had enough confidence in us to bring his skills and talents here and the rest is history.”

And seemingly each time Godfrey goes out on the field, he proceeds to re-write the history books at 麻豆原创. After taking one look at the cat-quick quarterback last season, 麻豆原创 legend Daunte Culpepper predicted that Godfrey would someday shatter all of his career marks. With Godfrey running for 15 scores already, Culpepper’s record of rushing TDs by a 麻豆原创 quarterback (24) could be in serious danger by the end of this season.

Godfrey admitted earlier in the week that his emotions will be soaring come Saturday night when he plays in Miami for the first time since his high school days. As of the middle of the week, he had secured 21 tickets for his family and friends and said he was still in search of four more tickets.

Undoubtedly, Godfrey is excited about going back home to play in front of family and friends. But he’s always anticipating playing in front of some of the people who never thought he’d play major-college football as a quarterback. That fact alone makes this more than just another homecoming for Godfrey, who never doubted that he could be successful at 麻豆原创.

“The emotions will be really big for me. But I have to keep telling myself to keep my focus on the game and not on the crowd. I’m going down there to play football and nothing else,” he said. “I never had any doubt I could do this. I’ve played quarterback my whole life and there was no reason to think I couldn’t do it at the college level. So that’s what I’m still trying to show people now.”

The Elite 11 quarterback had difficulty deciding on whether to choose his hometown school, the University of Louisville, or 麻豆原创, to play football. After signing with 麻豆原创, Smith’s mother, Daytonya Ward, called Knights head coach George O’Leary asking for a release of the signed National Letter of Intent. Smith ultimately decided to follow through with the signed NLOI and arrived at 麻豆原创 in June.

Clad in a 麻豆原创 shirt and the same black 麻豆原创 hat that he wore while spurning his hometown of Louisville, Ky., when he chose to sign with 麻豆原创, Smith sat down with the Central Florida Future to talk about his experiences so far in Orlando and what he’s looking forward to the most with the Knights.

Central Florida Future: Are you happy that everything is finally settled down now and you finally get to play football?

DaMarcus Smith: Yeah, I’m very excited. It’s been a rough six months, but it was all worth it in the end. I’ve really learned throughout this whole process. I made the right decision. I’m here now and I’m going to stick with it and see what these next four years bring for me.

CFF: What stood out to you about 麻豆原创 that ultimately made you decide to come here?

Smith: There’s a lot I can say. Really, the first thing that stood out was the academics. I remember throughout my whole official visit they showed us a lot of the academic sights and gave me a lot of facts about the school. Just knowing that 麻豆原创 is one of the top schools as far as academics that really stood out to me. Coach [George] O’Leary, one of the main things he stresses, is to go to school for four years and get a degree. That really stood out to me.

CFF: Coach [David] Kelly mainly recruited you. What stood out to you about him?

Smith: He’s unique with his recruiting. He’s really a people-person. I could really trust his words; everything so far that he has said, it’s really happening. I’ve been practicing with the team a lot. A lot of people think that coaches are only nice to you when they’re recruiting you and then things change when you get there, but he’s really been the same guy that I’ve met from day one. My relationship with him has grown more and more every time I spend time with him. Another thing that stood out about him was his beliefs. I’m a Christian and he’s a Christian too, and that really stood out to me. I didn’t have a recruiter who shared my same beliefs.

CFF: I know you’re still kind of new to the area, but what has been your favorite thing about the 麻豆原创 area so far?

Smith: I love the campus. I’ve never seen something like this. Being from Louisville, we have a pretty good university. It’s only like 20,000 people. But just being here at the big campus, seeing all the people, it’s like a whole 鈥榥other world for a guy like me coming from Louisville. Your eyes really open up when you move from a smaller city to a bigger city.

CFF: What have been some of the biggest adjustments for you coming from high school to college?

Smith: Well first, the biggest adjustment has been time management. Once you get in college, it really becomes like a business, like a job to you. It’s not like you just come to practice and lift weights whenever you want. Everything has a structure and time-frame; just getting used to that.

CFF: In terms of football, what’s the biggest difference?

Smith: It’s a lot faster. Everyone’s a lot bigger, stronger, faster. Everyone’s athletic; everyone’s good. The way it’s set up, everyone is going to get better because everyone is either just as good as you or even better than you.

CFF: What do you think of the athletic facilities?

Smith: Well my weight coach isn’t going to like this, but I don’t like the weight room right now (laughs). It’s intense! But, it’s definitely going to prepare us and prepare me for when the season starts. My favorite place is the indoor facility. That’s where I spend a lot of time, throwing with my receivers and really working out and working on my craft as a quarterback.

