O’Leary: Godfrey wants to rejoin Knights

Maybe the Jeff Godfrey era isn’t over.

A day after Godfrey tweeted his intention of attending the UCF Spring Game this Saturday, UCF head coach George O’Leary addressed the growing rumors surrounding the former Knight’s desire to return to the program.

“Jeff called me Saturday night about 9:15,” O’Leary said. “I didn’t get the phone but he left a message saying that he wanted to visit with me. … I already visited with him once about him wanting to come back.”

In 2010, Godfrey led the Knights to a Liberty Bowl win against Georgia as a freshman. Godfrey entered 2011 as the starter, but as the season went along, he struggled. So did the program, as the Knights finished with a 5-7 record. Over the course of the season, Godfrey’s snaps went down as he lost playing time to current starting quarterback Blake Bortles.

Rumors about a possible departure from the program began even before the season ended and after being suspended by the university for an undisclosed violation unrelated to the football program, Godfrey informed O’Leary that he would transfer. Godfrey was rumored to be transferring to FAU, but he has not attended any spring practices nor enrolled in classes at the university.

Godfrey’s standing with the program took a turn for the worse when his father, Jeff Godfrey, Sr., and his mentor, Luther Campbell, publicly criticized O’Leary, calling him a racist and alleging that he undermined Godfrey during the season.

There would be considerable competition at the quarterback position should Godfrey be able to rejoin the program. Tyler Gabbert, brother of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert, will challenge Bortles for the starting job, while Rob Calabrese is back for another season and is expected to play quarterback in the wildcat formation. Calabrese will also get some snaps at wide receiver.

“I’ll gladly talk to him,” O’Leary said. “He knows what he has to do as far as to be back on the team.”