UCF Player Profile: Center Matt Lee
Continuing with the offensive line for UCF Knights player profiles, the following returning starter is one of the most important players on the entire team. Here is a closer look at his career to date and what to expect from him and the Knights this fall.
Matt Lee
Size: 6’4”, 295-pounds
Position: Center
Year: Redshirt-Junior
Running the Football
As noted in yesterday’s article about Lokahi Pauole, UCF’s rushing attack is the backbone of the offense. Lee lines up next to Pauole and helps fortify the middle of the line. With as much as UCF runs the football between the A gaps, he’s a vital cog to keep the running game working at a highly efficient level. Lee is an experienced center with 22 starts over the course of the past two seasons, so he understands how important it is to protect right up the middle.
Most notably, Lee must snap and then take on a player that’s give or take 300-pounds. Not easy, not one bit. His biggest challenge is still done before the ball is snapped regardless of whether the play call is a run or pass.
Making Calls
Understanding the nuances of the defensive front, tendencies for an opposing defense depending on down and distance, those aspects of playing center matter because Lee might need to change the protection, or maybe even signal to change the direction of the play.
That requires quite a bit of film study. A quality center can make a couple of changes in a game that completely changes the outcome of a play, and sometimes, the outcome of a game.
Technician
Once Lee snaps the football to the quarterback and goes to block, he’s fun to watch. A good lower body base helps him create power through contact, and he’s good at sliding left or right to protect his gap. Lee has quick hands that attack a defender instead of being reactive, too.
Continued Improvement
Lee needs to continue to stay the course and learn offensive line technique. There’s never really a time when an offensive lineman should not be learning, i.e. hand placement, kick step, etc. Lee is no different.
As a goal, creating more second-level openings for the likes of running backs like Isaiah Bowser, Johnny Richardson and Mark Antony-Richards should be a focus. The Knights are loaded in the backfield. If there is a crease that allows a UCF running back space before going one-on-one with a linebacker, more often than not this group is going to win that battle and create big plays.
2022 Projection
There’s a reason that Lee is projected as a second team All-AAC member by Athlon. He’s earned it. Now, his objective will be to surpass that projection and be a first team member.
There’s no reason to believe Lee will not achieve that goal. He’s a very good football player and one that UCF is fortunate to have back for the 2022 college football season.
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