CFF: Who are the receivers that you practice the most with?

Smith: As of right now, I practice a lot with Rannell Hall and Jacques Mackeroy. Those are my two freshmen receivers. We spend a lot of time, especially today, and just on a Monday through Friday basis we work out a lot and throw a lot.

CFF: What’s this I hear about your cousin possibly coming here?

Smith: Yes, Michael Fluellen. He’s taking a class at Valenica [Community College] and will hopefully be enrolling in January of 2012; kind of like a greyshirt.

CFF: Do you know who your roommates are yet?

Smith: I’m not in the towers yet, but I’m hoping that it’s going to be my two receivers, Rannell and Jacques. I’ve built a pretty tight relationship with those guys.

CFF: How’s your relationship with Jeff Godfrey and Blake Bortles?

Smith: Jeff Godfrey is like a big brother to me. He’s really showing me the ropes. He’s taken me under his wing and I’m learning a lot from him. I’ve been a sponge. I’m just looking up to him like a big brother. He’s doing a great job at leading. And Blake Bortles, I actually met him my sophomore year of high school. We competed at a camp together so me and him kind of clicked back up when I got here. We’re on good terms. I love the team camaraderie, and I love how the quarterbacks all stick together.

CFF: Do you know what’s going to happen, as far as being redshirted?

Smith: You know, I’m just a team player and I’m willing to do whatever I have to do to play. Of course I’m gonna go out and compete, me being a football player. I understand that this is a business and that coach is going to make the best decision for the team and for me. After camp and close to the start of season, that’s when we’ll really know.

CFF: What are some of your goals going into fall and practice?

Smith: I just want to be the best player that I can possibly be. With me being a people-person, I really want to be a good teammate and I’m looking forward to all of my relationships with my teammates. It’s a new beginning, a new start for me with new people. I definitely want to get that together and make that a go. After that, it’s winning. I wanna win a BCS championship, win bowl games, win Conference USA. I’m looking forward to a successful season.

CFF: Besides football, what is your biggest hobby?

Smith: I love playing miniature golf and golf. I haven’t played a round of golf here yet, but I played miniature golf over at Congo River. That was fun, but it was pretty easy. I’m going to be bringing my set of golf clubs back down with me so I can play.

CFF: Can you drive pretty far?

Smith: Oh yeah, I can hit close to 400.

CFF: But how far can you throw it though?

Smith: I can throw it! I’ve been spotted at 82 yards, first bounce.

CFF: Have you picked up the new NCAA video game yet?

Smith: All my boys are talking about it, but I don’t even think I want to pick it up because my speed is rated a 66, which is really low. They also made me number 13, but I’m really going to be wearing number 10.

CFF: Wasn’t Nico Flores wearing number 10 last year? Did you make a deal with him or something?

Smith: I’m not gonna say [whether I took it from him or not], but O’Leary made me a promise! He said if I come back to Orlando, I’ll be wearing number 10. He’s a man of his word. I’ve worn number 10 my whole life. The first team I’ve ever played for in Louisville was called the 10th Street Cardinals. I’m obsessed with it.

CFF: How has it been memorizing all those new plays?

Smith: It’s definitely challenging to memorize the plays. I wouldn’t say it’s hard, because when it’s something you’ve been doing your whole life you catch on pretty quickly. It’s what I’m used to. I’m used to facing adversity. This freshman year, I know it’s gonna be tough. But things will start falling into place eventually.

Source: Central Florida Future,聽, by Erika Esola, sports editor.聽Published: Wednesday, July 13, 2011; Updated: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 17:07

And the Knights are also getting it done on the field. In 2010, 麻豆原创 won 11 games and the Conference USA championship. It also upset the University of Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Between the results of last year and the upgrades on campus, recruiting has greatly benefited. In fact, 麻豆原创 has put together two very good recruiting classes and things are only going to get better for the Knights on that front.

“We have been in our championship game three out of six years and won it twice,” said 麻豆原创 associate head coach David Kelly. “Then we beat Georgia, so that was two big hurdles for us last year. We beat a tradition-rich SEC school. That was a tremendous barometer of where we are. “I sincerely feel that the long term potential is there for us to compete and win a national championship. We are putting together outstanding recruiting classes and we are going after some of the best prospects across the country. Now we can attract those athletes. The facilities are there. NFL coaches and scouts can’t believe our place because all of the elements are there.”

