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College football rankings: Post-spring Top 25 – Clemson, Alabama vie for top spot

By Cody Williams

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts against the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts against the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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ORLANDO, FL – DECEMBER 01: UCF Knights quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the AAC Championship football game between the visiting Memphis Tigers and the UCF Knights on December 1, 2018, at Spectrum Stadium in Orlando, FL. (Photo by Joe Petro/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL – DECEMBER 01: UCF Knights quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the AAC Championship football game between the visiting Memphis Tigers and the UCF Knights on December 1, 2018, at Spectrum Stadium in Orlando, FL. (Photo by Joe Petro/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
  • Notable Losses: Wyatt Miller, A.J. Wooten, Kyle Gibson, Titus Davis, Pat Jasinski, Rashard Causey
  • Notable Returners: Darriel Mack Jr., McKenzie Milton*, Adrian Killins Jr., Nate Evans, Dredrick Nelson, Gabriel Davis, Richie Grant
  • 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 57th

The UCF Knights will no longer have a winning streak hanging over them as Josh Heupel leads them into the 2019 season, his second as head coach with the program. After 25 straight victories, UCF finally was reminded what it’s like to be on the wrong side of the scoreboard as they fell to LSU in the Fiesta Bowl. Despite that, things still look promising for the Knights heading into a new season.

There is a glut of talent at the quarterback position now for UCF. The future of McKenzie Milton following a gruesome knee injury at the end of the 2018 season is completely uncertain. If he can return, he’s proven to be a leader, gamer and stud on the field. If not, the Knights still have Darriel Mack Jr., who filled in beautifully when Milton went down, and Brandon Wimbush, who transferred from Notre Dame this offseason.

One big shortcoming of the Knights in 2018 was their play on the defensive side of the ball, but even with that, they lost five defensive starters, three from the line from 2018 heading into 2019. However, with a recruiting class headlined by their signees on that side of the ball and with potential Day 1 starters coming from transfers, UCF should again be the top Group of 5 team in the country.

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