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As you know by now, with every year, I like to look back at old recruiting classes to see how each player panned out, because I personally believe you cannot evaluate a recruiting class until they have all finished their time as UCF Knights, one way or another.
I’m updating our database as we speak, but with the early signing period taking place, I wanted to go deeper into the archives to catch up on some old classes, and this time I looked at 2010, which was regarded at the time as one of UCF’s best classes yet.
As a reminder, here’s our star system:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Star player and bonafide NFL Draft talent. Need not have stayed all four years.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – All-conference-level or solid starter, possible late-round NFL draftee or UFA pickup.
⭐⭐⭐ – Played and finished career at UCF, graduated (or at least should have). Not NFL talent.
⭐⭐ – Played but didn’t finish at UCF. Transferred, left football, or something like that.
⭐ – Never played, probably on a milk carton somewhere.
And now, the UCF Football Recruiting Class of 2010:
UCF Football 2010 Recruiting Class
Player | Pos. | Class | Hometown (Last School) | Rivals.com Ranking | Final Grade | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Pos. | Class | Hometown (Last School) | Rivals.com Ranking | Final Grade | Notes |
Jordan Akins | WR | 2010 | McDonough, GA (Union Grove) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Played MiLB w/Rangers org. until '13. Joined UCF in '14 as WR. Moved to TE after ACL injury in '15. 82 career catches. Drafted 2018 (3rd-#98) by HOU. |
Blake Bortles | QB | 2010 | Oviedo, FL (Oviedo) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Starting QB from '11. 22-5 two bowl Ws in '12 & '13, '13 AAC Title. Drafted #3 overall by Jags. Is the BOAT. |
Clayton Geathers | S | 2010 | Hemingway, SC (Carvers Bay) | ⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 2x All-AAC (1st team 2014), 382 career tackles at UCF. Drafted by IND 4th round in '15. Still in NFL. |
Joshua Reese | WR | 2010 | Miami, FL (Miami Central) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Team Captain '14, Graduated '15. 60 career catches, 39 in '14. Currently playing Arena Football with Washington Valor. |
Torrian Wilson | G/C | 2010 | Miami, FL (Northwestern) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Anchor at LT through 2014. All-Freshman, 2x All-conference selection. Went undrafted, had cup of coffee with DET '15 and worked out for NWE '16. |
Jordan McCray | OG | 2010 | Miami, FL (Southridge) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Settled in at LG, 1st Team All-AAC as Sr. in '13. Didn't latch on with NFL. On AAF Orlando Apollos roster for '18. |
Justin McCray | OG | 2010 | Miami, FL (Southridge) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Settled at RG, played some RT. 1st Team All-AAC as Sr. in '13. Landed with Packers in '17, starting guard. |
Woodley Cadet | S | 2010 | Loxahatchee, FL (Seminole Ridge) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Saw limited action as RS Junior in '13. Graduated UCF in 2014. |
Jeffrey Godfrey | QB | 2010 | Miami, FL (Miami Central) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 2010 CUSA Frosh of Year, led UCF to 1st bowl win. Left briefly after Bortles replaced him in '11, returned '12 as WR. Caught GW TD at Louisville in '13. '18 in AAF (Orlando). |
Jordan Ozerities | CB | 2010 | Mount Dora, FL (Mount Dora) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Started at CB last two years. Graduated '14. Never latched on in NFL. |
Cody Ralston | LB | 2010 | Calhoun, GA (Calhoun) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Scout teamer through Jr. season ('13). One career appearance. Graduated 2014. |
Justin Tukes | TE | 2010 | Sylvester, GA (Worth County) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Played four years, graduated 2015. 30 career catches. One preseason with PHI. |
E. J. Dunston | DT | 2010 | Orlando, FL (Edgewater) | ⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Serviceable DL played 4 years ('10-'13), 5 career sacks. Graduated 2014. |
Jamar McClain | CB | 2010 | Miami, FL (Miami Central) | ⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Played one game in 2011. Scout teamer in '12 and '13. |
Andrew Rice | DT | 2010 | Lake Mary, FL (Lake Mary) | ⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Scout teamer saw sparing game action through '13. Graduated 2014. Currently a police officer in Mt. Dora. |
Quenton Brown | TE/DL | 2010 | Tucker, GA (Tucker) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️ | Left UCF, transferred to Eastern AZ JC, Played two games for North Texas in '13. |
Tony Jacob | OT | 2010 | Atlanta, GA (Westlake) | ⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️ | Enormous player (6-8, 343) played 3 games in 2011. Not listed on '12 roster. |
LaBranden Richardson | DT | 2010 | Miami, FL (Miami Central) | ⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️ | Left UCF after '11 (9 gms), transferred to Bethune-Cookman. Three-time All-MEAC performer. 21 career sacks at BCU. |
Jose Jose | G | 2010 | Miami, FL (Miami Central) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️ | Released from scholarship, went to Eastern AZ JC '10, recommitted and played 9 games in '11. Kicked off team for rules violation (got into an argument with O'Leary) in March 2012. |
Perry Mieklejohn | OL/DL | 2010 | Miami, FL (Westminster Christian) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️ | Left UCF in '11 for El Camino (CA) CC, landed at South Alabama in '12. Not listed on '13 roster. |
Cornelius Whitehead | WR/S | 2010 | Mount Dora, FL (Mount Dora) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️ | Not listed on any roster beyond '10. No bio on UCF's page. |
Davious Chestnut | CB | 2010 | Hemingway, SC (Carvers Bay) | ⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️ | Not listed on 2010 roster. |
Zach Soto | OT | 2010 | Miami, FL (Monsignor Pace) | ⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️ | Never listed on a roster. |
Some notes:
- Blake Bortles. Clayton Geathers. Jordan Akins. Josh Reese. Torrian Wilson. Jordan McCray. Justin McCray. Jeffrey Godfrey. Jordan Ozerities. Justin Tukes. E.J. Dunston. These guys weren’t just good - they were hits.
- Let’s take a moment to appreciate Jeff Godfrey, who started about as great as any recruit could (C-USA Freshman of the Year), and finished the consummate team player.
- Clayton Geathers was a two-star, and he’s still in the NFL. Let that sink in.
- Seems hard to believe now but Jordan Akins was in this class. He finished his UCF career after last season, despite still having one more year of eligibility remaining.
- LaBranden Richardson is an interesting case. After leaving UCF following 2011, he went to Bethune-Cookman and developed into one of their best defensive players in recent years.
- Note the ten guys David Kelly pulled in from Miami, including five from Miami Central High School. This was Kelly’s coup de grace before being unceremoniously dispensed with in the Keith Tribble/Ken Caldwell scandal.
No joke, this is one of the best classes in terms of on-field results we’ve ever seen at UCF. Four of them are still playing in the NFL, and we might see a few more in the AAF this spring.