Stacy Gage, 4-star rated running back, commits to UCF over Colorado, Florida, Penn State & Oklahoma

RIVERVIEW, FLORIDA- It seemed like at points throughout the recruitment of St. Thomas Aquinas running back Stacy Gage that he could really end up just about anywhere.

Heavily courted by Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes, Billy Napier’s Gators and James Franklin’s Nittany Lions all seemed like attractive destinations for Gage. In the end, something about being along that I-4 corridor is where the tailback wanted to be.

Gage announced Saturday afternoon via his personal Instagram page that he would be committing to the UCF Knights. The four-star rated running back by 247Sports, chose UCF over Colorado, Florida, Penn State and Oklahoma.

BREAKING: Four-Star RB Stacy Gage tells me he has Committed to UCF!

The 5’11 205 RB from Tampa, FL chose the Knights over Oklahoma, Florida, & others

“I honestly made this decision for my family. I felt like it would be better for me to stay close to home & do my thing!”… pic.twitter.com/cdKaRO1Gb2
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 10, 2023

When it comes to Gage’s last couple of seasons on the gridiron, he’s made stops at IMG Academy (2021) and Wharton (2022) before ending up at St. Thomas Aquinas over the off-season.

Gage will form one of the country’s top high school backfields, paired up with Jordan Lyle. Lyle rushed for a team-high 1,015 yards and 12 touchdowns for the 14-0 Raiders. The junior is rated a 4-star tailback and has offers from Arkansas, Florida State and Colorado, according to 247Sports.

As a junior tailback for then Wharton head coach Mike Williams, who is now at Robinson High School, Gage rushed for over 700 yards and scored 14 touchdowns for the Wildcats. Now Gage joins a loaded Raiders team coming off a Class 3M state championship and winning four state championships in a row. St. Thomas Aquinas defeated Homestead 38-21 back in December for the Class 3M crown.

Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.