ORLANDO, Fla. – The UCF Knights had one of the most memorable seasons in college-football history last year, and that was partly due to their nation-leading offense. In 2017, the Knights scored 48.2 points per game behind breakout performances by players like quarterback McKenzie Milton and his receiving corps.

But the unsung heroes was a group that was considered a weakness for the Knights entering the 2017 campaign: the offensive linemen.

They held 13 opponents to 13 total sacks, tied for the fifth-fewest in the country, in an undefeated season, allowing Milton to record numbers worthy of four first-place Heisman Trophy votes.

In the Knights’ third season in a fast-paced offense, the O-line is just as important to a new staff under first-year head coach Josh Heupel.

“Still got a lot of growth,” Heupel said after practice on April 9. “I think continuing to build depth up front is critical… I think if we continue to develop depth at that position, then it’s got a chance to be a really strong unit for us next fall.”

Apart from seniors Aaron Evans and Chavis Dickey, UCF returns the core of its O-line group. Additionally, the Knights will also likely have a healthy Tyler Hudanick. Hudanick had been nursing injuries since the 2016 season but played sparingly in eight games last season.

He’ll join a host of returners in rising redshirt senior Wyatt Miller, rising sophomore Samuel Jackson and rising junior Jordan Johnson. In total, they combined for 48 games played.

Transfers Parker Boudreaux and Trevor Elbert will be available to play, too. Elbert, who arrived in January, has “dramatically changed his body,” Heupel said, as it’s helped him become more mobile. Elbert is listed at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds.

For offensive-line coach Glen Elarbee, the value of having depth at O-line resides in the amount of wear and tear it removes from his players.

“It’s a long season. Guys are going [to end] up having to play,” Elarbee said after practice on April 11. “The amount of snaps that you take–I mean, you’re talking 90 to 100 snaps a game. If a guy can go in–even if it’s, you know…just 10 to 15 snaps a game, shoot, you’re looking at 150 to 180 snaps in a year that you’re taking off another guy.

“That’s like playing two football games. It’s like getting to play a 10-game season versus a 12-game season, and you’ve gotta be able to develop that once a half or twice a half a guy can roll in there and keep you fresh for the fourth quarter, keep you fresh for the end of the year.”

Johnson sees depth on the O-line as a common denominator among some of the best schools in the country.

“I think that depth will always be a key factor,” Johnson said after practice on April 11. “You look at the big schools, like [the University of] Alabama, Auburn [University]…the difference [with] them…is the depth that they have…

“Like, their second team is just as good as their first team. So, depth is gonna be a key factor for us going in the future.”

While Elarbee said the Knights’ communication is the quality about last year’s group he liked most, he’s still seeking more-physical play. He doesn’t consider his group’s current physicality a deficiency, though. After all, UCF’s 2017 squad held teams without a sack until Week 6 and recorded the 10th-best passing offense.

Though, that’s where the disparity lies. While the Knights’ offense was of top-10 caliber, their rushing game didn’t even break the top 25. UCF ranked 33rd in rushing offense, averaging 198.69 yards per game.

Perhaps UCF’s emphasis on improved physicality will lend itself to an improved run game.

“Physicality is a key factor, as well as competitive spirit. And Coach Elarbee tries to tell us to be [as] physical as possible,” Johnson said. “Go out there, and try to maul a guy; try to everything loose, and just go as hard as you can. And then spring back to the line, and do it again.”

The Knights will see if their physicality has improved when they play their spring game on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Spectrum Stadium.

Edits Log:

• 4/18/18, 6:59 p.m.: Fixed a factual error regarding offensive lineman Jake Brown, who is no longer with the team. He has been removed from this story.

For more on the Knights, as they look for more options on the offensive line, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com.