Why UCF Fans Should be Excited About This Recruiting Class
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Here are some key questions and answers about UCF’s recruiting class, one week out from National Signing Day. It’s been a bizarre year for recruiting with so many college coaches that needed to shift on the fly with regards to position needs because of the Transfer Portal. That stated, UCF has done a nice job of hitting its needs and landing impact recruits.
Let’s take a look at what’s important about this class, by answering some questions.
Which recruit will make the biggest impact for the Knights?
John Walker. Book it. He’s the big-time defensive tackle from Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola. He’s been discussed here about a million times, it seems. For good reason, too. He’s a future NFL player, first and foremost, and one cannot teach 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds.
All that size, and being agile, it was sometimes not fair watching Walker destroy high school competition (and that is being kind). He’s going to impact the two-deep depth chart in a hurry, and no UCF fan should be surprised if he starts at some point during his first year in Orlando.
Have the Knights been able to recruit the kind of talent to compete in the Big 12?
Yes. There are multiple reasons for this being the case. One, UCF has done a pretty good job of being balanced with recruiting, i.e. hitting each position, since head coach Gus Malzahn has been at UCF.
Two, speed. That’s especially the case with the skill position players. The Knights can make huge players on the perimeter and that’s a way to change the scoreboard and win games.
Third and finally, UCF has been recruiting to their schemes. Look, it’s one thing to sign a talented player. It’s quite another to sign a player and expect him to suddenly change his style of play or simply not be able to do so.
What’s been the biggest surprise from this recruiting class?
Maybe Walker. Then again, he visited UCF numerous times so it’s as surprising as some people might have thought. Besides Walker’s commitment, probably the foresight to see just how good Kaven Call and Randy Pittman were early on, recruit them hard, and reap the benefits.
Call is a great pass rusher from right down the road at Apopka High School, while Pittman has shown to be one of the nation’s most versatile tight ends. UCF did well to flip him from Florida State.
Where have the Knights come up short?
It would be great to land more offensive line talent, but that’s a double-edged sword.
Quarterback and offensive line take the longest time to develop, as a rule. With less and less patience among college administrations and fanbases to win ball games, that’s where the Transfer Portal has come into play.
Two of the most coveted positions in the Transfer Portal are also quarterback and offensive line, due to the impatience. That’s not going to change and it’s quite possibly why the Knights have been Transfer Portal-heavy up front. So have many SEC, Big 10, ACC and other Power 5 schools.
So, overall, maybe adding one more offensive lineman would be great in this class, but it’s a very complex situation and one that’s about as fluid as it can be.
Expectations for players signing with the Knights that are not currently committed?
Very good. UCF will add more talent. Mark that down. More on that when the players pop for the Knights. For now, know that UCF has been playing the long game, and did not give up on prospects that committed elsewhere originally.
All that matters, which players sign on the dotted line.
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