One of those Knights is Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Torell Troup, who competed for 麻豆原创 from 2006-09. Troup joined a long list of 麻豆原创 football players who have received their degrees, both while with the team and after they exhausted their eligibility, when he officially became a 麻豆原创 graduate this month. In July, 麻豆原创’s Graduation Success Rate stood at 81%, which was 13% above the national average and the highest in school history.

Last season, 麻豆原创 led its previous league, Conference USA, for the second straight season with 14 players on opening-day rosters. It eventually had 15 Knights in the NFL toward the end of the year.

North of the border, a pair of 麻豆原创 players are continuing their careers as Joe Burnett is suiting up with Edmonton and Keith Shologan is with Saskatchewan, and both have already played four regular-season contests.

For a complete listing of 麻豆原创 in the NFL this weekend and how to watch the Knights in action, check out the below chart. Also, CLICK HERE for details on how to watch replays of games on NFL Network.

麻豆原创 Knights in the NFL – Next Game

Offense

Defense

Special Teams

麻豆原创 Knights in the CFL – Regular Season

“Defence”

Ruling the gridiron and the classroom, the 麻豆原创 football team has plenty to boast at the start of the 2012 season. Living up to the title of student-athlete, 11 Knights who have already earned their bachelor鈥檚 degree have 麻豆原创 among the leaders in graduated players.

In a survey that went out to all 124 Football Bowl Subdivision聽schools, the Knights are tied for third with Florida State and trail only Virginia Tech (15) and Pittsburgh (12). In all, eight teams across the nation boast 10 or more graduates.

The stellar group for the Knights includes Rob Calabrese, Rey Cunha, Lyle Dankenbring, Kevin Garvy, Billy Giovanetti, Theo Goins, Brendan Kelly, Latavius Murray, Jordan Rae, Ray Shipman and Phil Smith.

Along with the 11 graduates who each play a significant role on the team, 麻豆原创 earned an all-time high 79 rating in the NCAA Graduation Success Rate earlier this year and received the Conference USA Sport Academic Award for boasting the highest team grade-point average of all 12 C-USA football programs.

Over the past three years, the Knights have been well represented on the C-USA Honor Roll with at least 35 student-athletes carrying a GPA of 3.0 or better. In the same time span, the football program has also had two or more members of the team earn C-USA Academic Medals while boasting GPAs of 3.75 or higher.

The Knights (1-0) will make their return to the Buckeye State on Saturday when they head to Columbus for a noon showdown with No. 14 Ohio State (1-0) on ESPN2.

The conclusion of those workouts over the course of a few weeks was Saturday’s annual spring football game at Bright House Network Stadium. With weather that made it feel more like November than April, the Knights hit the field the final time before gathering later this summer in preparation for the season opener at Akron.

There were some highlights during Saturday’s play that included some nice runs, catches and interceptions by players coming back from injuries. There were some dropped balls and penalties, but for the most part, 麻豆原创 Head Coach George O’Leary seemed pleased with what he saw.

Here’s a list of things to note from the game:

Blake Bortles looks and plays the part: At 6-foot-4, the sophomore quarterback has the walk and talk of a confident team leader. Bortles does not lack confidence and seems to have settled in his role at the starting signal caller. Bortles was 27-of 45 for 239 yards and one touchdown in Saturday’s game. He used a variety of receivers and showed his ability of being patient in the pocket and his strong arm as well.

麻豆原创 has talent at the wideout position: Despite the unusually high number of drops in Saturday’s game, the spring was a good one for this group. Freshman Breshad Perriman has the look of someone who can and will make a big impact this fall. At 6-foot-2, Perriman can take a hit and appears to be someone Bortles will look for. Sophomore Josh Reese was a big target for Bortles in the second half of the season in 2011 and should be again this fall. Senior Quincy McDuffee and sophomore Ranell Hall provide great speed and incoming freshmen at this position make things bright this fall and for years to come.

Options in the backfield: With the arrival of Storm Johnson, 麻豆原创 can go four-deep at running back. Returnees Latavius Murray and Brynn Harvey provide a great combo and the addition of Johnson gives offensive coordinator Charlie Taffe a new weapon because of Johnson’s breakaway speed. Don’t forget redshirt freshman Cedric Thompson who can also run the ball well. How 麻豆原创 uses this group in the fall will be interesting. 麻豆原创 did not show it this past Saturday, but the Knights might use a two-back set where Murray plays more of a H-back role in passing situations.

