MAC Football

MAC Basketball

UCF

The View: UCF begins their first season of MAC play with not only the best class in the MAC this year but the best class EVER in the MAC’s history. I really don’t know where to begin? Lets start that many of these players had offers from Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Auburn, Kansas State, LSU, Ohio State, etc. Get the picture; this is major league talent people! I guess I will start with the line prospects, which are all huge, fast and extremely talented. Since most of these guys had several accomplishments (see below), let’s look at some of their offers: Ashkinaz=Oregon State & BYU among others; DeMarcus Johnson=Florida & Alabama; Mendez=WVU and others; Peoples=LSU and Mississippi State; Ulsh=G-Tech & NC State; Veenstra=WVU & Kansas; and Roy Williams=South Carolina & Mississippi among others. How do you top that? Well DB Chad Breeden from the Cleveland area is a player I can testify to watching and knowing he had nearly a dozen offers as both a DB or RB. It’s interesting to see UCF come into "MAC Country" to take a player that may have been playing at an Ohio conference school this fall. A real "gamer" should be LB/DE Chad Mascoe who gave a verbal to Florida State, then signed with UCF. Other immediate playmakers should be DE Chris Welsch & RB Dontavius Wilcox. Both have incredible talent and were "Super 100" players in the state of Florida. Overall this is a class that has major impact players that should make the Golden Knights a real force this fall in the MAC and has enough young freshmen talent to position this program in the right direction over the next few years.

Analysis: In a year that the MAC had it’s best overall recruiting in our 50-plus year history, this class is a runaway winner as the best. Some experts say this class is a Top-50 nationally, but I say it’s closer to Top-30 if the MAC received the attention we deserve. No class has ever had this much fanfare and I don’t know that we will see this again anytime soon, although I certainly hope so. I rate this class as OUTSTANDING because that is as high of a classification as I have. Perhaps in a few years we will call it "superior," but time will tell on that. It’s amazing what a new league will get UCF now that players know they are playing for a championship and a bowl birth. UCF fans should be ecstatic right now, and with good reason.

*David Ashkinaz, 6’4, 307, OG, Oak Grove, Calif., Oak Grove HS/De Anza (Calif.) CC	JUCO All-American; 20.5 sacks
Chad Breeden, 6-1, 180, S, Mayfield, Ohio, Mayfield HS	First Team All-Ohio as DB; rushed for over 1,100 yards
Ben Brinson, 6-5, 270, DE, Orlando, Evans HS/Southwest Mississippi CC	JUCO transfer; 8 sacks; 61 tackles
*Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, 6-3, 280, OG, Sherbrook, Quebec, Champlain HS	Ranked #98 offensive guard by Rivals.com
*DeMarcus Johnson, 6’4, 295, DT, Tallahassee, Rickards HS/Southwest Miss. CC	#24 overall recruit by JCFootball.com
Tywin Kalandyk, 6-2, 210, LB, Live Oak, Suwanee HS	District POY; #46 LB in country by Rivals.com
Brandon Marshall, 6-5, 195, WR, Winter Park, Lake Howell HS	1st Team All-Central Florida; 1,056 yards; 11 TDs
*Chad Mascoe, 6’2, 250, LB, Kissimmee, Osceola HS/Southwest Mississippi CC	#19 overall recruit by JCFootball.com in country
*Alex Mendez, 6-6, 320, OT, Selma, Calif., Selma HS/Reedly (Calif.) CC	JUCO transfer; All-Conference; All-State player
Larry Peoples, 6-6, 290, OT, Jacksonville, Bolles HS	1st Team All-County; #88 on Rival.com Top Ols
Matt Prater, 5-11, 175, K, Estero, Estero HS	84% of kickoffs=touchbacks; long FG of 49 yards
Ronnell Sandy, 6'1 210, LB Titusville, Titusville HS	All-District; 4.45 speed
Brennis “Big Country” Smith, 6-5, 267, TE, Ebro, Vernon HS/Hinds (Miss.) CC	JUCO transfer; Top-25 Juco transfer
Andre Sumpter, 6-0, 175, WR, Jacksonville, Englewood HS	Athlete; DB = 3 INTs; Option QB
Seth Ulsh, 6’5, 290, OT, Ocala, Vanguard HS	All-State 2nd Team; District POY
Dan Veenstra, 6-5, 285, OG, Largo, Largo HS	Top 50 national player on Rivals.com offensive line list
Kyle Watkins, 6-8, 340, OT, Keller, Texas, Keller HS/Tyler CC (Texas)	JUCO transfer; All-District; HUGE!
Chris Welsh, 6-5, 235, DE, Cocoa, Cocoa HS	Rated #62 DE prosepct in country by Rivals.com; 4.6/40
Dontavius Wilcox, 5-11, 202, RB, Rockledge, Rockledge HS	Two-time All-State performer
*Roy Williams, 6-2, 275, DE, DeLand, DeLand HS/Southwest Mississippi CC	JUCO transfer; rated #8 DT by JCFootball.com