Three Florida Prospects Could Change UCF's Football Program
Florida, Florida State and Miami have primarily been the dominant programs for the state of Florida for a long time. UCF has certainly had its moments, especially the past five years or so, but not any place near the sustained success as the so-called “big three” in the Sunshine State.
One of the biggest reasons for the success of those three Florida programs would be signing the absolute best players the state of Florida has to offer. More specifically, these programs continually sign prospects from top high school programs throughout the state.
Programs like Tallahassee (Lincoln) and Lake City (Columbia) used to consistently send players to play for former Florida State Head Coach Bobby Bowden, Florida used to sign the vast majority of the best players from the Orlando area, including programs like Apopka and Lakeland. Miami, meanwhile, would dominate in South Florida, especially in the public schools like Miami (Northwestern) and Miami (Central). There’s been a change, however.
With the new coaching staff at UCF, there’s been a major improvement with Florida’s top prep players taking a harder look at the Knights. That’s the bottom line if UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn and his coaching staff are going to not only surpass the Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes, but catch up with programs like Clemson, Alabama and Ohio State.
To win a national title, it’s about raw talent at the end of the day. Recruiting matters. To place the importance of recruiting in context, former Florida and Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer discussed many times how half of winning is coaching, and the other half is recruiting.
While Coach Meyer discussed the topic in many different ways, for him to place 50 percent of the needs on recruiting says quite a lot about why college programs place such an emphasis on recruiting, as well as recruiting the talent-rich environment in Florida. Therefore, here are the three Florida prospects that UCF could end up signing that can change their program, going in alphabetical order.
Nikai Martinez, CB, 5’11”, 175-pounds, Apopka (Fla.) High School
Martinez plays for the program that once produced defensive lineman and NFL Hall of Fame inductee Warren Sapp, as well as soon to be NFL first round draft pick Jalen Carter among others. The Apopka Blue Darters have been one of Florida’s best programs for a very long time. The three-time state champions (2001, 2012, and 2014) are respected throughout Central Florida, as well as the rest of the state. That’s a big reason signing Martinez would be huge for UCF.
Martinez is a great prospect. He can cover as an outside cornerback, play the nickel cornerback position, and he’s instinctive and physical enough to play free safety if a coach ever needed him to do so. Combining all those skills with a really good academic profile and a cache with other prospects from Central Florida provides UCF football with a unique opportunity to make a splash with a recruit coveted by programs across the country.
Clemson, Notre Dame and South Carolina are Martinez’s top contenders beyond UCF. If the Knights can pull him away from those three programs, it’s going to resonate not only with programs in Central Florida, but around the entire state of Florida and beyond. UCF will host Martinez on June 18, so the Knights get the first crack at him being on campus.
Marcus Peterson, WR, 6’4”, 190-pounds, Lake City (Fla.) Columbia
Peterson plays for Brian Allen, a former Florida State Seminole and NFL player. Allen was a linebacker, and he’s the reason that Columbia players all play with an aggressive on-field attitude. It’s all business with Coach Allen, and that’s also a big reason that Peterson has progressed so much in such a short time.
Peterson is a basketball player first and foremost. 2020 represented the first year he played varsity football. From the moment he scored the two touchdowns against Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian, including an incredible up-the-ladder catch in the back of the end zone, he’s been a household name for recruiters. After going into the Trinity Christian game with zero offers to possessing roughly 30 offers by early June, 2021, Peterson is a true playmaker from a program that catches the attention of other recruits, just like Apopka and Martinez.
If you communicate with any high school coach or player from Jacksonville along the Interstate I-4 corridor to Tallahassee, they will know the Columbia program. It always has top Division I prospects, and Peterson is the latest to emerge.
He’s a dynamic athlete during jump ball opportunities, makes defenders miss despite his long-legged frame, and he has the speed to run by defenders much smaller than himself. That’s why Peterson ascended so quickly. Peterson already took one official visit up North.
Next up for Peterson will be a trip to UCF and the Bounce House. It would be a huge coup for the Knights to land Peterson, as he has a plethora of offers. It would also be great to land a prospect with the respect of the Florida panhandle coaches and prospects. He’s a baller.
Keahnist Thompson, DE, 6’4”, 240-pounds, Lakeland (Fla.) High School
The Knights certainly need defensive help, and Thompson can provide that ability against the run or the pass. He even plays tight end for Lakeland, and could certainly transition to tight end at the college level if need be. It’s Thompson’s talent, as well as the program he comes from, that matters most, not his position.
The Lakeland Dreadnaughts, Florida state champions in 1986, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2018. The Dreadnaughts are one of the most respected programs in Florida, and their history does the talking for them. Players like Thompson have made this blue collar cities primary high school a blue collar team; a clone of its community. Power football and great defense represent Lakeland's brand. That’s Lakeland. That’s Thompson.
He’s capable of holding the edge and stopping the run, or utilizing a quick first step to shoot a gap, use a rip move and make a sack. Once in college, Thompson could eventually slide inside and at least be an interior pass rusher during obvious passing situations.
His recruitment is still quite a ways away from being over. With programs like Florida, Miami and Alabama amongst Thompson’s offer list, the Knights will certainly be challenged for Thompson’s signature. He’s a big-time defensive end and colleges want his services, just like UCF does. Thompson will be at UCF this next weekend for an official visit, just like Martinez and Peterson.
Final Thoughts
UCF has a golden opportunity to land not only big-time Florida talent, but also land players from programs that consistently win big, place players at tradition-rich college programs and the NFL. That recipe is what UCF needs to help take the next step as a program.