Group of Five: UCF, Boise State headline 2018 preseason power rankings
By Zach Bigalke
Until further notice, UCF remains the top dog in the Group of Five hierarchy entering the new season. The Knights own the longest winning streak in the country at 13 games and counting. Though they no longer have the services of Scott Frost on the sidelines, there is enough returning talent on both sides of the ball to give Knights fans hope for the new season. Under new head coach Josh Heupel, UCF could be even more dynamic on offense than last year’s top-ranked unit.
Heisman hopeful McKenzie Milton is the most efficient quarterback in the country who will be back in 2018. Adrian Killins Jr. and Otis Anderson, the top two running back from the 2017 roster, are back in Orlando this season. Dredrick Snelson is back to lead the receiving corps, and a solid offensive line returns five players with extensive starting experience and adds a pair of transfers to the mix in former Notre Dame guard Parker Boudreaux and junior-college tackle Trevor Elbert.
The defense saw another Griffin brother depart as Shaquem joined his twin Shaquill on the Seattle Seahawks. Chequan Burkett is also gone from the UCF defense. Otherwise, the unit returns pretty much everyone else, making for a veteran group that is poised to improve on last year’s solid-if-unspectacular numbers.
UCF has a few warm-up games before a three-game stretch that will define the season. The Knights play at North Carolina on September 15. Then they return home for showdowns against fellow Group of Five contender Florida Atlantic and another ACC opponent in Pittsburgh. If they are 5-0 coming out of that break, the Knights will be set up to run the table and on a 25-game winning streak entering the AAC championship game.