Torell Troup, DT

Although Torell changed his last name from Johnson to Troup for his last two seasons at UCF to honor the reemergence of his father into his family's life, it wasn't hard for scouts or opposing offenses to find his big body in the middle of the field.

He earned second-team All-Conference USA accolades each of the past two seasons, first making 52 tackles, 12.5 for loss and two sacks as a junior on the Conference USA championship team. Those numbers were down a bit last fall (35-5-2) due to receiving more double-teams, but coaches recognized his ability to lead a rushing defense ranked in the top five nationally and take pressure off pass-rushing DEs Bruce Miller (13 sacks) and Jarvis Geathers (11).

It's hard for teams to find nose tackles with Troup's size, strength and motor in the middle rounds of the draft, so don't be surprised if he is selected earlier than many project.

Pass rush: Bull rusher who often pushes his man (or a double-team when fresh) to collapse the pocket using leverage. Able to rip off blocks, punch and swim over the top, or even get under the arm of guards to pressure the quarterback if he hangs onto the ball too long. Limited burst; will provide some heat but not many sacks. Sits on many obvious passing situations.

Run defense: Stands his ground against single and double blocks using his girth and strength, although he lacks the quickness to split the double. Can be violent with hands to free himself. Able to sift through trash inside to get to ballcarrier. Moves laterally while engaged to stay in the play. Needs improvement avoiding and recovering from cut blocks.

Explosion: Quick and powerful off the snap, penetrating easily against man-up blocks. Good balance after initial contact, keeping pads low and moving forward. Loses steam coming off the ball throughout the game.

Strength: Very strong player; prime nose tackle candidate. Uses a low center of gravity and thick upper body to gain leverage. Able to stack his man and disengage to chase the quarterback or wrap up ballcarriers.

Tackling: Has length and upper-body strength to bring down most any player in his immediate area. Willing to chase down players but lacks burst to track them down from behind without help or consistently make tackles outside the box. Doesn't change directions easily, and can be eluded in space. Must keep his feet moving instead of relying on his strength to make arm tackles.

Intangibles: Hard-working, unselfish leader with a quiet sensibility. Consistently gives good effort inside whether rushing the passer or stopping the run. No major character issues. Worked off 30 pound of weight during his career to gain stamina, although he still carries extra around his midsection.

A two-time All-Conference USA pick as a double-team devouring nose tackle, allowing UCF to post some spectacular team defensive numbers … Started 39 of his 47 career games played and 105 tackles, 24 of which were for a loss … Team captain as a senior helping the Knights to a St. Petersburg Bowl bid … Was also a starter on UCF's 2007 Conference USA Championship team which played in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl … Selected to play in the East-West Shrine game after the season.

A team captain … Voted onto the All-Conference USA Second Team … Started all 13 games at defensive tackle … Helped the Knights lead C-USA in rushing defense for the second consecutive season and post C-USA's top total defense … Made a season-high five tackles at Southern Miss (Sept. 12) … One of his four stops at eventual C-USA Champion East Carolina (Sept. 26) was a sack … Recorded four solo tackles and broke up a pass against Miami (Oct. 17) … Made a sack and tackles three in UCF's nationally-televised win against Marshall (Nov. 1) … Contributed a TFL and a PBU to UCF's upset of No. 13 Houston (Nov. 14).

Voted onto the All-Conference USA Second Team … Made starts in all 12 games consistently being disruptive at his defensive tackle spot … Second on the team in tackles for a loss (12.5) … Created trouble vs. USF (Sept. 6), totaling four tackles including two tackles for a loss, as well as an 8-yard sack … Pressured UTEP (Sept. 27) with his eight total tackles, two of which went for a loss of 15 yards, and also forced a fumble … Congested the middle vs. SMU (Oct. 4), forcing two tackles for a loss and a QB hurry … Made five total tackles vs. Tulsa (Oct. 26) … Dominating performance vs. Southern Miss (Nov. 8), finishing with seven tackles, 2.5 for a loss and assisted on a sack … Also had a QB hurry as well as a pass break-up vs. the Golden Eagles … Totaled seven tackles in win vs. Marshall (Nov. 15), one for a loss … Finished the win at Memphis (Nov. 22) with four tackles including 1.5 for a loss … Accumulated four solo tackles vs. UAB (Nov. 29).

Made 11 starts and appeared in all 14 games at defensive tackle … Picked up three tackles, including one for a loss, in a 25-23 win at NC State (Sept. 1) … Notched two solo tackles vs. No. 6 Texas (Sept. 15) … Picked up two takedowns and a sack for a loss of five yards in a victory vs. Louisiana (Sept. 29) … Recorded two tackles at East Carolina (Oct. 6) … Started at left tackle at USF (Oct. 13) … Saw time vs. Tulsa (Oct. 20) … Collected two tackles in the victory at Southern Miss (Oct. 28) … Made an appearance vs. Marshall (Nov. 3) … Posted a tackle at UAB (Nov. 10) … Finished the win at SMU (Nov. 17) with three tackles, including one for a loss of three yards … Assisted on a tackle for loss against UTEP (Nov. 24) … Posted a solo stop in the victory over Tulsa in the C-USA Championship Game (Dec. 1) and in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. Mississippi State (Dec. 29).

Made his Knight debut against Southern Miss (Sept. 26) … Saw action in nine games, including three starts at defensive tackle … Made the first start of his career against Pitt (Oct. 13) … Registered his first tackle at Houston (Oct. 28) in his second start … Started the season finale against UAB (Nov. 25) and made the first solo tackle of his career.

Three-year letterman at Salem High School for head coach Frank Caputo … High school teammate of current Knight Jayson Williams … Two-time first-team all-state performer as a junior and senior … Named first-team all-area as a junior and senior … 36th-ranked prospect in the state of Georgia in the preseason according to Rivals.com … First-team all-North Georgia defensive tackle … Named Atlanta Touchdown Club Player of the Week during senior campaign … Finished senior season with 96 total tackles (50 solo stops), six tackles for loss and three sacks.

Troup is the son of Tory Troup and Lashana Johnson … Majoring in Interpersonal Organizational Communication … Played under the name Torrell Johnson during his first two seasons with the Knights.