then its looking at next year, as I feel Frost was/is over rated.
Frost took a very talented UCF playerset and changed everything. You've gotta understand 2015 was a fluke on George O'Learly (GOL) could have created, with a Head-Coach-in-Waiting (HCiW) situation as an OC that was clearly out-of-his-depth.
GOL-OC combo ended up using games as practice, and didn't try to win. They were ball-control, run-heavy, by default. UCF's previous OC, Taffe (former HC at Maryland) had retired.
So under Frost, it took a season (2016) for it to come together, as the switch from pro-set/ball-control to open up the run with the pass (still 60% run), veer'n shoot, was made. But make no mistake, a lot of the guys on the 2016-2017 teams were also on the 2013-2014 teams as well, and Frost new this.
Understand George O'Leary had some killer recruiting classes after 2010, and even more so after 2013. Frost continued them. Heupel is doing more of the same. But there is a limit for a G5 when it comes to talent they can draw, even a top G5 like UCF.
do you people like your recruits this year
UCF has been recruiting around ~#50 throughout this decade, especially as UCF overtook Miami as the #3 team in the state where people state their #1 team (not just UCF as their #2 or #3 team).
UCF's TV ratings have been good enough to be the Big XII median since 2013 as well. They are now good enough to be #3 in the Big XII. So that's helping infiltrate Florida recruiting as well. But there will be a limit, being a G5, at top 40 or so.
The key is to find 3 star talent that is overlooked because of various factors, like height or weight, or big men (for the lines) that are 2 star talent, and just need to be developed. There's a lot of them in Florida! We also get a lot of former Florida HS players via the JUCO route or transfers from P5s.
UCF has had massive success with the O-line, D-line and TEs in this regard, as well as some LBs from time-to-time. Coverage LBs are an option for some teams, and our 3-4 in 2016-2017 was a perfect example.
and any thoughts on next years team as I don't know how many starters return.
thx in advance.
UCF lost 7 starters last year (4 D and 3 O, IIRC) -- 6 are now playing on Sundays (4 drafted, 2 free agents).
UCF loses around another 7-8 this year. We'll lose some more WR talent, and our TEs will all be new ... plus both our K and P (but we've got people behind htem).
On offense, the level of depth UCF has at almost every position, short of QB, is unreal. The biggest headache for defenses is that no one can key in on any one player, other than the QB. This gets overlooked.
E.g., McGowan was RB #1 last year, and was injured almost the entire season, and our #2 RB ended up transferring after last year. So we ended up playing RB #3, and a converted WR to RB #4.
I'd say the TEs, even though we have a couple redshirted (IIRC), and the Kicker/Punter, even though we're in the same basket (we're not recruiting more).
