***RB Myles Montgomery ready to shine at UCF ⚔️🏈
- By Brandon
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 11 Replies
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Myles Montgomery is back home in the Sunshine State.
After three years at Cincinnati, the Jacksonville native has transferred to UCF where he will join forces with RJ Harvey in the Knights' rushing attack.
Montgomery was the Bearcats' No. 2 running back last season, rushing for 428 yards and three touchdowns. His best game was a 103-yard performance vs. Baylor.
He committed not long after his early December visit.
"Ultimately, UCF was the best place for me," Montgomery said. "I tried to give every school an equal amount of attention. But being back home, playing in my home state, there's no better feeling."
Playing for UCF running backs coach Kam Martin was also a big draw.
"He made me want to come here even more," Montgomery said. "He's not that much older than me. It's easy to relate to him. He's not like a coach that says, 'Do what I tell you to do' type of thing. That's my dawg. He's like my brother. I'd do anything for him. It's great being able to relate to your position coach."
Montgomery is among a trio of Cincinnati players who made the intra-conference transfer to UCF. Joining him in Orlando are Deshawn Pace and Bryon Threats, who were two of the Bearcats' best defensive players. Both are from Ohio.
"They liked the Florida weather," Montgomery said. "They love it. I already knew what to expect. Them coming down here, seeing the weather and facilities, all the nice coaches, I'm sure that aided them in coming here."
UCF and Cincinnati have developed a rivalry these past few years. The Knights had been the kings of the American from 2017-18 until Cincinnati dethroned them, first winning the East Division in 2019 before becoming the outright conference champions in 2020 and 2021 (and beating UCF each of those years).
UCF has now won two in a row against the Bearcats, their final AAC meeting in 2022 as well this past season's first matchup as Big 12 members.
How did Cincinnati view UCF?
"It depends on what school you're asking," Montgomery said. "If you're asking Cincinnati, it's nowhere near as big as the Miami-Ohio rivalry, but it's a game on the schedule you circle. You ask some people here and they're like, 'We don't know why it's a rivalry.' It depends on who you ask."
Though it was prior to his arrival in 2021, Montgomery was familiar with the 2019 game in Cincinnati in which Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner had a pick-six.
One of the more memorable UCF-UC games he was involved in was the 2022 game in Orlando, a 25-21 Knights win.
"That game was crazy," Montgomery said. "We scored that late touchdown, 'Oh, we're gonna win!' and then RJ Harvey had a walk-off touchdown."
Now teammates, Montgomery is eager to work alongside Harvey.
"RJ is a great dude," Montgomery said. "I cannot wait to be a sponge and soak up everything he knows. He's going to get tired of me asking so many questions. I cannot wait. I'm so ready."
What kind of running back is he?
"Obviously I've got speed," Montgomery said. "I try to model my game after Isiah Pacheco and Marshawn Lynch. Running hard with how fast I am, nobody wants to tackle that over and over. Nobody wants to tackle that for four quarters in a game. That's what's gotten me this far."
As for goals, Montgomery said he just wants to do his best.
"I'm really optimistic about this season," he said. "Nobody is going to stop us but us. Once we get all this football stuff rolling, the sky is the limit for us."
Myles Montgomery is back home in the Sunshine State.
After three years at Cincinnati, the Jacksonville native has transferred to UCF where he will join forces with RJ Harvey in the Knights' rushing attack.
Montgomery was the Bearcats' No. 2 running back last season, rushing for 428 yards and three touchdowns. His best game was a 103-yard performance vs. Baylor.
He committed not long after his early December visit.
"Ultimately, UCF was the best place for me," Montgomery said. "I tried to give every school an equal amount of attention. But being back home, playing in my home state, there's no better feeling."
Playing for UCF running backs coach Kam Martin was also a big draw.
"He made me want to come here even more," Montgomery said. "He's not that much older than me. It's easy to relate to him. He's not like a coach that says, 'Do what I tell you to do' type of thing. That's my dawg. He's like my brother. I'd do anything for him. It's great being able to relate to your position coach."
Montgomery is among a trio of Cincinnati players who made the intra-conference transfer to UCF. Joining him in Orlando are Deshawn Pace and Bryon Threats, who were two of the Bearcats' best defensive players. Both are from Ohio.
