UCF Player Profile: DE Josh Celiscar
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At the conclusion of the 2021 season, the UCF Knights lost edge defender Big Kat Bryant (Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys). Gone with his departure would be 52 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss and six sacks.
Like with any other offseason, UCF must find players to help fill the production that goes with losing a primary defender.
Playing on the opposite edge from Bryant last season, this young defender started to emerge. Now, can he step up his game and be a more versatile defender and impact games even more?
Josh Celiscar
Size: 6’4”, 265 pounds
Position: Defensive End/BUCK
Year: Junior
2021 Statistics
39 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks begin Celiscar’s stat line. He was also credited with seven quarterback hurries and one forced fumble.
During Celiscar’s freshman season in 2020, he contributed 16 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He also had one quarterback pressure, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.
Primary Role
Celiscar played the strong side end last season, the power defensive end. That spot often lines up to the strong side of the offensive formation and/or plays to the tight end side. He will do the same in 2022.
No question, Celiscar is certainly physical and athletic enough to play that role again in 2022, but that does not mean he cannot play the standup defensive end position as well.
Playing BUCK
Where Bryant played on the opposite side, the BUCK position as it’s called by UCF, Celiscar is physically capable of playing that role as well. It’s more of a true pass rushing role, but one that still must adhere to gap-responsibility principles that all defenders are responsible for.
Tre’mon Morris-Brash will take over the BUCK starting role this season, but he cannot take all the reps. Whenever Morris-Brash comes out of the game, UCF Defensive Coordinator Travis Williams needs to be able to count on Celiscar to slide over and play Morris-Brash’s spot, if needed.
Rising senior Landon Woodson had one heck of a spring game for UCF, and he’s probably going to be the primary backup for Morris-Brash because he's earned those reps with his overall play. Kentucky transfer K.D. McDaniel can play this position, too. That does not mean both are healthy and available each time Morris-Brash comes out of the lineup. Enter Celiscar.
The Knights not only need Celiscar to play BUCK this fall, they need him to excel at it, even if it ends up being just 10% of the snaps he takes. That position often dictates wins and losses. It’s that important because the opposing quarterback must fear being hit, plain and simple. Otherwise, today's talented signal callers will pick a defense a part.
Celiscar only recorded three sacks last season, all of them coming from games three through five, the Louisville, Navy and East Carolina contests. That means he went eight consecutive games without a sack. If he’s to play BUCK this fall, he must improve as a pass rusher.
Maybe it’s more pass rushing moves, more film study. Whatever the case, the Knights need Celiscar to bring down the opposing signal caller more often.
Part of his sack drought was the emergence of Morris-Brash, too. He came on strong during the backhalf of the season, but now Celiscar needs to make that jump in his junior season much like Morris-Brash did during his junior season.
Production
While statistics are not everything, Celiscar’s snaps will increase this fall and so too should his production. Sacks obviously need to increase. Going over 50 tackles and producing 10 or more tackles for loss are also obtainable statistics.
There’s one more area that Celiscar needs to be associated with.
Leadership
During spring practice, it was obvious that Celiscar was taking on a bigger role. Not on the field only, but one off the gridiron as well. Communication with other players including but not limited to holding other players to a standard.
It’s an intangible role, but vital. He’s also now one of the veterans. Celiscar must be a player that his teammates can come to and discuss football as well as other topics young student-athletes go through.
Being accountable in those areas does not show up in the stat sheet, but it’s just as important for UCF Football as a whole and the players individually.
Overall, Celiscar has to improve in a variety of ways, but that’s college football. It’s not unusual for a player to be asked to make adjustments like he’s likely to be making this season. He’s more than capable of handling the responsibilities and he should have a big junior season.
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