UCF and Gators both in top 25

USA Today has Knights at No. 17, Gators eighth in preseason poll.

UCF is ranked No. 17 in the preseason USA Today coaches’ football poll despite kicking off preseason camp this week with an open starting quarterback race.

The Knights, who have won 25 of their past 26 games, are the only team outside of a Power 5 conference ranked in the top 25.

Elsewhere, the Florida Gators were ranked No. 8.

No other team from the state of Florida earned a spot in the top 25.

UCF tied with Wisconsin for the No. 17 spot, thanks to sustained success and an array of returning talent on both sides of the ball. But the Knights still have a starting quarterback race to resolve.

Heisman Trophy candidate McKenzie Milton suffered a severe leg injury during the 2018 regular-season finale and is serving as a volunteer coach while he recovers. Darriel Mack Jr., who helped UCF rally for a win in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game and has a 2-1 record as a starter, suffered a broken ankle during the offseason.

Notre Dame graduate transfer Brandon Wimbush is expected to take over as the starter, although Wimbush was quick to say he believes he opened camp at the start of a competition with redshirt freshman Quadry Jones and true freshman Dillon Gabriel that is far from over.

The Gators closed the 2018 season on a fourgame win streak, with quarterback Feleipe Franks taking control of the offense. UF boasts returning talent at most positions entering coach Dan Mullen’s second season and is embracing championship expectations.

The Gators are in the coaches’ preseason top 10 for the first time since 2013 (No. 10). It is UF’s highest coaches’ poll preseason ranking since 2010 (No. 4).

At the top of the poll, reigning national champion Clemson was ranked No. 1 and got 59 firstplace votes, while Alabama was No. 2 and got six first-place votes.

Georgia and Oklahoma rounded out the top four.