The Black & Gold Banneret team has spoken and here are your 2019 UCF Knights Football Team Awards!

Kevin Smith Offensive Player of the Year

Gabriel Davis, WR

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Gabe Davis finished the 2019 season with 72 receptions for 1,241 yards with 12 touchdowns. He had five 100+ receiving yard games and five games with multiple touchdowns. There was no doubt he was the difference maker on the field and was crucial in the growth of true freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel. While Davis has decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft, his legacy at UCF will not soon be forgotten.

Joe Burnett Defensive Player of the Year

Nate Evans, LB

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Senior linebacker Nate “Bulldog” Evans led the Knights in tackles (112) while also racking up 13.0 tackles for a loss and 1.0 sack. The Louisiana native had 10+ tackles in five games throughout the season with his season high coming against Cincinnati when he had 17.

Jeff Godfrey Rookie of the Year

Dillon Gabriel, QB

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Brandon Wimbush started the season as the starting quarterback but that didn’t last long as Dillon Gabriel won the job and never looked back. The true freshman quarterback threw for 3,653 yards and 29 touchdowns. He finished the season ranked 8th nationally in passing yards and 10th in yards per attempt. If this is what he was able to do at 18, Knight fans are in for a treat for the foreseeable future.

Brandon Marshall Breakout Player of the Year

Bentavious Thompson, RB

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Last season, Bentavious really only saw action in garbage time as he was behind Otis, AK, Greg and Taj on the depth chart. This season, the redshirt sophomore was an integral part of the UCF offense. He rushed for 604 yards on 87 attempts with 8 touchdowns. With Adrian Killins graduating, Thompson’s role in the offense is only going to grow more in 2020.

Quincy McDuffie Special Teams Player of the Year

Dylan Barnas, K

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The specialists were a big question mark for UCF coming into the season. UCF lost Matt Wright and Mac Loudermilk after 2018 with no clear successors on the roster. Dylan Barnas made the most of his opportunity going 15-17 on field goal attempts with his season long being 50 yards.

Shaquem Griffin Leader of the Year

Nate Evans, LB

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Nate Evans was more than a star on the field. He was the heart and soul of this UCF team and his presence could be felt from the locker room to the stands. It’s unclear who the next leader will be for UCF but Evans is leaving behind a lasting impression on the younger players.