Prospects UCF Should Go After Hard Following Miami Under Armour

William Fowles, William Larkins, Bryce Lovett, and Rodney Hill are players that the Knights need to go after in recruiting.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Feb 22, 2022 6:20 PM EST

ORLANDO - As the Knights begin to build the class of 2023, there are some in-state players that are beginning to emerge. While the Sunshine State is always loaded, certain competitions help to allow for a better evaluation and fit for a program like UCF.

The Under Armour event this past weekend really helped to shed light on several prospects that UCF would be very happy to sign this next December. Here are three of them.

William Fowles - 2023

Size: 6’3”, 200-pounds

Position: Wide Receiver

High School: Miami (Fla.) Dade Christian

Have to give it to Fowles. He absolutely deserves the top distinction on this list because he caught pass after pass during the Miami Under Armour event against top players. Deep route, you bet. Comeback, absolutely. Name the route, Fowles probably won the rep. Hats off to Fowles, as his stock will skyrocket with college coaches; he earned it.

Even before Miami Under Armour, he was a coveted player. After Under Armour, Fowles' will now have to figure out which schools he really wants to look at because he will see a plethora of opportunities. Auburn offered him earlier today. That’s just the beginning. He’s taking a couple of trips in March, as the following tweet denotes:

UCF was already recruiting Fowles, but now it needs to turn up the heat. It’s early in the recruiting process so there’s plenty of time for UCF to get this young man on campus multiple times. Here are Fowles top 10 programs as of Feb. 15:

William Larkins - 2023

Size: 6’5”, 300-pounds

Position: Center/Guard

High School: Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna

A late bloomer by recruiting standards, Larkins is a player that could be a versatile member of any college offensive line. He’s capable of playing guard or center, and the latter is always a coveted trait to begin with. Unlike many interior linemen that snap, Larkins also has the requisite size to play early in his career.

Larkins was conservatively one of the top three performers during the one-on-one drills during Miami Under Armour. He anchored well in pass pro, showed quick feet, and has natural power in his upper body. Despite all of that, he’s not that heavily recruited, yet.

Playing for one of South Florida’s best high school programs, plus doing well at Under Armour, means that Larkins’ recruitment will change very quickly. Larkins has yet to really blow up on the recruiting trail, which also helps the Knights.

He has unofficial visits planned with Miami and Indiana coming up. There’s plenty of time for the Knights to make a move.

Bryce Lovett - 2023

Size: 6’6”, 330-pounds

Position: Offensive Tackle

High School: Rockledge (Fla.) High School

Good bend for a tall offensive tackle, and his strength is also a component that’s a plus. Lovett runs his feet well after contact. He’s also a player that likes to bury his opponents when necessary.

During Under Armour, Lovett moved well and showed upside. He could be a player that ends up as an offensive tackle or perhaps ends up playing offensive guard. Most importantly, Lovett plays power football and that’s what UCF does as well. He’s a downhill player that fits into UCF’s plans as an offense.

Lovett has been earning offers of late, with Florida State, Florida, Duke and Louisville all offering since Jan. 31. It’s going to be a battle for his services, but UCF needs to win these types of battles for players that live so close to Orlando. Rockledge is just over 50 miles from the Bounce House. The next player fits the same geographical situation, and he’s one heck of a player as well.

Rodney Hill - 2024

Size: 5’11”, 205-pounds

Position: Linebacker

High School: Flagler (Fla.) Flagler Palm Coast

Although only a junior, Hill is really starting to take off and the Knights need to recruit him hard the rest of the way. Playing on the East Coast of Florida near Daytona Beach, Hill has not been as well discussed as many other players in the Sunshine State. Well, he entered the recruiting conversation with a boom this past Sunday. Hill covered players from across the state of Florida in space like running back Richard Young, one of the nation’s top 25 recruits for the class of 2023.

Hill’s ability to be a thumper on Friday nights was already offered in prior conversations by his Head Coach Robert Paxia. Seeing Hill blanket speedy running backs, however, that’s a potentially elite playmaker for the modern game of football. Spread offenses make it difficult for defensive coordinators that do not have versatile linebackers. Well, Hill provides that versatility to be a three-down player. Few linebackers are truly like that. As for recruiting, he has earned a handful of offers, but that’s likely to grow after this past Sunday.

UCF, Iowa State, Memphis, USF and Tennessee are amongst the first wave of offers, but that list is going to grow in a hurry. The Knights are less than two hours from Hill’s high school. He has to be a priority.

Final Thoughts

Seeing some of these young men live, as well as having a chance to discuss their recruitments, via the Miami Under Armour Camp was absolutely fantastic. UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn continues to make the state of Florida the No. 1 priority, and each of the aforementioned Florida high school prospects would be excellent additions to the UCF roster.

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