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UCF Knights, Guz Malzhan secure SEC wide receiver transfer

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•01/12/22•

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On3 image
UCF Knights head coach Guz Malzahn during pregame warmups against the Bethune Cookman Wildcats. (Alex Menendez/Getty Images)

Since Guz Malzhan took over as the head coach of the UCF Knights, the pipeline from Auburn has been strong. On Wednesday, another former Tiger announced he would be heading to Orlando to play for their old coach.

Wide receiver Kobe Hudson announced he would be transferring to UCF according to Matt Zenitz of On3. Hudson was one of Auburn’s top receivers last season, having 44 catches for 580 yards and four touchdowns. He entered the portal on Jan. 4. Head coach Bryan Harsin now has to search to replace one of his best receivers.

Hudson made an impact for the Tigers in their Birmingham Bowl loss to Houston. He was the team’s leading receiver, going for 57 yards on four catches while scoring the offense’s sole touchdown of the afternoon.

There was some controversy surrounding Hudson leaving The Plains, where he claimed via an Instagram story he was kicked off the team by head coach Bryan Harsin. He quickly deleted the post and there was not much more information released.

UCF Knights land Virginia OL transfer

After almost a month in the NCAA transfer portal, former Virginia starting offensive lineman Ryan Swoboda has his new home. The Windermere, Florida, native announced that he is heading back to the Sunshine State to play for Gus Malzahn and the UCF Knights.

At 6-foot-10, 325 pounds, the experienced senior was a hot commodity on the market. During his time in the transfer portal, Swoboda received interest from Penn State, Miami, FSU and Mississippi State, among others.

As the move from Virginia to UCF is the first transfer of his career, Swoboda will be immediately eligible to play in 2022.

Swoboda came to Virginia from the Class of 2017 and has anchored the Cavaliers’ offensive line the last two seasons. He’s a big part of Virginia’s pass protection, which allowed Brennan Armstrong to throw for 404.5 yards per game this season — a mark that ranked second in the nation.

Last year, he won ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors once and helped Virginia become the No. 1-ranked offensive line in the ACC. However, the line took a step back this year, allowing six sacks per game compared to two sacks per contest in 2020.