NFL coaches aren’t the only ones impressed with the Knights, just ask 麻豆原创 signee Leilon Willingham. The surprising thing is that Willingham is not from the Sunshine State or the state of Georgia. Willingham starred at Denver Mullen High School in Colorado.

“I saw that the Knights have been prospering as of late and that coach O’Leary has a very high graduation rate,” Willingham said. “I saw that the Knights are a very underrated team and they work for every bit of credibility they get. I loved the area surrounding the campus. Who wouldn’t want to go to college under sun and palm trees? The direction of the program has me very excited. After getting down there for my spring break to actually see the team work, I really feel anxious to get on the field and make plays with the fellas. It’s a great group of guys who are focused on putting 麻豆原创 on the map as one of the top up-and-coming teams in the NCAA.”

Of course in today’s era of college football you have to have the facilities to really compete in the recruiting wars. Under O’Leary’s watch the Knights raised millions of dollars to pour into an indoor training field (Nicholson Field House), weight room, coach’s office, etc.

They used to play in the city of Orlando at the Citrus Bowl, but their latest achievement was their on-campus stadium, Bright House Stadium. That has been a huge boost to their recruiting efforts.

“Getting that campus stadium was huge for us,” Kelly said. “We played in the Citrus Bowl and recruits would come to see 麻豆原创 but not see 麻豆原创. They were not getting exposed to campus. Now we get prospects on campus and this is a huge selling point for us in recruiting. Now the thrust is to continue to get recruits on campus to see what we have to offer. We can compete with everyone and that’s what’s important.”

With around 12 or so scholarships available in the Class of 2012 you likely won’t see 麻豆原创 climb into the top national recruiting rankings on national signing day because the quantity won’t be there. But if things get better in recruiting as the 麻豆原创 coaching staff anticipates, the quality certainly will.

“There is a newness about us,” Kelly said. “I think we are becoming somewhat of a fad. We have a beautiful resort-like campus, brand new facilities and we are in an international city like Orlando. There’s recognition there with young people with Orlando and Disney. We are looking for the special type of kid who is looking for something a little different.

“We want to get a little bit better each and every day. We are inching closer and closer every year. People are becoming aware of what we are bringing to the college football landscape. We are a sleeping giant.”

Source: ESPN,ESPN Recruiting, , by Jamie Newberg, originally published April 14, 2011

1. Jeff Demps, RB/WR, Florida Gators

The fastest man in college sports. Period. No football player has bigger sprint credentials than this Gator. Demps’ home must be littered with NCAA hardware from winning all of his national titles in track. Earlier this month, he repeated as the 60-m champ at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Demps’ documented track times are insane. He has had a productive football career, as a home run threat for Meyer. Even though he has spent most of the spring with the Gators track team, not with new football coach Will Muschamp, who is shifting to a pro-style attack, Demps still should have an important role in the team’s offense this year.

About a week ago, Muschamp shared with me his view on Demps’ absence from spring ball. “He’s a medal winner in track,” Muschamp said. “I felt like it was fair to the University of Florida and our track team to let him run track. He’s been involved in our meetings. He’s been involved in the off-season work.” Muschamp also said he expects Demps to have a sizable role in the new UF offense. “He will be a guy who we’ll find ways to get the ball in space.”

2. Marquise Goodwin, WR, Texas Longhorns

His athleticism was on display when he won the NCAA outdoor long jump title last year with a leap of 26 feet, 9 inches. You don’t muster that kind of air time without some serious explosiveness. In high school, Goodwin also reportedly ran a 10.09 in the 100. One other reason why he’s this high on our list: Teammate D.J. Monroe can fly, and Longhorn insiders say Goodwin is even faster.

3. T.J. Graham, WR/KR, North Carolina State Wolfpack

“Batman” had limited his track competition to focus on football where he has proven to be the top returnmen in Wolfpack history, but don’t underestimate his pedigree. In 2007, Graham finished third nationally in the 100-meter dash at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, and then he won the 2008 North Carolina 4A state title in the 100 and 200 meters, posting times of 10.44 and 20.82 respectively. This offseason, Graham is running track for the first time since his high school days, after football coach Tom O’Brien worked out a plan to allow him to do so. Graham has been doing quite well, as detailed in this Tim Peeler story.

Graham won his first event on the track in January, at the Virginia Tech Invitational, with a career-best time of 6.70 seconds in the 60-meter dash. He has since lowered that time to 6.67 seconds. Against a strong field in Fayetteville, Ark., two weekends ago, Graham posted a career-best time of 20.90 seconds in the 200-meter dash, finishing fourth in the race and edging closer to the NCAA qualifying time of 20.70.

