UCF senior running back Greg McCrae announced on Tuesday he is declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft.
“The last 4 years have been nothing short of amazing,” McCrae wrote in the statement posted to social media. “Coming to UCF has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. The love, support, and dedication I have received from the UCF community and the city of Orlando are things I will forever cherish.”
“With that being said, I will be declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft to pursue my dreams,” McCrae said. “I look forward to representing the University of Central Florida in a positive manner and making UCF and Knight Nation proud. Thank you for everything…”
McCrae currently holds UCF’s career record and ranks third in FBS among active players with a yard-per-carry average of 6.55. The senior running back ranks fourth all-time at UCF with 28 career touchdowns since 2017, and ranks him fifth all-time at UCF with 2,543 rushing yards.
Knight News previously reported that as a freshman walk-on, McCrae said he couldn’t have imagined he would have such an impact on the UCF football team.
“I never imagined all the things that would have happened, all the success of the program and being part of the program,” he said in November. “I just wanted to be part of a team and I ended up being part of a family.”
Majoring in sports and exercise science, McCrae has been with UCF since being a true freshman at the start of the 2017 season — he had a career-high of eight carries to total 27 yards against Austin Peay, and totaled 151 yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns throughout the 2017 season.
As a sophomore, McCrae scored ten touchdowns and totaled 1,182 yards on the ground on 133 touches with nine touchdowns, he led the team in net rushing yards, yards per carry, rushing touchdowns and rushing yards per game during the Knights’ 2018 season.
McCrae became the first 1,000-yard rusher since Storm Johnson in 2013, and scored a season-long 36 yard pass from former UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton against UConn.
In the 2019 season, McCrae added nine receptions for 64 yards, averaged 5.4 yards per carry, and contributed 529 rushing yards on 98 attempts with seven rushing touchdowns.
He rushed 10 times for 56 yards with a 25-yard score against FAMU and rushed 14 times for 80 yards and a 26-yard score against Marshall in the 2019 Gasparilla Bowl. McCrae earned honorable mention all-conference honors from Pro Football Focus for the 2019-2020 season.
During his senior year, McCrae ranked No. 22 in the nation with nine rushing touchdowns, averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 75.7 yards per game, and rushed 131 times for a team-high 681 yards and team-best nine touchdowns during the Knights’ 2020 season.
McCrae was named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List, and to the CFPA National Performer of the Year watchlist. McCrae was also in the preseason third-team all-conference in The American for the 2020-2021 season.
“The lessons I have learned here will come with me wherever I go, and I will strive to represent this illustrious institution in everything I do in my future endeavors,” McCrae said.
In his statement posted Tuesday afternoon, McCrae thanked past and present coaches for giving him the opportunity to succeed but also showed gratitude toward his family and teammates.
“To my family, I thank you for being my support system and always helping me keep my vision clear. Lastly to my brothers at UCF, I cherish every moment we have spent on and off that field, every game, every practice, and every rep was never taken for granted. I love you guys and appreciate you for allowing me to go to war with you every day.”
Check back with Knight News on this developing story.