"They liked the Florida weather," Montgomery said. "They love it. I already knew what to expect. Them coming down here, seeing the weather and facilities, all the nice coaches, I'm sure that aided them in coming here."
UCF and Cincinnati have developed a rivalry these past few years. The Knights had been the kings of the American from 2017-18 until Cincinnati dethroned them, first winning the East Division in 2019 before becoming the outright conference champions in 2020 and 2021 (and beating UCF each of those years).
UCF has now won two in a row against the Bearcats, their final AAC meeting in 2022 as well this past season's first matchup as Big 12 members.
How did Cincinnati view UCF?
"It depends on what school you're asking," Montgomery said. "If you're asking Cincinnati, it's nowhere near as big as the Miami-Ohio rivalry, but it's a game on the schedule you circle. You ask some people here and they're like, 'We don't know why it's a rivalry.' It depends on who you ask."
Though it was prior to his arrival in 2021, Montgomery was familiar with the 2019 game in Cincinnati in which Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner had a pick-six.
One of the more memorable UCF-UC games he was involved in was the 2022 game in Orlando, a 25-21 Knights win.
"That game was crazy," Montgomery said. "We scored that late touchdown, 'Oh, we're gonna win!' and then RJ Harvey had a walk-off touchdown."
Now teammates, Montgomery is eager to work alongside Harvey.
"RJ is a great dude," Montgomery said. "I cannot wait to be a sponge and soak up everything he knows. He's going to get tired of me asking so many questions. I cannot wait. I'm so ready."
What kind of running back is he?
"Obviously I've got speed," Montgomery said. "I try to model my game after Isiah Pacheco and Marshawn Lynch. Running hard with how fast I am, nobody wants to tackle that over and over. Nobody wants to tackle that for four quarters in a game. That's what's gotten me this far."
As for goals, Montgomery said he just wants to do his best.
"I'm really optimistic about this season," he said. "Nobody is going to stop us but us. Once we get all this football stuff rolling, the sky is the limit for us."
SPACEU/NOT OT: Moon Landing Thread
- By jj1987
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 12 Replies
Intuitive Machines-1 Lunar Landing
plus.nasa.gov
Under 2 hours to go!
***The future is here: UCF unveils $50M "football campus" facility plan (Mohajir presentation recap)***
- By Brandon
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 68 Replies
Terry Mohajir is thinking big.
The UCF athletic director unveiled a grand facilities vision during Thursday's Board of Trustees meeting, which included enhancements to the Bounce House like additional premium seating and a new adjoining football facility.
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You can watch Mohajir's presentation (above) which begins at approximately the 2:26:00 mark.
To recap his address to the board:
-Mohajir, who was hired in February to replace the outgoing Danny White, said he and his staff have been working at "warp speed" in their six months on campus.
-In an overview of UCFAA financials, Mohajir stated they finished Fiscal Year 2021 in the black, thanks to the ChargeOn Fund and also because of "Rocky Top," a nod to the buyout money UCF received when Danny White ($2.5M) and Josh Heupel ($3.5M) departed for Tennessee.
They also approved a $73M budget for FY22. He hopes to have a $100M budget in the next five years. "That is our goal and I think that helps us become more attractive than we already are."
-"Championship Resources" has been renamed "ChargeOn Fund." They considered the name "ChargeOn Club," but wanted to be clear that you give to a fund and join a club. They now have a record 8,156 donors. Their goal is reach 10,000 donors by June 2022. Since February 1, UCF has raised $5.5M and added 31 new Shareholders (defined as major gift donors).
-Student-Athlete Success has always been a "passion project" for Mohajir. His goal is 100 percent job placement or graduate school placement for every student-athlete graduate. This year, even coming in late, they will achieve 100 percent. They are also helping the previous year's graduates.
-UCF has posted 27 consecutive semesters of a departmental GPA of 3.0 or above. 287 student-athletes earned All-Academic AAC honors.
-Continuing to recap the spring semester, Mohajir stated two UCF teams made the NCAA Sweet Sixteen (Men's Soccer and Women's Tennis). Four UCF teams won AAC titles (Men's Soccer, Volleyball, Men's Tennis and Women's Tennis). Eight UCF teams competed in the postseason and Women's Track had two student-athletes compete at NCAA Nationals. Freshman Rayniah Jones was second in the nation in the 100-meter hurdles.