4. Quincy McDuffie, WR, 麻豆原创 Knights

Knights receivers coach David Kelly once coached Eddie Kennison, who won the title of “Fastest Man in the NFL,” and Kelly says McDuffie is just as fast. McDuffie’s story is pretty head-turning as well.

“No one really recruited him,” said Kelly. “He got hurt the first or second game of his senior year of high school with a back injury. No one knew about him. His high school coach Bill Gierke, who we have tremendous respect for, told us he didn’t want to venture away from home. Bill brought him over to us the day before national signing day. We knew nothing about him. Bill told Coach O’Leary, ‘I got a guy. Trust me. If you will just take him, you’ve got a hidden gem.’

“George O’Leary took Quincy McDuffie sight unseen. Without having seen any film. Not knowing any track times. Nothing. Just off the word of Bill Gierke. He hadn’t burst out like that in track until later. Turns out that months after we took him, we find out we have one of the fastest kids in the country. It was just handed to us.” A few weeks later, McDuffie ran a 46.02 time in the 400.

“He could easily be top 10 in the world right now if he trained for it,” Kelly says. In 2010, McDuffie made second-team All-American as a kick returner, and that was while battling severe tendonitis in both knees.

Kelly also credits McDuffie with the key play in 麻豆原创’s bowl win over the Georgia Bulldogs, on a play that had gotten called back because of a penalty. “Here is it: Georgia is playing this little school from Conference USA and Quincy McDuffie takes it back 100 yards,” says Kelly. “At about 60 percent then, he runs away from everybody. Even though it got called back, right away Georgia said ‘Whoa!’ That knocked em back. We expected to come to this Liberty Bowl and walk over this little Conference USA team.”

5. Travis Benjamin, WR/PR, Miami (FL) Hurricanes

DeMarcus VanDyke just ran the fastest 40-yard dash time of anyone at the NFL Combine last month, a blazing 4.28. I’d say that makes VanDyke a pretty good authority on speed. He conceded he wasn’t even the fastest guy on last year’s Miami team. Travis Benjamin was — and still is.

6. Skye Dawson, WR, TCU Horned Frogs

An unheralded football recruit, Dawson came to TCU with big-time track credentials. He won the Texas Relays 100-meter dash with a time of 10.43, and went on to win the state title in the 100, 4×100 and long jump. The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder sparked the Horned Frogs relay team in the 4×100 that ranked in the top five in the NCAA for the majority of the outdoor season. In addition, he won the 60-meter title at the 2010 MWC Indoor Championships.

7. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon Ducks

The Ducks’ Heisman contender was the Texas 100-meter champ in 2006 with a 10.51 time. Even though he’s been limited in his work with the Oregon track team, James still managed to take fifth in the Pac-10 championships while clocking a time of 10.52. He also anchored 4×100 relay to a fourth-place finish.

8. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor Bears

No player on this list has a bigger impact on his program than this dual-threat QB. In 2008, after graduating early from high school, Griffin displayed his World Class speed by taking third in the NCAA in the 400-meter hurdles, and finishing 11th in the US Olympic Team Trials.

9. Derrick Hopkins, WR, South Florida Bulls

This tiny Bulls reserve, who is just 5-foot-5 and 155 pounds, makes former LSU Tigersburner Trindon Holliday look like Terrell Owens, but you have to be impressed by his wheels. Hopkins won the Big East 60-meter dash indoor track championship with a time of 6.77 and also took home the 200-m title, too.

10. Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan Wolverines

Shoelace carried the Wolverines program on his back last season, and still ran away from defenses. When I asked my Twitter crowd, which player, besides Jeff Demps is the fastest in college football, Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Gary Gray responded with “Shoe Lace.” Gray should know about that speed, since his Irish defense saw the Wolverines QB run for 258 yards, including an 87-yard touchdown scamper, in the teams’ 2010 meeting.

Just missed the cut: Luther Ambrose, WR, Louisiana-Monroe; Randall Carroll, WR, UCLA Bruins; Kenneth Gilstrap, CB, Middle Tennessee State; Lamaar Thomas, WR, New Mexico Lobos; Tyron Carrier, WR/KR, Houston Cougars; Josh Harris, RB, Wake Forest Demon Deacons; D.J. Monroe, RB, Texas; Devon Smith, WR, Penn State Nittany Lions; Chris Rainey, RB/WR, Florida; David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech Hokies; Ladarius Perkins, RB, Mississippi State Bulldogs; Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska Cornhuskers; Lamar Miller, RB, Miami; Andre Debose, WR, Florida Gators; Sam McGuffie, RB, Rice Owls; Jeff Scott, RB, Mississippi Rebels;Robert Woods, WR, USC Trojans; Conroy Black, CB, Utah Utes; Justin Hunter, WR,Tennessee Volunteers

Source: Ranking the nation’s fastest players by Bruce Feldman, senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, March 30, 2011. He started at ESPN in 1994.

