Updating UCF Football Prospect Zane Durant's Recruitment
Arguably the biggest challenge for UCF football will be keeping top Orlando-area talent home to play for the Knights. Over the years, top players from high schools in and near Orlando have continually left the area, if not the state, to play their college football.
While no one prospect is a true litmus test for keeping recruits at home, there is a particular Orlando player to keep a close eye on as the recruiting campaign heats up. Before delving into this young man’s recruitment, let’s get to know more about him.
Zane Durant, OLB/DE, 6’1 ½”, 252-pounds, Orlando (Fla.) Lake Nona
If you like versatile old-school football players, then Durant is your guy. He’s a physical player that seeks contact instead of avoiding contact; the Lake Nona prep defender prefers to go through an opposing player. By looking at Durant’s frame, that’s no surprise.
Durant’s physical style of play is backed up by uncanny quickness and cutting ability. His go-to move is an inside rip move where he dips his shoulder to gain leverage and powers his way past the inside shoulder of the offensive lineman. Moves aside, Durant is an athlete that plays faster than the majority of players that weigh in excess of 250 pounds. Durant uses that athleticism to his advantage.
Most offensive linemen and tight ends underestimate Durant’s athleticism and that’s a mistake. A talented pass rusher that can also cover tight ends and running backs, Durant has picked up considerable recruiting steam over the past year.
Durant has a plethora of offers including programs such as UCF, Indiana, Penn State, Miami, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Connecticut, Auburn, Kansas State, Minnesota, Southern Cal, and USF. His leaderboard has six schools.
Although it appears that Durant’s recruitment is coming down to the end, there’s probably quite a long way to go before a final decision will be made. This past Thursday, Durant took an unofficial visit to UCF. Based on our communication, he really enjoyed his time with the UCF coaching staff.
June 3rd unofficial visit to UCF for Lake Nona High School star Zane Durant. He is seen here with Gus Malzahn, the UCF Head Coach.
Zane Durant
Even with the Knights in contention for Durant’s services, it’s still just the month June, six months away from national signing day. Plus, class of 2022 recruits, Durant included, are just beginning to take their official visits. It’s been a strange time for football recruits.
Remember, each of the 2022 recruits have been sitting at home waiting to visit schools for over a year. COVID-19 all but wiped out recruiting for the last 15 months. With that fact in mind, Durant is going to be recruited hard by the Knights until he signs his letter of intent. Durant has earned the scholarship offers through hard work and effort, and that’s why the UCF football coaching staff continues to be hot on Durant’s trail, even when he’s involved with track and field.
No matter what Zane has been involved with, UCF has been tracking him all along the way. The Lake Nona star is intrigued by the far away schools like Penn State and Indiana, but will that be enough to keep him away from signing with the Knights?
That’s difficult to say. It’s also why official visits, unofficial visits and camps will be a big theme for Durant during the month of June. On Friday evening, June 4th, Durant confirmed with Inside The Knights that he will be on a bus tour visiting different college programs. Florida State’s “mega camp” is next up on June 6th.
A mega camp is when a particular school hosts a prospect camp, and it also allows coaches from several other specified schools to come and watch the prospects. This weekend’s Florida State mega camp is supposed to be one of the biggest Mega Camps in the country. Make no mistake, Durant will be one of the most watched prospects at FSU’s camp. Despite what’s coming up, Durant already knows he enjoyed his time unofficially visiting UCF.
The next goal for UCF football will be bringing Durant in for an official visit. Will the Knights wait until this fall to bring in Durant, or will a June visit be more likely? UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn and his assistant coaches will have a tough decision to make with which recruiting strategy to utilize with Durant.
As of today, Durant’s official visit lineup would be Indiana (June 11), Penn State (June 18), and West Virginia (June 24). That would leave two more official visits for Durant to use, per NCAA rules. Hard to gauge which schools hold the edge for those last two visits.
The Lake Nona star’s recruitment is highly contested, so every decision that a UCF coach makes or an opposing coaching staff makes could be the difference with where Durant eventually signs his letter of intent to play college football. For now, UCF fans just need to know that Durant is a priority for the Knights and that he’s being ardently recruited by the UCF coaching staff and recruiting staff.
Final Thoughts
UCF football has a legitimate shot to land Durant, but this is going to be a very long recruitment. Regardless if Durant commits to UCF or another school, the Knights must recruit him like he’s not committed to anyone. Until his letter of intent has been sent, the Knights must go after him hard.
Let’s see how Durant feels after a few college stops during the next several days. There will be updates about Durant’s trip right here at Inside The Knights, as well as the two Twitter handles below.
You will find me on Twitter @fbscout_florida and @UCF_FanNation