-In regards to Brand Advancement, Mohajir stated it's very important for "where we are in the national landscape of conference realignment." Since 2018, UCF has had the ninth-most nationally televised network games trailing only Alabama, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Florida and Auburn, and just ahead of LSU. Network games include national over-the-air telecasts on ABC, Fox, etc.
In regards to Global Exposure, Mohajir explained the difference between "followers" and "engagement." UCF is among the top 10 in engagement on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. "That's what networks are looking for. How do you interact with the community? Eyeballs are absolutely paramount as we go forward."
He added that since August 1, 2017, UCF is No. 1 in engagement rate in FBS football among top 25 brands on Facebook and Instagram and No. 20 on Twitter. Nearly every sport leads the AAC in impressions on Instagram and Twitter. "We have a very active fanbase on Twitter. You may have heard people call it the Twitter Mafia."
-Merchandise Sales: Since 2014, it's just under $8M. "We have one year left on our apparel deal so this is important as we take this to market."
-Mohajir outlined the facility upgrades completed earlier this summer, which includes a refreshed Wayne Densch Sports Center, the replacement of the Nicholson Fieldhouse artificial turf, softball upgrades including renovated locker room, new turf at John Euliano Park in the foul territory and updating the WBB locker room.
The IPF turf was 17 years old, and the turf life should only be 10 years. He knew they had to get that done quickly because it was a injury risk to players. He also added they've replaced the "old yellow" paint on the fieldhouse.
-And now for the facilities vision presentation. He prefaced that their vision will include enhancements for every sport/facility, but today's concept presentation will be geared around football.
Quotes that were displayed and read by Mohajir: "All investments start with an idea. Ideas don't chase money. Money chases idea. Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare."
Their vision is a "one-of-a-kind concept" of a "football campus" that will include housing, nutrition, sports medicine, sports performance, academics and career services all in the same area.
-Next up was the first reveal of conceptual designs (renderings). The first image displayed was an aerial shot showing the Bounce House and facilities, which includes a relocated spot for the planned McNamara Recovery River (new name) and a new South End Zone facility.
In outlining the need for Recovery River, Mohajir name dropped Bo Jackson as a player who benefited from water therapy.
How will these projects be phased in? The first objective will be to shift over the existing fields to make room for Recovery River and an expanded parking lot. "Nicholson Plaza" will be the name as it will become the "front porch" in regards to stadium access.
Mohajir talked about the need to add permanent cold pools for post-practice as currently players "jump in trash cans full of ice."
"CoveGating" will also be a revenue stream for Recovery River, and they will rent it out during the offseason. "Everything here has the ability to generate money except for the player areas."
The second project will be the new stadium/football facility, called the "Launch Club" which celebrates their space heritage. "From that club, you can see the launches from the Space Coast which will be a unique feature that nobody else in the country has. We're trying to be indigenous to who we are."
The football coaches are currently housed in the Wayne Densch Sports Center and they're "on top of each other," Mohajir said, referring to the cramped quarters for an expanded staff. So in this concept, they will move from the WD into the new "Launch Club" area inside the Bounce House. "Every coach in America wants their offices in the stadium." The top level of the building is the actual club for premium seating, but it will double as a lunch/dinner/reception spot that can be rented out. It will also be a built-in "faculty/staff club."
The Launch Club seating will be in a "loge box" configuration, taking up the current location of the upper south end zone.
The coaches' families will also have their own isolated seating area away from the rest of the stadium, so they are not subjected to "comments from fans."
Mohajir, commenting on the beautiful view of one rendering, "who wouldn't want to come here and be a student-athlete?" Then added, "You see some schools building $100M facilities, even in this state. We don't need to do that. You know why? Because there's a lot of things to do here. In those towns, there's nothing to do."
Mohajir then talked about the importance of student support. "The student body is the heartbeat and soul of this campus." So the goal was to create a new area for student seating which they did in the form of standing room only "wings" to the corners of the north end zone, comparing it to the configuration at the Orlando City stadium.
