UCF Football: 5 spring 2019 storylines to follow

4. Underrated running back duo

One aspect of UCF’s offense that is better than average its rushing game. The Knights’ explosive duo of junior Greg McCrae and senior Adrian Killins Jr. will once again team up in the backfield next season.

McCrae and Killins Jr. were the two primary backs responsible for UCF’s volatile rushing attack — the Knights ranked No. 8 in the country in team rushing offense in 2018.

These two backs perhaps slip under the radar because most of the attention throughout the last two seasons has been centered around the play of Milton, although UCF has experienced a robust ground game as well.

McCrae and Killins Jr. combined for nearly 1,900 rushing yards and accounted for 14 rushing touchdowns last season. Those numbers exclude the near 500 yards picked up through receptions between them which resulted in five scores.

Both backs are undersized for the prototypical three-down back in the highest ranks of college football. McCrae, the team’s leading rusher from a year ago, stands at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds.

He has a more slender build than most backs but has takeoff speed when he finds the open green. In 2018, McCrae had a breakout season, receiving more than five times the number of carries he had from the previous season. He also averaged almost a whopping nine yards per carry in 2018.

While McCrae has speed in his own right, Killins Jr. is probably the faster of the two backs. At 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, he has a stockier stature. His size shouldn’t fool many people, however.

His kick returning ability should be a big tip-off as to how quick he is. If Killins Jr. navigates into space, he has the ability to turn a game into a track meet with his blazing speed — he was never even touched on several of his runs last year.

Given that both of these running backs return with a lot of experience under their belts, it is safe to presume the Knights will be in good hands with two reliable runners.

The question remains: could they stack up against some of the nation’s best? For all intents and purposes, the tandem of McCrae and Killins Jr. could make for one of the most dynamic duos in the entire country.