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College football 2018 preview: 15 freshmen poised to make instant impact

By Cody Williams

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - MAY 26: Trevor Lawrence of Clemson University poses for portraits at Steve Clarkson's 14th Annual Quarterback Retreat on May 26, 2018 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - MAY 26: Trevor Lawrence of Clemson University poses for portraits at Steve Clarkson's 14th Annual Quarterback Retreat on May 26, 2018 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) /
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PALO ALTO, CA – SEPTEMBER 12: A detailed view of a fooball helmet belonging to the UCF Knights on the sidelines against the Stanford Cardinal during an NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on September 12, 2015 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA – SEPTEMBER 12: A detailed view of a fooball helmet belonging to the UCF Knights on the sidelines against the Stanford Cardinal during an NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on September 12, 2015 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

9. Eriq Gilyard, OLB, UCF

Despite the fact that they ultimately went undefeated last season, including their exhilarating victory over Auburn in the Peach Bowl, the UCF Knights still aren’t a team that’s going to recruit with the other elite programs throughout the country.

That’s even more so the case when you factor in that head coach Scott Frost is now in Lincoln coaching the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the immediate future. As such, they might not be a team that you’re expecting to see on this list, but here we are.

The Knights didn’t bring in any 4-or 5-star recruits in this class, with their highest recruits being only 3-star guys. While they had several players at that level to give them the 70th-best class in the country, they certainly need their top guys of the class to contribute in a big way. One such player is Eriq Gilyard.

A 3-star outside linebacker coming out of Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Gilyard is a bit undersized as he measures in at 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds. However, he appears to be a high-level athlete that has all the physical tools to mask his size limitations and allow him to make plays on defense. That’s good because UCF will need him to do that.

With Shaquem Griffin now gone, there are serious questions about how the Knights front seven will perform in 2018. Gilyard will have a big role in answering those questions as he has the talent to see the field right away. Expecting him to be Griffin right away is a tough ask, but if he can just contribute positively, it’ll make the team’s losses seem less crippling than they otherwise would.