(Continued in next post)
The UCF athletic director unveiled a grand facilities vision during Thursday's Board of Trustees meeting, which included enhancements to the Bounce House like additional premium seating and a new adjoining football facility.
Login to view embedded media
You can watch Mohajir's presentation (above) which begins at approximately the 2:26:00 mark.
To recap his address to the board:
-Mohajir, who was hired in February to replace the outgoing Danny White, said he and his staff have been working at "warp speed" in their six months on campus.
-In an overview of UCFAA financials, Mohajir stated they finished Fiscal Year 2021 in the black, thanks to the ChargeOn Fund and also because of "Rocky Top," a nod to the buyout money UCF received when Danny White ($2.5M) and Josh Heupel ($3.5M) departed for Tennessee.
They also approved a $73M budget for FY22. He hopes to have a $100M budget in the next five years. "That is our goal and I think that helps us become more attractive than we already are."
-"Championship Resources" has been renamed "ChargeOn Fund." They considered the name "ChargeOn Club," but wanted to be clear that you give to a fund and join a club. They now have a record 8,156 donors. Their goal is reach 10,000 donors by June 2022. Since February 1, UCF has raised $5.5M and added 31 new Shareholders (defined as major gift donors).
-Student-Athlete Success has always been a "passion project" for Mohajir. His goal is 100 percent job placement or graduate school placement for every student-athlete graduate. This year, even coming in late, they will achieve 100 percent. They are also helping the previous year's graduates.
-UCF has posted 27 consecutive semesters of a departmental GPA of 3.0 or above. 287 student-athletes earned All-Academic AAC honors.
-Continuing to recap the spring semester, Mohajir stated two UCF teams made the NCAA Sweet Sixteen (Men's Soccer and Women's Tennis). Four UCF teams won AAC titles (Men's Soccer, Volleyball, Men's Tennis and Women's Tennis). Eight UCF teams competed in the postseason and Women's Track had two student-athletes compete at NCAA Nationals. Freshman Rayniah Jones was second in the nation in the 100-meter hurdles.
-In regards to Brand Advancement, Mohajir stated it's very important for "where we are in the national landscape of conference realignment." Since 2018, UCF has had the ninth-most nationally televised network games trailing only Alabama, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Florida and Auburn, and just ahead of LSU. Network games include national over-the-air telecasts on ABC, Fox, etc.
In regards to Global Exposure, Mohajir explained the difference between "followers" and "engagement." UCF is among the top 10 in engagement on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. "That's what networks are looking for. How do you interact with the community? Eyeballs are absolutely paramount as we go forward."
He added that since August 1, 2017, UCF is No. 1 in engagement rate in FBS football among top 25 brands on Facebook and Instagram and No. 20 on Twitter. Nearly every sport leads the AAC in impressions on Instagram and Twitter. "We have a very active fanbase on Twitter. You may have heard people call it the Twitter Mafia."
-Merchandise Sales: Since 2014, it's just under $8M. "We have one year left on our apparel deal so this is important as we take this to market."
-Mohajir outlined the facility upgrades completed earlier this summer, which includes a refreshed Wayne Densch Sports Center, the replacement of the Nicholson Fieldhouse artificial turf, softball upgrades including renovated locker room, new turf at John Euliano Park in the foul territory and updating the WBB locker room.
The IPF turf was 17 years old, and the turf life should only be 10 years. He knew they had to get that done quickly because it was a injury risk to players. He also added they've replaced the "old yellow" paint on the fieldhouse.
-And now for the facilities vision presentation. He prefaced that their vision will include enhancements for every sport/facility, but today's concept presentation will be geared around football.
Quotes that were displayed and read by Mohajir: "All investments start with an idea. Ideas don't chase money. Money chases idea. Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare."
Their vision is a "one-of-a-kind concept" of a "football campus" that will include housing, nutrition, sports medicine, sports performance, academics and career services all in the same area.
-Next up was the first reveal of conceptual designs (renderings). The first image displayed was an aerial shot showing the Bounce House and facilities, which includes a relocated spot for the planned McNamara Recovery River (new name) and a new South End Zone facility.
In outlining the need for Recovery River, Mohajir name dropped Bo Jackson as a player who benefited from water therapy.
