UCF Players in the NFL, How it Impacts Recruiting for the Knights
ORLANDO - The Knights are placing more and more players in the National Football League (NFL). That’s awesome for the individual players, and it is also fantastic for the Knights as they continue to build the foundation of the football program through recruiting.
Kalia Davis went in the sixth round to the San Francisco 49ers, while four other Knights were scooped up in free agency. Cole Schneider (Green Bay), Big Kat Bryant (Dallas), Marcus Tatum (Jacksonville) and Brandon Johnson (Denver) are all now a part of the NFL.
So why is this important for UCF and its recruiting efforts? It starts with one basic comment that is heard over and over from recruits. That question would be, what is your biggest reason for selecting a school?
Over and over, the first answer that is heard from recruits is based on how many players a school places in the NFL. The words might be slightly different each time, but the meaning remains the same. High school recruits are picking college football programs based on their own belief that a school can help them get to the NFL. That may not be new, but it’s far more the case than at any time in the last 20 years. That's the bottom line.
While Davis was the only player drafted this year, he’s still the sixth player drafted over a two-year period. Not to mention, UCF’s recruiting has already picked up. Just look back at the 2022 recruiting class for an example. UCF’s NFL exploits are a part of that recruiting success, make no mistake.
This next recruiting class, it’s definitely going to benefit from Davis and all the other UCF players of recent memory heading off to the NFL. A few notes about how UCF can utilize what’s been happening with the NFL Draft in recent years:
*Since 2017, UCF has seen 13 players drafted into the NFL.
*Seven of those 13 players went in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft.
*In 2017, Mike Hughes went in the first round to the Minnesota Vikings with the 30th overall selection.
*In 2020. wide receiver Gabriel Davis was selected in the fourth round by the Buffalo Bills. His four touchdowns in this past season’s NFL Playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs sure made that pick look fantastic.
*Shaquill (2017) and Shaquem (2018) Griffin both were drafted into the NFL and had good success. Their stories have aided UCF Football immensely.
While this list could include several more notes, the biggest takeaway is that the Knights have ammunition for recruiting future Knights. The NFL Draft is a big part of how prospects view schools and UCF is doing a good job of creating opportunities for players to reach the ultimate level of football.
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