UCF Football: 5 spring 2019 storylines to follow
3. Defense brings back veterans
In 2018, the UCF defense did not rank among some of the top teams in the nation. In fact, the Knights placed 36th in total defense, according to Sports Reference.
Despite finishing behind some in-conference foes in terms of defensive prowess, UCF returns highly-productive players on the defense side of the ball.
Most importantly, defensive back Richie Grant comes back for his redshirt junior season. His exceptional 2018 season landed him a spot on the All-AAC First Team.
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Last year, Grant totaled a team-high 109 total tackles — which was also a single-season best for him. Grant was arguably the most effective defender on the Knights last season.
Not only did he lead the team in total tackles, but he also tallied the most solo tackles (69) and swiped the most interceptions (6) while starting all 13 games.
Another key contributor that returns to anchor the defense joined Grant on the All-AAC First Team — senior linebacker Nate Evans.
Evans finished second on the team in total tackles last fall with 99 stops while starting 10 out of the possible 13 games.
Of the 99 tackles Evans made last season, 10 of them brought a defender down for a loss of yardage. The 2018 season marked a career high for Evans, who recorded a career-best 2.5 sacks on the year.
With a veteran piece returning in both the linebacker corps and the secondary, the Knights have the leadership they need heading into the new campaign.