How will these projects be phased in? The first objective will be to shift over the existing fields to make room for Recovery River and an expanded parking lot. "Nicholson Plaza" will be the name as it will become the "front porch" in regards to stadium access.
Mohajir talked about the need to add permanent cold pools for post-practice as currently players "jump in trash cans full of ice."
"CoveGating" will also be a revenue stream for Recovery River, and they will rent it out during the offseason. "Everything here has the ability to generate money except for the player areas."
The second project will be the new stadium/football facility, called the "Launch Club" which celebrates their space heritage. "From that club, you can see the launches from the Space Coast which will be a unique feature that nobody else in the country has. We're trying to be indigenous to who we are."
The football coaches are currently housed in the Wayne Densch Sports Center and they're "on top of each other," Mohajir said, referring to the cramped quarters for an expanded staff. So in this concept, they will move from the WD into the new "Launch Club" area inside the Bounce House. "Every coach in America wants their offices in the stadium." The top level of the building is the actual club for premium seating, but it will double as a lunch/dinner/reception spot that can be rented out. It will also be a built-in "faculty/staff club."
The Launch Club seating will be in a "loge box" configuration, taking up the current location of the upper south end zone.
The coaches' families will also have their own isolated seating area away from the rest of the stadium, so they are not subjected to "comments from fans."
Mohajir, commenting on the beautiful view of one rendering, "who wouldn't want to come here and be a student-athlete?" Then added, "You see some schools building $100M facilities, even in this state. We don't need to do that. You know why? Because there's a lot of things to do here. In those towns, there's nothing to do."
Mohajir then talked about the importance of student support. "The student body is the heartbeat and soul of this campus." So the goal was to create a new area for student seating which they did in the form of standing room only "wings" to the corners of the north end zone, comparing it to the configuration at the Orlando City stadium.
(Continued in next post)
UCF in top 11 for 'Hometown Hero' target Vernell Brown III
- By Brandon
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 10 Replies
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ucf.rivals.com
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UCFSports - Rivals250 recruit Vernell Brown III talks top schools, decision timeline
Blue-chip athlete trips list by three-quarters ahead of spring football.
ucf.rivals.com
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2025 ATH Caden Piening discusses top 10, visits
- By Greg Smith
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 1 Replies
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Caught up with the 2025 ATH on why each school made his top 10 and a found out a couple upcoming visits.
n.rivals.com
Caught up with the 2025 ATH on why each school made his top 10 and a found out a couple upcoming visits.
Rivals.com - 2025 ATH Caden Piening discusses top ten, upcoming visits
2025 ATH Caden Piening cut his list to ten schools and discussed it with Rivals.
n.rivals.com
ARTICLE: This Week in UCF Baseball
- By ucf1
- UCF Fan Forum
- 1 Replies
Citronaut Saturday? More like, Sit-Rain-Out Saturday!
The Knights opened the 2024 college baseball season on Friday, February 16th, with a thrilling back-and-forth affair resulting in a 12-11 over the Bryant Bulldogs. The winner of the next two games? Mother Nature.
Click here to read more about the week ahead for UCF Baseball ... from Michael Theed for the Sons of UCF.
www.sonsofucf.com
The Knights opened the 2024 college baseball season on Friday, February 16th, with a thrilling back-and-forth affair resulting in a 12-11 over the Bryant Bulldogs. The winner of the next two games? Mother Nature.
Click here to read more about the week ahead for UCF Baseball ... from Michael Theed for the Sons of UCF.
This Week in UCF Baseball
Sons of UCF is the brainchild of Adam Eaton and Michael Espinosa, two long-time friends and UCF alums, who also host the wildly popular Sons of UCF podcast.
www.sonsofucf.com
OT: Apple launches Apple Sports App, complete with betting odds and live streaming connections
- By Knight_Light
- The Dungeon - Knights Only
- 1 Replies
In addition to betting odds, this new app is suppose to work seamlessly with Aplle TV+ so you can go from this app into live streaming of said game.
Introducing Apple Sports, a new app for sports fans
Apple today introduced Apple Sports, a free app for iPhone that gives sports fans access to real-time scores, stats, and more.
www.apple.com