Still, there are some who separate themselves from the pack each year and this is our list of the top 25 recruiters.

These coaches were the key in helping their programs land some of the nation’s best players. But ask anyone on this list and they’d remind you it was a team effort. And that’s probably part of what makes them successful to begin with. Recruiters are listed in alphabetical order.

David Kelly, 麻豆原创

2011 prospects: Toby Jackson, DE (Griffin, Ga./Navarro College), Cameron Henderson, DE (Birmingham, Ala./Navarro College), Tarik Cook, C (Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson), DaMarcus Smith, QB (Louisville, Ky./Seneca)

How many college football fans really know the name of David Kelly? He proved once again that he is one of the nation’s finest recruiters after landing a great haul for George O’Leary and the Knights. He was personally responsible for a dozen of 麻豆原创’s 29 signees, and that list includes recruits from Colorado, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas and Florida. Last year Kelly did very well in South Florida, and this year he attacked the country.

Source: ESPN.com. Visit , by Corey Long and Jamie Newberg, ESPN Recruiting, to read the full story.

Corey Long has been covering high school football and recruiting in the Sunshine State since 1995. He can be reached at coreyespn@gmail.com. Jamie Newberg has been covering recruiting both in the Southeast and nationally for 19 years. He can be reached at jamienewbergbw@yahoo.com.

With the four-star signings of Willingham and defensive end Toby Jackson and a deep class composed of 29 athletes, 麻豆原创 could very well have its finest class in school history. And that’s saying something considering that last February’s class included star quarterback Jeff Godfrey, Jordan and Justin McCray, E.J. Dunston and redshirt standouts Josh Reese and Torrian Wilson and was thought to be the best ever at 麻豆原创.

麻豆原创 coach George O’Leary, who visited Willingham and Williams personally in Denver last week, said he couldn’t have been happier with the way that Wednesday turned out.

“I thought it was a great day all the way around,” O’Leary said. “It was a great job by the assistant coaches and our players during the recruiting weekend and everything has gone extremely well. I’m ready to end the (recruiting period), move on to spring ball and get ourselves ready for next season.”

Here’s the position-by-position breakdown of the 29 commitments so far: seven defensive linemen, seven linebackers, six defensive backs, five wide receivers, two tight ends, one offensive lineman and one running back.

The unquestioned star of the linebacking corps is Willingham, widely regarded as a four-star prospect who was voted as the Defensive Player of the Year in Colorado. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker was part of a program that won three straight state championships. In this year’s state championship game, Willingham recorded four sacks. He recorded 156 tackles (36 solo), five sacks, three fumble recoveries and one interception during his senior season.

Willingham, who was recruited primarily by 麻豆原创 assistant head coach David Kelly, chose 麻豆原创 over the likes Arizona State, Colorado, Michigan, Texas A&M, Washington, Boise State, Colorado State, Kansas State, Minnesota, Oregon and Utah. He is rated with four stars by Rivals. He is rated No. 13 nationally at outside linebacker by Rivals and the No. 2 overall prospect on its Colorado postseason Top 20. ESPN lists him at No. 23 nationally for inside linebackers.

“I saw him on film and he is a very impressive player on film but even more impressive when you get a chance to sit down and visit with him,” O’Leary said. “He comes from an outstanding high school program. We’re very fortunate to acquire his talent. He’s done a good job in school academically and we’re happy to have him be a part of our program.”

Williams is the first cousin of Marshall, who turned a stellar career as a Knight into an All-Pro spot in the NFL. A teammate of Willingham at Mullen High School, Williams helped his school win 33-consecutive games and three-straight state titles.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound receiver set Colorado’s all-time record with 148 catches. This past season, he snagged 71 balls for 909 yards and eight touchdowns. He is considered to be a three-star prospect by Rivals and ESPN has him rated as the 81st best wide receiver in the country.

Several BCS-affiliated schools were pursuing Williams. But he chose 麻豆原创 over Miami, Nebraska, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas State, Minnesota, Syracuse, Utah, Vanderbilt and Washington.