Defensive line features flexibility: Bruce Miller started the trend by being used as both an end and tackle. Few players did it was well as Miller, but 麻豆原创 will move players from inside out in certain situations. Victor Gray is the guy to watch as Gray moves inside out. 麻豆原创’s interior of the line appears to have some depth with E.J. Dunston, Josh Wofford, Jose Jose and Thomas Niles. Defensive end Troy Davis believes the line will be better at sacking the quarterback, something 麻豆原创 struggled with last season.

Plummer fits the middle just fine: Terrance Plummer played a lot during his freshman year, but now he will play an even bigger role as he has moved inside. Plummer shined throughout the spring and credits new defensive coordinator Jim Fleming, who Plummer said just simplified things for him in many areas. Depth at this position is something 麻豆原创 will still work on but Plummer, Jonathan Davis and Ray Shipman handle the outside spots quite well.

Ishmael leads with his play: It’s hard to imagine, but Kemal Ishmael is a senior. He has seen fellow secondary players jump to the NFL and others suffer season-ending injuries, but Ishmael remains the constant. He still hits as hard as anyone and always seems to be around the ball whether it be run or pass. Ishmael welcomes the return of cornerback A.J. Bouye who suffered the season-ending injury last year. Bouye had two interceptions in Saturday’s game. While Ishmael gets a ton of attention, no one should underestimate redshirt sophomore Clayton Geathers, who appears poised to become a leader on defense following in Ishmael’s footsteps.

Field goals are not a bad thing: One of the loudest crowd reactions from Saturday’s game came on the last play. The last play saw sophomore kicker Shawn Moffitt connect on a 49-yard field goal. Both Moffitt and Sean Galvin had solid springs and O’Leary believes the position is as strong as it has been in years. Galvin kicked off a couple of times into the end zone which is a big deal this fall. The new kickoff rule has the ball teed up at the 35-yard line and any touchback comes out to the 25-yard line instead of the 20.

A week after losing to Florida International because of a botched fumble return and a lost fumble, 麻豆原创 saw an early lead disappear when it again bobbled a punt return, later fumbled the ball away and threw an interception in a confounding 24-17 loss to BYU at Lavell Edwards Stadium.

“This is really tough because we had the lead coming into halftime and we just folded in the second half,” defensive tackle Victor Gray said. “The mistakes keep catching up with us. We made them last week and we made them this week again. We won’t be a championship caliber team if we keep making these kinds of mistakes.”

A 麻豆原创 team that had dreams of going through the season undefeated and morphing into BCS busters, continues to be its own worst enemy with errors at the wrong time. The Knights have now lost consecutive games for the first time since 2008 and must try and regroup before Conference USA play begins in two weeks. 麻豆原创, who led 10-3 at the intermission and 17-10 late in the third quarter, also lost for the first time in 10 games when leading at the half.

麻豆原创 played well enough offensively and defensively to win, but was done in by three turnovers. J.J. Worton’s fumbled punt return at the 8-yard line with 11:47 to play put BYU in position for the game-winning touchdown. Worton was replacing Josh Robinson, who similarly fumbled a punt inside the 10-yard line last week in the 17-10 loss to FIU. BYU scored three plays after the turnover, breaking a 17-all tie and breaking the Knights backs.

“We turned the ball and you just can’t do that,” 麻豆原创 coach George O’Leary said. “We had receivers dropping the ball. We had our opportunities but we didn’t take advantage. It’s a shame and then the kickoff coverage hurt us too. Sloppy coverage and a bad kick. We didn’t make plays and in the second half we had some bad decisions. But we have to move on and it’s a long season for a reason.”

麻豆原创 saw another scoring opportunity disappear late in the game when Dontravius Floyd was hit from behind and fumbled the ball at midfield. Quarterback Jeff Godfrey put 麻豆原创 in position for some late-game heroics with a 58-yard pass to A.J. Guyton (163 receiving yards), but he was picked off with three minutes to play when intended receiver Latavius Murray tripped and fell.

Godfrey finished 15-of-23 for 260 yards, but threw his first interception of the year. The Knights still do not have a touchdown pass on the season.

“We’re mistakes that we shouldn’t be making and that’s how we are losing these games,” Godfrey said. “Close games like this, we have to finish like we started. We’re making mental mistakes, and on my play where I threw the interception I have to be smarter and throw the ball out of the end zone. I have to learn from that.”

Both teams entered the game feeling they had something to prove after self-inflicted losses a week earlier. 麻豆原创 was penalized 10 times, yielded six sacks and turned the ball over twice in a 17-10 loss to Florida International last Saturday night in Miami. Meanwhile, BYU, in its first season as an independent, lost seven fumbles and allowed 47 unanswered points in a 54-10 loss to rival Utah.

