Can the UCF Coaching Staff Keep Elite 2023 Florida Talent Home?

Will UCF Football continue to make a move forward with truly elite prospects in the class of 2023?

Brian Smith | Feb 16, 2022

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ORLANDO - This next recruiting class for UCF will be a defining moment for multiple reasons. UCF needs to increase its overall talent pool and depth overall, and definitely needs to do so heading into Big XII play come 2023 when the schedule will see an increase of talented teams. To that end, it’s about the cache of recruiting. Name recognition matters in recruiting. A lot!

Fair or not, that last point is the biggest hurdle for UCF. Not the actual term “UCF” itself, but the “names” that sign with the Knights and the perception with them from other recruits not only in the class of 2023, but classes of 2024, 2025, etc.

“Did you hear who UCF signed,” says one top recruit to another…

With UCF attempting to climb into the upper echelon of college football, that means big boy recruiting. Elite players need to be signed. The same prospects offered by programs like Alabama, Ohio State, and Clemson among about 10-15 programs that continuously dominate college football. Want to be the best?

Recruit the best. It’s flat out the objective from this recruiting class moving forward.

Of course UCF resides in the middle of an amazing talent pool of prospects being on the east side of Orlando. The Central Florida region alone is an incredible place for college coaches to come and sign the best of the best. Many of those players are still leaving Florida based on the last 10 years of recruiting, however.

Can UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn and his staff continue to peck away at the best players and keep even more top talent right here in Florida?

Here’s a look at some of the true game-changers in terms of talent and perception that matters. If UCF even hits on three of these young men, it would definitively put a positive charge into the program. To place the following players into perspective, every one of them has an offer from at least one of the following, if not multiple schools from the following list: Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Florida, and Georgia.

Note: From the state of Florida, a player by player breakdown will begin at Inside The Knights next week. It’s a deep dive into the prospects across the state of Florida.

Orlando Area

This is the primary area UCF needs to hit the home run. After already gaining the commitment of edge defender Kaven Call from Apopka (Fla.) High School, UCF is off to a fast start.

He turned down now National Champion Georgia to sign with UCF. That’s big for the Knights. There are about 10 to 12 players from the city of Orlando and its suburbs that the Knights will likely go after hard, and that number could increase based on camp performances, etc. It would be good for the UCF coaching staff to reel in at least a half dozen from this area, as it’s even more loaded than usual. Here are a few of the truly elite players to watch:

Aidan Mizell

Size: 6’2”, 180-pounds

Position: Wide Receiver

High School: Orlando (Fla.) Boone

What to Know: Under the radar no more, Mizell has excellent speed and is well coached. He could make an impact at just about any program he signs.

John Walker

Size: 6’4”

Position: 295-pounds

High School: Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola

What to Know: He can flat out pick his school. Just cannot find defensive tackles with his all-around skills. A bull on running plays, and the quickness to be a one-gap pass rusher. He’s a dude.

Derrick LeBlanc

Size: 6’5”, 255-pounds

Position: Defensive End

High School: Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola

What to Know: Combination defensive lineman that has really good hand use for his age, as well as a desire to improve as fast as possible. Like his teammate Walker, LeBlanc can pick his school.

Malik Bryant

Size: 6’2”, 235-pounds

Position: OLB/Defensive End

High School: Orlando (Fla.) Jones

What to Know: Back in Orlando after playing at IMG Academy, Bryant is that rare edge defender that can rush the passer or use his skills to play in space. His versatility is coveted nationally, and for good reason.

Cedric Baxter, Jr.

Check out my highlight - https://t.co/I19Utz0IcU
202 carries
1718 yards
26 touchdowns
— Cedric “C4” Baxter Jr (@c4era_) November 28, 2021

Size: 6’2”, 208-pounds

Position: Running Back

High School: Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater

What to Know: Best all-around running back in the land when one considers running, catching and blocking. Very focused young man and one that a linebacker needs to take on with a form tackle or get completely run over.

Polk County

There are several prospects from the greater Lakeland area that UCF and many other schools will likely go after. From talent-density perspective, few areas are more talented than Polk. The number of skill players (DB/WR in particular) is fantastic in 2023, something that draws college coaches. There’s one prospect that every school in the country would like to sign, and that’s where Polk County recruiting begins for 2023.

Cormani McClain

Size: 6’2”, 175-pounds

Position: Cornerback/Wide Receiver

High School: Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson

What to Know: Had just about all the big-time offers before the end of his sophomore year. Incredible length, speed, and change of direction go along with superior ball skills. He’s a day one starter at many programs and might be the most talented player in the country. Getting McClain to take an official visit is priority No. 1 for the Knights as they try to sign him. Hard to say where he will end up so just keep recruiting him.

South Florida

There are so many players from the Palm Beach, Broward and Dade County areas that the list is going to be focused on more in an individual article in the coming month. With that said, here is another player from the opposite coast and still in South Florida that needs to be recognized.

Damon Wilson

Size: 6’4”, 240-pounds

Position: Defensive End

High School: Venice (Fla.) High School

What to Know: Capable of playing as a speed rusher or being a power end, Wilson is one of the budding stars in the Sunshine State. Adding Wilson with Call would be perfect for UCF.

North Florida

This area is a little harder for UCF to land a top player, but it’s still Florida. Signing even one top player from the Pensacola to Jacksonville area would be huge for UCF.

Samuel Singleton

Size: 5’11”, 185-pounds

Position: Running Back

High School: Orange Park (Fla.) Fleming Island

What to Know: A natural one-cut-and-go runner, Singleton’s acceleration allows him to be a really impactful player. Even against really good competition in Jacksonville, he’s proven to be one of the best players in the area over the last couple of seasons.

Keyon Brown

Size: 6’2”

Position: 190-pounds

High School: Tallahassee (Fla.) Rickards

What to Know: After clocking over 21 miles per hour (XOS Digital used technology to track Brown) at the DR Sportz seven-on-seven tournament, there was no doubting Brown’s speed. Seeing him make ridiculous catches like the one where he was literally flat on his back displayed his ball skills. He’s one of the best players in Florida that few people talk about but should. Special talent.

Grayson Howard

Size: 6’3”, 225-pounds

Position: Linebacker

High School: Jacksonville (Fla.) Andrew Jackson

What to Know: Could play multiple positions at the second level, and could also be used as an edge defender in obvious passing downs. Howard is the type of defender defenses need to slow down modern spread passing attacks. Great physical tools.

Final Thoughts

The above players are all very good, and all of them could be players visiting UCF and/or camping at UCF this summer. Further, it’s just a list of a handful of the truly big-time prospects in Florida this year. Conservatively, there are 15 players inside the state of Florida borders that could make a major impact at practically any program in the country. UCF needs to make a splash and sign some of the top players directly out of high school.

It’s a checkbox. Does UCF take a step forward with the elite names in the class of 2023 and sign at least three? The month of March will be the beginning of the recruiting gauntlet with the NCAA allowing prospects to make unofficial visits, so keep an eye on that. Let’s see how the Knights do with that group, and then reconvene thereafter. There should be a lot of top players stopping by to see Coach Malzahn, the entire football program, and the UCF campus.

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