UCF Enters Vital Recruiting Stretch; Will the Knights Close on Elite Prospects?

Can UCF Football close on top 2023 high school recruits?

Brian Smith | Apr 7, 2022

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UCF Knights

ORLANDO - Decision time for many top recruits is almost here. Before August, there is a good chance to know how the high school portion of the 2023 UCF recruiting class will turn out. How many end up in a UCF uniform?

To land the commitment of any of these recruits, UCF has done well to get in the ball game. That takes commitment from everyone representing UCF Football.

Make no mistake, there’s been an incredible amount of work put in by everyone working in the UCF Football offices. Coaches, recruiting analysts, interns, and everyone else inside the UCF Football program are trying to gain a strong foothold in Central Florida, as well as the state of Florida in general, and nearby states like Georgia. UCF has gone all-in on recruiting truly elite prospects as well as the players they deem true fits for attending school and playing football for the Knights, i.e. talented up-and-coming prospects with a high upside.

Will UCF be able to close on enough of these players to help bridge the talent gap between UCF and some of college football’s elite programs?

Below is a look at twenty prospects the Knights are recruiting, among many, that are key high school prospects for the class of 2023. Most of them have already visited UCF at least once if not multiple times. How many of the following players that buy into UCF’s vision of playing in Orlando as the Knights get ready to join the Big XII in 2023 will go a long way in determining how good UCF is in future seasons.

There’s no particular order to the following list because every one of these players have the physical skills to be impact players by no later than their sophomore year of college. They are all very talented. With that in mind, the first player has announced his college decision date. He’s indicative of many prospects that will make their college decisions before the start of the 2022 football season. Even the players below that do not make their decisions public by early-to-mid-August will likely be back on UCF’s campus at some point between now and that time. Those that do not come back to UCF are probably less likely to sign with the Knights in December.

Note: UCF already gained the commitments of two top recruits in edge defender Kaven Call from Apopka (Fla.) High School and linebacker Troy Ford, Jr. from Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School.

Zachary Tobe, CB/S, Ocoee (Fla.) High School

Stamped. JULY 7th pic.twitter.com/SHZX4j7Cmq
— Zachary Tobe (@OZtobe) March 24, 2022

John Walker, DT, Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola

Derrick LeBlanc, DE/DT, Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola

Creed Whittemore, WR, Gainesville (Fla.) Buchholz

Gavin Hill, DE/DT, Gainesville (Fla.) Buchholz

Gavin Hill Defensive End/Defensive Tackle Gainesville (Fla.) Buchholz 2023 - January of 2022, Battle Miami — DL Gavin Hill Is One Of Central Florida's Top Prospects Regardless Of Position / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

Malachi Singleton, QB, Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb

Robert Grigsby, OL, Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb

Joshua Horton, DT, Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes

Terry Simmons, DT, Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School

Isaiah Nixon, DE, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Lakewood

Dee Crayton, LB, Milton (Ga.) High School

Dee Crayton Linebacker Alpharetta (Ga.) Denmark 2023 — Dee Crayton Is One Of The Nation's Top Inside Linebackers

Andrew Harris, LB, Altamonte Springs (Fla.) Lake Brantley

Michael Harris, LB, Altamonte Springs (Fla.) Lake Brantley

Braedon Marshall, CB, Lake Mary (Fla.) High School

Daiquan White, CB, Fairburn (Ga.) Creekside

Cayden Lee, WR, Acworth (Ga.) Kennesaw Mountain

Jeremiah Shack, WR, Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin

Cedric Baxter, RB, Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater

Javin Simpkins, RB, Miami (Fla.) Norland

Randy Pittman, TE, Panama City (Fla.) Mosley - Soft FSU commitment

Robert Stafford, WR/CB, Melbourne (Fla.) Eua Gallie

While far from a complete list of top prospects that UCF has a chance to land, this list is a great starting point because they are truly prime prospects for many schools, UCF included. Keep an eye on all of these young men.

Inside The Knights will be tracking this specific list along with several other key players between now and National Signing Day in December. Let's see how many of these players end up in a UCF uniform.

For More UCF Recruiting News: UCF RECRUITING NEWS AND PROSPECT PROFILES.

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