Scott Frost brought a six-win improvement to UCF in his first season as head coach in 2016. But with a 6-7 record, there's still plenty of work to do. The Knights sputtered at the end of season, losing three straight to Tulsa, USF and Arkansas State in the Cure Bowl.
But Frost has put together a recruiting class that Rivals and 247 Sports has ranked as No. 2 in the American Athletic Conference. Here's the breakdown courtesy of UCF's Athletic Communications Department.
Otis Anderson, RB, 5'11", 170 lbs.
- Helped lead University Christian to back-to-back Class 2A State Championships in 2015 and 2016
- Rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior, while also compiling more than 1,000 yards rushing in his junior campaign
- Named First Team Florida Class 2A All-State in 2016
Emmanuel Greene, WR, 5'10", 171 lbs.
- Helped lead IMG Academy to an 11-0 record in 2016 and a top-five national ranking in both 2015 and 2016
- Hauled in 24 receptions for 446 yards (18.6 avg) with 5 touchdowns as a senior
- Recorded 13 receptions accounting for 253 yards (19.5 avg) with 3 TDs as a junior
Gabriel Luyanda, OLB, 6'5", 230 lbs.
- Helped lead Garden City to a Junior College National Championship last season
- Recorded 55 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 1 interception in 11 games for Garden City in 2016
- Earned Honorable Mention All-Hillsborough County honors as a senior at King High School
Antwan Collier, CB, 6'3", 178 lbs.
- Helped lead Miami Southridge to 2016 Florida Class 8A State Championship
- Saw action at both quarterback and cornerback in 2016, rushing for 254 yards and 2 TDs during the playoffs, while compiling 43 tackles and four interceptions throughout the season
- Named Third Team Florida Class 8A All-State as a cornerback in 2016
Mason Cholewa, DL, 6'7", 265 lbs.
- Was named to the Pennsylvania Hot 100 by the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association prior to the 2016 season
- Recorded 51 tackles in 10 games for Montour High School during his senior season
- Earned Second Team All-Northwest Nine Conference honors following 2016 season
Zamari Maxwell, DB, 6'1", 175 lbs.
- Tallied 28 tackles, 2 interceptions and 4 pass breakups in eight games last season
- Also contributed on offense, rushing for 161 yards (2 TDs) while also recording a TD catch
- Earned Second Team Florida Class 7A All-State honors as a junior after tallying 7 interceptions
Cole Schneider, OL, 6'4", 295 lbs.
- Named First Team Florida Class 7A All-State by the Associated Press
- Registered 47 pancake blocks during his senior season
- Also named First-Team All-Area by the Fort Myers News-Press
Julio Castillo, OT, 6'6", 315 lbs.
- Earned Second Team Florida Class 1A All-State honors
- Saw limited action on defense, recording 12 total tackles
- Anchored an offensive line that led to 33 points and 300+ yards per game of offense
Samuel Jackson, OT, 6'6", 332 lbs.
- Named First Team All-Area by the Bradenton Herald
- Tallied 36 pancake blocks during the course of his senior season
- Graded out at 92 percent from his offensive tackle spot
T.J. Pitts, LB, 6'1", 250 lbs.
- Recorded 139 tackles during his senior season
- Also recorded five sacks, 21 tackles for loss and five fumble recoveries in 2016
- Named Second Team Florida Class 1A All-State
Stephon Zayas, DE, 6'6", 210 lbs.
- Named Honorable Mention All-Broward County 8A-6A by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
- Ranked as one of the top players in District 15-6A by the Miami Herald
- Highlighted as a top prospect at Dillard High School by CBS Channel 4 Miami
Jeremiah Zio, DE, 6'8", 245 lbs.
- Named Second Team Florida Class 1A All-State following the 2016 season at Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg
- Was listed at No. 51 on the Tampa Bay Times HomeTeam 100 prior to his senior season
- Converted basketball player, began playing football as a high school sophomore
Gabriel Davis, WR, 6'3", 215 lbs.
- Named First Team Florida Class 8A All-State
- Tallied 69 receptions for 1347 yards (19.5 avg) with 17 TDs in 2016
- Honored as Orlando Touchdown Club’s Offensive Player of the Year
Darriel Mack, Jr., QB, 6'3", 215 lbs.
- Named All-Tidewater Player of the Year
- Passed for 2,975 yards; Rushed for 1,127; Accounted for 52 total touchdowns
- Total of 4,132 combined yards ranks 10th on Virginia High School League single season chart
Rennard Bozeman, CB, 5'10", 173 lbs.
- Named Third-Team Class 6A All-State in 2016
- Helped lead Boyd Anderson High School to a 7-3 mark in 2016 and a 16-5 record over the past two seasons
- Named Honorable Mention South Florida Sun-Sentinel All-County as both a junior and senio
Marlon Williams, WR, 6'0", 205 lbs.
- Helped lead team to state championship game and runner-up finish in 2016
- Earned 2016 First Team Alabama Class 7A All-State honors
- Tallied 46 receptions, 990 yards, 13 receiving TDs and 7 rushing TDs in 2016
Kalia Davis, LB, 6'2", 250 lbs.
- Named First Team Florida Class 5A All-State by the Associated Press
- Tallied 107 tackles, nine sacks and two interceptions in his senior season
- Earned Honorable Mention All-State honors as a junior in 2015
Noah Verdal, QB, 6'2", 184 lbs.
- Named First Team Nebraska Class C-1 All-State as a DB, named All-Omaha Area Captain
- Passed for 2,001 yards, rushed for 739 as a senior in 2016
- Career passing total of 4,561 yards; Career rushing total of 2,250 yards; 77 career TDs
Bentavious Thompson, RB, 6'1", 190 lbs.
- Ranked as No. 35 prospect in South Florida by CBS Miami Channel 4
- Rushed for close to 900 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior
- Helped lead Southridge to 2016 Florida Class 8A State Championship
Sterling Jones, ILB, 6'2", 225 lbs.
- Helped lead St. James School to a region championship and state playoff berth
- Earned 2016 First Team Alabama Class 4A All-State honors
- Named Montgomery Advertiser All-Metro Player of the Year and All-Metro First Team
Lionel "LJ" Cummings, OLB, 6'3", 205 lbs.
- Named Third Team Florida Class 7A All-State following his senior season at Bartow High School
- Tallied 71 tackles in 2016 from his defensive end spot
- Also earned First Team Polk Preps All-County honors in 2016