“Obviously we knew about Rayshon from his legal guardian Brandon Marshall,” O’Leary said. “Brandon informed us of Rayshon. He was in Florida to begin with so we had an idea of what he was about. I’m very happy to have him in the program and I think that he will be a very productive player in our offensive scheme.”

O’Leary said that the Knights focused mostly on their positional needs instead of just pursuing top athletes, hence 麻豆原创’s heavy haul of defensive players. He also discussed how 麻豆原创 was able to attract stars from out of state, such as Denver, Colo.

“We’ve always been short on the semi-skilled guys, those mid-sized guys at tight end and linebacker, so we needed to bring people in to get us more depth there and on special teams,” O’Leary said. “We need those dual role guys who can help us offensively and defensively. I think we’ve done a good job with that.

The exposure that 麻豆原创 got from the national TV and bowl games helped with our class. It’s a great testimony to our ability to attract the attention of people out west. Then 麻豆原创 sells itself once people come on campus and see what’s available to them here.”

John Denton’s Knights Insider appears on 麻豆原创Athletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.

But the two people behind the teenager’s quick ascent to prominence – Jeff himself and his father Jeffrey Sr. – have always believed this would be his destiny.

From the time Jeff was five years old and wanting to be a quarterback up until his sophomore season in high school, Jeffrey was his unofficial quarterback coach. Jeffrey knows a thing or two about the position, having starred at quarterback at Miami’s Jackson High School in the 1980s. And he used some unique techniques to develop Jeff from a child prodigy to a high school star to now The Big Man on Campus at 麻豆原创.

Jeffrey and Jeff, father and son, would often stay at the park until darkness filled the air, throwing the football into old tires and garbage cans. They would take trips to the beach – not to swim in the ocean or frolic in the sun – but to do footwork drills in the deep sand. Jeffrey would stand behind his son and swipe at Jeff as he simulated dropping back to teach him poise in the pocket. And the father would hold a stopwatch in his hand that would buzz after a few seconds, letting his son know that he had to get rid of the football quickly.

“The work that Jeff put into it told me that he really wanted to be a quarterback. He would tell me every day that he wanted to be a quarterback, and at first I didn’t think anything of it. But at the age of eight he was already throwing the ball 30 yards,” Jeffrey Sr. said from his home in Miami. “I’d watch him play and then we’d talk about it and I was basically his quarterback coach the whole time. We’d stay after practice a good hour-and-a-half or two hours working on his touch, his check-down throws and working on his drop steps. I’d say it worked out pretty well.”

麻豆原创 fans would certainly agree that Godfrey has worked out well. He has 麻豆原创 at 7-2 overall, 5-0 in Conference USA play and ranked nationally in the top-25 for the first time in school history. Since taking over as 麻豆原创’s starter seven games ago, he’s already set 麻豆原创 records for rushing yards as a quarterback (499) and rushing TDs as a freshman quarterback (six). Just last week, when he gashed Houston for 105 rushing yards and another 294 passing yards, he showed that he is getting better as the season progresses.

To Godfrey, who has overcome the doubts about his size (5-foot-11, 182 pounds), he is doing exactly what he always thought he would do – play major college football as a quarterback. Some college coaches – namely Miami’s Randy Shannon — wanted him to switch to wide receiver or defensive back, but Godfrey knew playing quarterback was his destiny. After all, this is what he’s spent his entire life working for.

“I feel like I was meant to play quarterback,” said Godfrey, who has accounted for 1,799 yards and 12 touchdowns this season on the ground and through the air. “My dad has been teaching me to play quarterback my whole life, and I’ve never played another position. I’m just so happy that 麻豆原创 gave me the chance to play quarterback and not anywhere else. This is what I’m here to do, and I feel like I’m doing a great job with it.”

Is he ever? He already has two of the most efficient games in all of college football this season, and his 152.14 passer rating leads all true freshmen in the country. He’s already earned raves from 麻豆原创 head coach George O’Leary, veteran offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe and opposing defenses he’s left in his wake. Even 麻豆原创 great Daunte Culpepper – who is seeing many of his freshman records fall to Godfrey – has gushed about the quarterback.

“I’m OK with (Godfrey breaking records) and I hope that he does. Records are made to be broken and if he’s doing what he’s supposed to do he’ll break them,” said Culpepper, who set more than 30 school records during his time at 麻豆原创. “I told (Godfrey) to keep working. I think he’s a great specimen and he’s going to open a lot of eyes around here. He’s definitely the type of guy who could get other big recruits here and help build the program. He’s that type of player.”