Clearly fatigued from playing two games in seven days, 麻豆原创 now gets a much-needed off week before hosting Marshall on Oct. 8 at Bright House Networks Stadium. It’s the start of league play for the Knights, the defending champions of Conference USA.

麻豆原创 endured a major scare late in the third period when Godfrey was dropped on a sack and didn’t immediately get to his feet. Godfrey appeared to have gotten poked in the eye on the sack and also injured his left arm.

Redshirt freshman Blake Bortles, an Oviedo native who grew up dreaming of directing the 麻豆原创 offense, got his big chance and delivered immediately. He completed his first four passes, the second of which was a 15-yard strike to J.J. Worton on third-and-13 with the BYU crowd roaring. The drive ultimately stalled and 麻豆原创 came away with no points when Nick Cattoi hooked a 35-yard field goal, keeping the game tied at 17-all.

麻豆原创 lost speedster Quincy McDuffie when he suffered a seriously sprained ankle on the final play of the third quarter. McDuffie, who finished with five catches for 50 yards, was hurt on an 11-yard gainer as he was tackled.

麻豆原创 delivered one of its most important drives of the season in the third quarter just minutes after BYU had knotted the game at 10-all. Godfrey found A.J. Guyton for a 54-yard pass down the sidelines for the longest play of the season. Five plays later, Godfrey outran the BYU defense to the corner for a score that gave 麻豆原创 a 17-10 lead.

However, BYU answered right back with its first kickoff return for a touchdown in 13 years. Cody Hoffman took a kickoff on the right hash, broke left and scampered 93 yards untouched for the tying touchdown.

“All phases of the game, we have to win all three of them and that’s something we didn’t do,” Robinson said. “We’re questioning ourselves right now because too many people are making mistakes, myself included. We just have to (eliminate) those mental errors.”

A 麻豆原创 defense that entered the game first in the nation in pass defense, second in total defense and third in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense made some major changes. Ray Shipman, a former basketball player at the University of Florida, got his first career start at outside linebacker in place of true freshman Leilon Willingham. Fellow freshman Troy Gray, a Kennesaw, Ga., native, also started in place of junior Jonathan Davis.

麻豆原创’s defense held yet another opponent without a touchdown in the first half, helping the Knights build a 10-3 lead. 麻豆原创 came into the game having given up just one touchdown all season and it followed a fumbled punt return in which the possession started at the 7-yard line. That meant from the Conference USA title game last December to Friday’s first half, 麻豆原创’s defense had yielded just one touchdown in 18 quarters.

BYU took advantage of great field position and tied the game up at 10-all midway through the third quarter. After forcing 麻豆原创 to punt from its own end zone, BYU marched 38 yards in five plays and tied the game on a 16-yard sprint by JJ Di Luigi on a third-and-one play.

Just before that play, 麻豆原创 was a victim of a bad break. BYU receiver McKay Jacobson bobbled a pass into the air, which was intercepted by 麻豆原创 safety Clayton Geathers. After a replay review, officials ruled that the pass to Jacobson hit the ground, negating the interception.

麻豆原创’s defense produced a huge turnover late in the first period when junior cornerback Josh Robinson picked off the 10th pass of his career. The play was set up when redshirt junior Lyle Dankenbring tipped Jake Heaps pass into the air and it was intercepted by Robinson, who returned the ball 17 yards to the 17-yard line.

Three plays later, the Knights were in the end zone when Godfrey kept on a belly play and scored from 10 yards out on the final play of the first quarter.

For a second time in as many weeks, 麻豆原创 drove methodically on a 10-play drive for its first score. The Knights got runs of 17 and 7 yards from Ronnie Weaver and Godfrey throws of 19 yards to A.J. Guyton and 13 yards to Dontravius Floyd during the drive. But the march stalled at the 17-yard line and the Knights had to settle for a 34-yard field goal by Cattoi.

麻豆原创’s defense came up big on BYU’s first drive of the game to turn away the Cougars. Robinson dived to break up a pass at the goal line, a play that forced BYU to settle for a field goal and a 3-3 tie early on. BYU receiver Ross Apo sustained a concussion on the play after being drilled by Kemal Ishmael following Robinson’s pass breakup.

Robinson, who fumbled a punt last week, bounced back with a solid effort. In addition to his interception, he had two more pass breakups, giving him 27 for his career. That ranks seventh all-time in 麻豆原创 history.

