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PHOTOS: Blake Bortles at UCFREAD: The next Big Ben?VIDEO: Bortles' highlights at UCFQ&A: Jon Cooper on Bortles' riseAUDIO: Texans 24 Hour Radio Podcast **
Texans Draft Central
Over the coming months, HoustonTexans.com will be doing weekly draft profiles, as we examine the top rated players in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Today we focus on UCF quarterback Blake Bortles.
Bio
Name: Blake Bortles
Position: Quarterback
School: UCF
Class: Redshirt Junior
Hometown: Oviedo, Florida
Measurables
Height: 6-4
Weight: 230 (via UCF athletics website)
40-yard dash: N/A
Stats
| Passing | Attempts | Completions | Percentage | Yards | Pass Eff. | TDs | INTs | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs |
| 2013 | 382 | 259 | 68% | 3581 | 163.4 | 25 | 9 | 272 | 6 |
| 2012 | 399 | 251 | 63% | 3059 | 144.5 | 25 | 7 | 285 | 8 |
| 2011 | 110 | 75 | 68% | 958 | 153.9 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Totals | 891 | 585 | 66% | 7598 | 153.6 | 56 | 19 | 561 | 15 |
Awards2013• Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP
• American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year
• Sporting News American Athletic Conference Player of the Year
• SI.com Honorable Mention All-American
• Davey O'Brien Award finalist
2012
• All-CUSA second team
• Phil Steele second team All-CUSA
• Beef O'Brady's Bowl MVP
• Voted Team's Most Improved Player
2011
• C-USA all freshman team
Prospect Rankings
Scouts, Inc.: 11th
CBS Sports: 5th
Draftek: 7th
Mel Kiper's 'Big Board': 10th
ESPN.com/Todd McShay: 12th
Outlook
No quarterback has come from off the radar to a potential top pick this season faster than UCF's Blake Bortles. The talented junior has rapidly climbed up draft boards, leading the Knights to 12-1 record and a Fiesta Bowl win.
Bortles steadily improved during his tenure in Orlando, taking over as a full-time starter in 2012. During that year, he was named second-team All-Conference, and captured MVP honors at the Beef O'Brady's bowl. His teammates also voted him as the squad's most improved player.
Bortles took it to another level in 2013, reaching career highs in completions, completion percentage, yards and passing efficiency. The Knights won nine straight games, capping off the most memorable year in school history with a 52-42 win over Baylor in a BCS bowl.
He threw for over 3000 yards twice during his career, and topped 25 touchdowns in both his sophomore and junior seasons. Bortles completed 66 percent of his passes at UCF, and never threw more than eight interceptions in a season. Bortles is often compared to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, both due to his size (6-4, 230) and mobility in the pocket. Worth noting is Bortles played for George O'Leary while at UCF. New Texans head coach Bill O'Brien was an offensive coordinator under O'Leary during their time at Georgia Tech.