That’s something that 麻豆原创 assistant head coach David Kelly noticed years ago when Godfrey was an eighth-grader playing Optimist League football and opening eyes with his abilities as a quarterback. Just slightly more than 100 pounds at the time, Godfrey led his Little League squad to a National Championship game and crowds of 5,000 or more would regularly turn out to watch him fling the football all over the field.

Kelly, 麻豆原创’s ace recruiter in South Florida, went against the grain when he projected Godfrey as a quarterback at the college level and not a wide receiver or defensive back. Kelly made a vow to himself several years ago that Godfrey would someday play quarterback at 麻豆原创 if he had anything to say about it.

“There are few people who are blessed with certain things that others don’t have and he just has it,” Kelly said recently. “That man from the eighth grade on has shown that. From the time when he was three years old when his dad first started training him, he happens to be a quarterback who is a great athlete, not a great athlete trying to be a quarterback. At seven years old in Pop Warner League, he’s been accustomed to playing and being `The Guy’ in front of 10-15,000 people. So when you talk about pressure, that means nothing to this kid.”

The mention of Godfrey’s development as a quarterback and his poise under fire brings a big smile to the face of Jeffrey Sr. But hearing compliments about his son is nothing new to the proud papa these days. Seemingly everywhere he goes in Miami, Godfrey is approached by football fans who have watched 麻豆原创 win on ESPN and they rave about his kid quarterback.

“It’s nerve-wracking for me to watch, just wishing he doesn’t make any mistakes. But watching him do stuff that I have been teaching him his whole life just brings a smile to my face,” said Jeffrey Sr., who works at Baptist Hospital in Miami. “Then, when I go to work the next day, people will tell me, `Man, your kid is for real and the real deal.’ And then they’ll ask me, `Why didn’t (Miami coach) Randy Shannon get him?’ I just have to tell them that he didn’t want to change positions and wanted to stay at quarterback. I think he made the right decision.”

And there were several right decisions made by Godfrey along the way. Jeffrey Sr. said because his son was always a student of the game, he isn’t surprised that he developed so quickly at 麻豆原创. He became Miami-Dade County’s all-time leading passer at Miami Central High School with 7,251 yards, and has made the transition to college football look somewhat easy.

“Every week it’s a growth process and we’re starting to take the training wheels off because he has such a great grasp of our offense. And really, to be honest, he’s gotten it much faster than I anticipated,” said Taaffe, 麻豆原创’s offensive coordinator the past two seasons. “He’s just not playing like a freshman. He’s demonstrating a lot of poise and his decision-making is very good. And he just has an uncanny ability to make plays when things break down.”

Some of that success, of course, can be attributed to the work between father and son. They would often watch films of his high school games until 2 o’clock in the morning, and they still do so now following some 麻豆原创 games. Jeffrey said his son was reading defenses by the seventh grade and changing plays at the line by the eighth grade. And even when he sees his son scanning defenses now at 麻豆原创, Jeffrey Sr. sits back and smiles because he knows his son is looking for weaknesses to attack.

“Jeff has a piece of paper in his room that says, `Stay humble.’ That’s always been our focus,” Jeffrey Sr. said. “I’d tell him if (former starter Rob Calabrese) ever goes down, you are the next man. Stay humble and be ready. What he’s done really hasn’t shocked me because I know what he can do. I knew he can step in and be a leader at any team.”

Jeffrey Sr. said he got the ultimate compliment recently when O’Leary called him and praised him for the son that he had raised and also for the work that he had done with Jeff as a quarterback. It almost equaled the joy that he feels each time he sees his son step under center, drop back to pass and fire a strike down the field. Clearly, the son has made the dad proud.

“Seeing Jeff out there brings tears to my eyes, having a son playing college football,” Jeffrey Sr. said. “I told my wife that not a lot of people get a chance to play college football and we hope someday to see him in the NFL, too. It just brings a lot of tears to our eyes and joy watching him play.”

John Denton’s Knights Insider appears on 麻豆原创athletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.

“They were on the sidelines warming up when Jeff was getting ready to go in and I asked Jordan, `How’s Jeff? Is he nervous?”’ Kelly remembered. “(Rae) said, `Coach, we were on the sidelines taking snaps and (Godfrey) grabbed me by my chest and said, `Listen to me: I’ve been here before. I’m going to lead us to victory. Just follow me.’

“Jordan said that (Godfrey) wasn’t bragging or anything like that and it was so matter of fact,” Kelly continued. “That’s how that kid feels about himself and it’s infectious. He does it in a way where it’s not cocky. He does it in a way where it incites belief and confidence in his other teammates.”