One of 麻豆原创’s most valuable weapons in the first half was senior punter David Bohner, who routinely pinned BYU deep in its own territory. Bohner had three boots stop at the 11, 11 and 7-yard line in the first half.

“We still have all of our conference games and still have our goals in hand,” Robinson said. “We can still make our goal (of winning another C-USA title). We just have to stay together as a family and encourage one another.”

By that, O’Leary means that they have to hit campus with the physical tools as far as size, strength and speed to compete at the major-college level. They have to learn on the fly, and be above making the mistakes that often befell young players. And, of course, while they can have the occasional bad plays, they aren’t allowed to have bad days in O’Leary’s system.

When 麻豆原创 kicks off the 2011 season Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Bright House Networks Stadium against Charleston Southern no fewer than 11 freshmen are expected to see action at some point in the game. And including junior college transfers and position switches, some 17 players will be taking their first snaps at 麻豆原创 at their current positions.

The fear of the unknown is what keeps football coaches up at night, but O’Leary is comfortable that 麻豆原创’s newcomers will be ready to play in the season-opener. The game plan, at times, will be distilled down to just the basics so that young players react without being bogged down with adjustments and new techniques. O’Leary is eager to see how that group reacts to the pressure of the first game, and he has already vowed that the group will be closely evaluated.

“They better be excited. I’m wanting to see how they play to the pace and speed of the game assignment-wise,” O’Leary said following the Knights’ practice on Thursday. “I want to see how they take care of their responsibilities offensively, defensively and on special teams.”

Leilon Willingham, the prized recruit of last fall’s new crop of talent, is the only true freshman expected to start for the Knights. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder will open at outside linebacker after impressing coaches in training camp with his toughness, football smarts and nose for the football.

“He’s so excited and isn’t scared at all,” raved senior linebacker Josh Linam, who has been somewhat of a mentor to Willingham in camp. “We’ve still got to get in the film room together and make sure we’re doing our assignments. We’re going to mess up, but we understand that it’s all about the next play and running to the ball.”

麻豆原创 lost three starters at linebacker following last season, necessitating an injection of youth and newcomers this season. In addition to Willingham, freshmen Terrance Plummer and Troy Gray are expected to see time at linebacker.

It will also be the first game at linebacker for converted tailback Jonathan Davis and former University of Florida basketball player Ray Shipman. Davis opened last season as 麻豆原创’s starting tailback, but has returned to his high school roots as a playmaking linebacker.

“I was surprised at how fast both of them picked things up. They’ve both been in the film room and taking coaching and transferring it over to the field,” Linam said. “The big thing is being able to take it from the film room to the field and they’ve been able to do that.”

On the offensive side of the ball, 麻豆原创 is in search of playmakers at wide receiver after losing the top three targets from last season. Quincy McDuffie and A.J. Guyton will be the top go-to receivers this season, but they are being pushed by a talented crop of freshmen wide outs.

J.J. Worton and Josh Reese red-shirted last season and made great strides in training camp this year. Worton has some of the best hands on the team, while Reese already has a chemistry with star quarterback Jeff Godfrey after being teammates in high school.

And another true freshman, Rannell Hall, has caught O’Leary’s eye with his playmaking abilities. Hall is affectionately referred to as “Speedy” by coaches and teammates because of his ability to run past people, but it’s his maturity that has impressed O’Leary.

“We’ve been rolling six receivers in there and I’ve been impressed with the young kid from Miami, Rannell Hall, with his speed. He has great concentration to the ball and he can go up and get it,” O’Leary said. “He keeps his poise and doesn’t panic when something’s not right. Those are the freshmen who can help you. He’s a fairly tough kid as far as contact speed. He’ll have a chance to play and help us. And Worton and Reese, I think they’ve had good preseasons and will get a chance. I’m comfortable with the rotation.”

O’Leary said one reason that the Knights are playing so many young players is because the team lost 19 seniors off last season’s C-USA championship and Liberty Bowl-winning squad. But another more significant reason is that the Knights are seeing the fruits of consecutive elite recruiting classes, and those players are more ready to play earlier.

And, of course, they are playing because they don’t act like freshmen.

“You’re looking to get athleticism on the field and this freshman class has that,” O’Leary said. “So it’s about us getting them enough experience now so that they can help us this year.”

