Top 5 Football Players in UCF History
UCF is not a football program rich with history and has really only been around since the 1990s. However, the school has become a staple in Bowl season in recent years and has some talented players to show for it. This list of players is based on their performance while at UCF, not necessarily the career they may have had in the NFL. With that in mind, here’s the list.
Honorable Mentions
Asante Samuel, DB (2000–2002)
Brandon Marshall, WR (2002–2005)
Dillon Gabriel, QB (2019–2021)
Mike Sims-Walker, WR (2003–2006)
Gabe Davis, WR (2017–2019)
Clayton Geathers, DB (2010–2014)
Bruce Miller, DL (2007–2010)
Tre’Quan Smith, WR (2015–2017)
David Rhodes, WR (1991–1994)
Ryan Schneider, QB (2000–2003)
Shaquem Griffin, LB (2013–2017)
5. Joe Burnett, DB/KR (2005–2008)
Joe Burnett was one of the more prolific players in UCF history. He was an excellent cornerback for UCF for four years and remains the Knights’ all-time leader in interceptions. However, what Burnett was really known for were his electric kick and punt returns. He averaged 13.6 yards per return throughout his career and scored three touchdowns. Joe Burnett was part of a UCF team that carried the school to its first set of Bowl games going to the Hawai’i Bowl and the Liberty Bowl. This marked a new era for UCF football and Burnett was a big part of it. However, number four on this list definitely had a lot to do with those appearances as well.
4. Kevin Smith, RB (2005–2007)
Kevin Smith also played during the same era with Joe Burnett, helping to lead UCF to its first set of Bowl appearances. Regardless of that, he was the most productive player in school history and one of the most productive college football players of all time. Smith holds nearly every UCF rushing record by a wide margin. He also once rushed for over 2,500 yards in a single season, making him only one of three to ever accomplish such a feat in college football history along with Barry Sanders and Melvin Gordon. Smith was a special player on offenses that were relatively low on talent. Despite this, he helped carry the team to multiple bowl games and is undoubtedly the best running back and one of the best players in school history.
3. Blake Bortles, QB (2011–2013)
Blake Bortles will forever be a UCF legend as he helped raise an upcoming program to new heights. Bortles was the driving force behind UCF’s first NY6 Bowl win when he helped win the Fiesta Bowl over Baylor in 2014. He was also the highest drafted player in UCF history as he was drafted third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 NFL Draft. While he may not have quite lived up to that high of a selection he did lead the Jaguars to an AFC Championship during his time with the team. Bortles was also a local legend as he graduated from Oviedo High School just miles down the road from UCF. Watching him help to elevate the UCF football program was a surreal experience for many people in the town and he will likely forever be remembered as one of the best UCF football players of all time.
2. Daunte Culpepper, QB (1995–1998)
Daunte Culpepper makes the list for essentially the same exact reasons as Blake Bortles. They were both local legends that elevated the program to new heights and are still to this day the only quarterbacks from UCF selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Culpepper is from Ocala and was a heavily recruited prospect coming out of high school. However, his SAT scores were substandard and many of the larger programs like FSU and Miami backed off their recruitment efforts. However, UCF agreed to tutor Culpepper for free to help him achieve the necessary SAT scores to play college ball. When he achieved the necessary scores, all the big programs came back, but Culpepper decided to enroll at UCF, who was not even an FBS program at the time. Culpepper was the first player to put the school on the national map as he played well enough to become a Heisman finalist and a first round draft pick at a small football program like UCF.
1. McKenzie Milton, QB (2016–2018)
Between the years of 2017 and 2018, McKenzie Milton was the quarterback of the hottest college football team in the entire nation. The Knights won 24 games in a row with Milton under center before he was tragically injured against USF during the last regular season game of 2018. Backup DJ Mack stepped in and won the AAC Championship and played admirably for the Knights in a loss against Joe Burrow and the wildly talented LSU team that would go on to win 20 straight games. Even so, UCF only lost by one possesion to LSU and some still think the Knights could have won had Milton been able to play. Regardless, McKenzie Milton was under center for a Peach Bowl win over the Auburn Tigers. This was widely considered to be the biggest moment in UCF Football history as it completed the perfect 13–0 season and led to the highly contentious debate amongst college football fans as to whether or not UCF were the 2017 National Champions. While Blake Bortles and Daunte Culpepper will forever be UCF legends, Milton edges them out for the number one spot as he will forever hold a special place in the hearts of UCF fans, bringing them back to an era where their team was one of the best in all of college football.