Bruce Miller is arguably the best player on UCF’s defense. Now, he’s been recognized as one of the best defensive players in the nation.
Miller was named to the national Watch List for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is given annually to the nation’s top defensive player.
The Knights’ defensive end enters the 2010 season as the nation’s career leader in sacks (27) and career tackles for loss (44). He has already been named to several preseason All-American teams.
In 2009, Miller had one of the best years for a defensive player in program history. He recorded 13 sacks and 18 tackles for loss on his way to winning the 2009 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Miller isn’t just in the top of the nation with his career sacks, but he’s near the best in the state of Florida as well. His 27 career sacks tie UF’s Alonzo Johnson for the ninth-most ever by an FBS player in the state.
Miller helped the Knights to the No. 4-ranked defense in the nation in 2009.
He is responsible for arguably the play that turned the Knights season around, forcing a fumble against Marshall quarterback Brian Anderson in the fourth quarter of a home game on Nov. 1 that helped the Knights grab the come-from-behind victory.
Yahoo! ranks UCF tops in East
Coming off an 8-5 season and a trip to their third bowl game in school history — a 45-24 loss to Rutgers — the Knights received some recognition for their upcoming squad.
In its college football preview magazine released Tuesday, Yahoo! Sports ranked UCF as the best team in Conference USA’s East Division — second in the conference behind Houston — and 51st best in the country.
The magazine, released annually, also selected as the Nov. 5 contest between the Knights and the Cougars as the the game of the year for C-USA.
That late-season matchup will pit UCF against the team it upset last season for the Knights’ first victory against a ranked team, and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
Cashman adds two recruits
UCF tennis head coach Brian Cashman added two more talented players to an already impressive recruiting class.
Francesc Aulina of Spain and Leonel Vivas of Venezuela will join the Knights’ roster in the fall.
Aulina was recently ranked in the top 150 in the Spanish men’s open national rankings, and Vivas was ranked as high as No. 2 in Venezuela in the boys 16s and the boys 18s junior rankings when he was in the country.
UCF’s recruiting class, which includes such names as Matthew Zachary and Matthew Gladstone, was recently listed as the No. 26 class in the country by tennisrecruiting.net.