Although Central Florida quarterback Jeff Godfrey started all 12 games for the Knights this season -- which resulted in a very disappointing 5-7 finish -- it appears the sophomore’s days in Orlando are done.
Godfrey’s father, Jeff Sr., confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel that his son would transferring from UCF. The transfer is reportedly conditional, as he will not be allowed to go to a Big East or Conference USA program, according to Godfrey’s father.
An official UCF release that came out earlier this afternoon states only that Godfrey is ineligible for the spring semester. No other details were given other than the move is not NCAA related. The NCAA had been investigating the recruiting tactics of the football and basketball programs.
Godfrey had a breakout freshman year in which he earned Conference USA Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-America honors, but struggled mightily this season, throwing for five touchdowns and five interceptions. Godfrey ended up sharing time with fellow quarterback Blake Bortles.
Godfrey’s dad goes through an entire tirade in the Sentinel’s article if you’re amused by angry parents. Below is just a snippet:His father began questioning UCF’s play calling during the Knights’ 17-10 loss at FIU.
“Jeff told me he couldn’t check out plays and they kept wanting him to run play action,” Jeff Godfrey Sr. said. “He’d snap the ball and two seconds later he was running for his life. The offensive line wasn’t protecting him and the coaches weren’t doing enough, calling the right plays, to help him win.”
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Jeff Godfrey Sr. said the UTEP game was the final straw for his son, who struggled with the decision to walk away from the school and fans he loved. Jeff Godfrey started against the Miners, but he was pulled from the game on the final play of the first quarter and did not return to the lineup.
“My wife couldn’t watch the game and left at halftime,” Jeff Godfrey Sr. said. “I couldn’t believe it. By the time the fourth quarter came, I actually walked down there close the sideline, and my son looked at me. I looked at him, and he said, `Dad, it’s over. It’s a wrap. I can’t deal with this.’”
The quarterback and his father visited O’Leary the next day to discuss the sophomore’s future with the program.
“He told me Jeff couldn’t get the ball down the field,” Jeff Godfrey Sr. said. “That was unbelievable to me. He broke the [Miami-]Dade County passing record in high school, led you to a championship and won the Liberty Bowl and now he can’t pass the ball? Unbelievable. … He said Jeff couldn’t read defenses. He has been reading defenses since the eighth grade.”
Okay then.
There were apparently other factors that contributed to Godfrey’s decision to leave as well. UCF receivers coach David Kelly resigned last month in the midst of that NCAA investigation, and Kelly and Godfrey were reportedly very close. The elder Godfrey, again, goes off on O’Leary, claiming he was never given an explanation as to why Kelly resigned. Godfrey Sr. also claims his son was demoted to the No. 2 QB spot suddenly and without warning following Kelly’s resignation.
In any case, it sounds like a nasty situationn. It’s probably a good thing Godfrey’s moving on with his football career somewhere else far away from UCF.