An estimated crowd of 7,000 fans on a sun-splashed day saw Davis play well defensively, while standout sophomore Jeff Godfrey passed for 163 yards and ran for a 38-touchdown. Senior wide out A.J. Guyton had eight catches, Brynn Harvey capped his return from a knee injury with a 32-yard dash, Nick Cattoi kicked three field goals and converted linebackers Ray Shipman and Jonathan Davis were standouts.

“Bruce left and I feel like I need to step my game up next season and make more plays for this defense,” said Davis, who is coming off a 5.5 sack season as a sophomore. “How I’ve played is what hard work will get you. I’ve been working hard in practice every day, running and doing what the coaches ask. … Right now, it’s just about me staying humble and hungry. I feel like I can only get better from here.”

麻豆原创 coach George O’Leary feels like his Knights got better this spring, uncovering playmakers at linebacker and wide receiver while also developing depth at defensive line, secondary and along the offensive line. O’Leary thought the offense had a big advantage over the defense in Saturday’s spring game, but he feels the Knights made big strides over the past four weeks.

“I thought we were competitive out there, but obviously the day was geared toward the offense. But I thought there were individuals that made plays on both sides of the ball,” O’Leary said. “We have some things to evaluate with players, but that’s what this game and the spring are for as far as I’m concerned.”

麻豆原创 also welcomed back some of its most famous football alumni. Stars such as Brandon Marshall, Josh Sitton, Kevin Smith, Torell Troup, Miller and others signed autographs before the game and posed for pictures at halftime after being honored on the field.

Godfrey, who led 麻豆原创 to an 11-win season that ended with championships in Conference USA and the Liberty Bowl, showed off his poise in the pocket by hitting on 18 of 23 passes for 163 yards. Reading defenses and not giving up on plays was an emphasis this spring for Godfrey. And when he did run he proved quite lethal, scampering for 59 yards and the 38-yard score.

There was some debate between Godfrey and O’Leary over whether he was tagged on the touchdown run since the quarterbacks weren’t tackled in the scrimmage, and the quarterback lobbied that defenders should have had to tackle him with two hands. He is confident that his third-quarter run would have been a TD regardless of the rules.

Joked Godfrey: “The referee didn’t blow the whistle so it’s a touchdown.”

Shipman, the former University of Florida basketball player, capped off an impressive spring at linebacker for the Knights by recording five tackles and two stops for losses. He was upset with himself for dropping an interception, but was otherwise happy with how he handled the transition to football after not playing since his high school days. He thinks he’ll be ready to shine by the start of fall camp in August.

“I’m not where I want to be, but I’m making strides and getting better every day,” said Shipman, a 6-foot-5 outside linebacker who impressed with his athleticism and willingness to hit. “Going into this spring I knew I was going to be kind of rusty and have some bad practices, but I didn’t want to ever play backward. I feel like I accomplished playing forward and taking it a play at a time. … I feel like if I’m not ready to go by August I’m going to be mad at myself. Once I get this defense down like the back of my hand, I think it will be scary how good we can be.”

Harvey, who missed all last season after tearing a ligament in his knee in spring drills a year ago, once again looked like the back who was an All-C-USA pick heading into the 2010 season. On his first play from scrimmage, Harvey burst through the line, made a linebacker miss and dashed down the middle of the field for 32 yards. He finished with 39 net yards on the day and took satisfaction in knowing he had worked his way back for the Knights.

“It’s a blessing for me to come back from being down so low last year with my injury to being out there at the end of this spring and playing pretty good,” Harvey said. “It just feels good to be back with the team and playing ball again. The line made a hole and I was trying to get a burst in and I was a little surprised because it was my first play. But it was a good feeling to get my feet wet.”

麻豆原创’s white squad, composed of the first-string offense, took a 17-0 halftime lead by getting several big plays. Senior Ronnie Weaver, who makes the Knights’ tailback position their deepest spot in the field, ran in from 4 yards out for the first score of the day.

In the second quarter, Kerlon Williams broke through the left side of the line and blocked a punt which was recovered in the end zone by reserve tight end D.J. Brown for a touchdown. Proving that it’s spring for the officials as well, the referees initially ruled the play a safety, but it was changed to a touchdown after a conference with O’Leary.

Tight end Adam Nissley, who was more involved in the passing games this spring and caught two passes for 15 yards, said the next three months are critical for the football team to build chemistry and improve off the field.

“The next few months are very important. A lot of our success last year was due to the leadership that our seniors instilled into the team,” Nissley said. “This year, the seniors have a lot on our shoulders to pick it up and do what they did last year. This offseason is critical getting into the weight room and getting better. Everything we do carries over to the field, so it’s up to us to have a good offseason now.”

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.