Eight offensive guards from UCF’s FBS era made the Daytona News-Journal’s 105-man all-time Knights roster, a list that stretches across 30 years of program history and includes players who didn’t necessarily finish their careers in Orlando.
The group reflects just how many interior linemen have left a mark on the Black and Gold, from NFL draft picks to longtime college starters and players who carved out success in other leagues.
Josh Sitton stands out as one of the headline names. He was a central piece of UCF’s first conference championship in 2007, helping clear the way for Kevin Smith, who finished that season 62 yards shy of Barry Sanders’ NCAA single-season rushing record of 2,628. Sitton, a 6-foot-3 guard, also earned First-team All-Conference USA honors that year before the Green Bay Packers took him with the 135th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
Jordan McCray also earned a place on the list after a strong UCF career. He was named First-team All-AAC in 2013 and signed with the Packers after going undrafted in 2014.
The twin brother of Justin McCray, he later joined his brother in Green Bay, though his biggest pro success came elsewhere. McCray won an IFL championship in 2021 and a USFL championship in 2022.
Marcus Jenkins was part of the line that protected Daunte Culpepper in the late 1990s, when Culpepper went on to break nearly every record held by Darin Slack. Ryan Gillis was on the other side of that same protection scheme, and his UCF story carried its own remarkable twist: he earned a sixth year of eligibility after overcoming melanoma and having a baseball-sized tumor removed from his shoulder.
Cole Schneider was a fixture for the Knights from 2017 through 2021. His UCF run brought a steady stream of recognition, including second-team All-AAC honors from Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Network, honorable mention All-AAC recognition from the league’s coaches, and third-team All-AAC honors from Phil Steele. The Packers signed him as an undrafted free agent, and he later built a stable career in the USFL and UFL, winning back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2025.
Lokahi Pauole also stacked up conference honors over time. He was honorable mention All-AAC in 2020, second-team All-AAC in 2021, first-team All-AAC in 2022 and honorable mention All-Big 12 in 2023.
Nick Pieschel rounded out the group. After redshirting as a true freshman in 2007, he became a regular starter the next season and went on to start 43 games at UCF. His accolades included All-Conference USA Honorable Mention in 2010 and All-C-USA Second Team in 2011.
In Other News...
UCF Suddenly Faces A Huge Frontcourt Question Again
UCFs frontcourt picture just got a little murkier, and it revolves around a familiar face. Senior forward Jamichael Stillwell is one of 16 college athletes in Georgia suing the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility under the associations new 5 for 5 rule, a challenge that could keep his college career going beyond what the current clock says.
The argument centers on whether his junior college seasons should count against that limit, and the case matters to UCF because the Knights reportedly have a roster spot waiting if he gets the green light. Stillwell was a productive piece in his lone season in Orlando, so the outcome of the lawsuit could end up shaping not just his future, but the way UCF fills out its frontcourt heading into next season. [Read more 🡒]
Andrew Williamson Just Delivered A Huge UCF Baseball Milestone
Andrew Williamsons draft day gave UCF baseball a jolt of validation, with the outfielder becoming the programs highest selection in two decades and only the second Knights player ever taken in the second round. It was the kind of milestone that reflects more than one players rise, because it also put another bright spotlight on a UCF program that has been trying to turn consistent development into national recognition.
The draft board kept moving for the Knights after Williamson came off it, as pitcher Braden Smith and outfielder John Smith III were also selected later on. For UCF, that kind of multiple-player haul matters just as much as the headline pick, because it underscores how much talent was on this roster and how quickly the next wave of questions arrives about what the program will look like after losing so much of it. [Read more 🡒]