Godfrey certainly sparked his teammates against NC State, leading 麻豆原创 to two scores and within 28-21 before a fifth turnover of the Knights ended the rally.

Whereas Godfrey worked his magic in relief last week, he might get a chance do it as a starter on Saturday night when 麻豆原创 (1-1) travels to Buffalo (1-1). Godfrey and junior Rob Calabrese have split reps with the first string this week in practice, and head coach George O’Leary has said that he’ll name a starter by Friday.

“Him and Rob are sharing first-string duties this week. And I told them they’ll be graded each day. I want to look at practice Monday through Thursday, and we’ll start the best kid,” O’Leary said. “Jeff is taking the first snaps right now, but again he has to continue doing the right things. Based on (Tuesday), he had a good day. (Monday) was so-so with a new game plan. (Wednesday) will be a big day for him. He’s a talented individual. As a coach, he makes a lot of things happen out there.”

Godfrey made things happen to the tune of 53 rushing yards and scores of six yards and one yard. He also completed 7-of-10 passes for another 107 yards, including a 29-yard strike to Jamar Newsome and a dazzling 20-yarder to Quincy McDuffie on 麻豆原创’s final offensive play.

O’Leary doesn’t let true freshmen talk with the media, but Godfrey’s teammates and coaches couldn’t stop talking about how impressed that they were with the 5-foot-11, 176-pound quarterback.

“I can’t say enough about Jeff Godfrey, a true freshman coming in one of the hardest positions to be successful at. For him to come in and really give us momentum with his playmaking abilities, hats off to him,” said 麻豆原创 senior wide receiver Brian Watters, who led the Knights in catches (six) and receiving yards (88) on Saturday. “He’s a great player and he’s going to be great in the future.”

He might very well be the future of the program, but he reminds O’Leary of a quarterback in his past. Joe Hamilton was a record-setting quarterback at Georgia Tech under O’Leary despite being just 5-foot-10. He compiled an Atlantic Coast Conference record 10,640 total yards in his career and accounted for 65 touchdown passes and 83 total TDs.

O’Leary said that Godfrey possesses a lot of the same traits that helped make Hamilton one of the best players in the history of the ACC. Not only is he a talented player, but he also makes others around him better.

After Godfrey entered the game late in the third quarter, 麻豆原创 responded with 14 points, nine first downs and 181 yards. And the Knights were 11 yards away from a third score with 51 seconds left that could have tied the game.

“Very much so,” O’Leary said when asked if Godfrey reminded him of Hamilton. “Same makeup. You know they’re very confident about themselves. Self-assured about what they do. And nothing really fazes them, which bothers me a little bit. You should be fazed a little bit out there. But that’s what you want. That’s contagious, I think, in the huddle.

“That’s one of the things I saw a little different with him out there. There seemed to be a little bit more step in the offense (with Godfrey),” O’Leary continued. “We have a good situation. I think both guys can win games for you. But the one’s that’s most productive is the guy you want on the field.”

Kelly, who also doubles as 麻豆原创’s wide receivers coach, led the recruitment of Godfrey after he set all kinds of prep passing records in Miami-Dade County and became Florida’s Class 6A Player of the Year. Kelly has been following the Godfrey’s arc as a quarterback for the past five years, and needless to say he wasn’t shocked when the quarterback electrified 麻豆原创’s fan base and nearly led the Knights back to a victory.

“There are few people who are blessed with certain things that others don’t have and he has it,” Kelly said. “That man from the eighth grade on has shown that. From the time when he was three years old when his dad first started training him, he happens to be a quarterback who is a great athlete, not a great athlete trying to be a quarterback. At seven years old in Pop Warner League, he’s been accustomed to playing and being `The Guy’ in front of 10-15,000 people. So when you talk about pressure, that means nothing to this kid.”

Kelly said Godfrey taught 麻豆原创’s fans a thing or two about games never being out of reach despite the deficit. And Kelly feels that the future is clearly bright for the dynamic quarterback — whether he earns his first collegiate start on Saturday night or not.

“At 28-7, I look around and see the stadium emptying. Then, all of a sudden I think people heard that Jeff Godfrey was going into the game and there were a bunch of U-turns,” Kelly said. “But those who did leave, they missed a show. Unfortunately, we couldn’t bring it all the way back, but I think that everything that happens there’s a positive in it. That should spur us and I’m going to go on record and say that we should go 13-1 now. And that’s not a bad record.”

Source: John Denton’s Knights Insider appears on 麻豆原创Athletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.