Can UCF Have A Top Tier Defensive Line Class?

Discussing the defensive line recruits that UCF can vastly improve its program with.

Brian Smith | Mar 31, 2022

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UCF Knights

ORLANDO - UCF Football is headed in a completely new direction. For years, the Knights were an offensive football team. Score more than the opponent even if that meant needing 35, maybe even 40 points to win. That’s started to change under the current Knights coaching staff.

The objective is to win on both sides of the football and not just with being an offensive juggernaut. That means recruiting big-time players across all three levels of the defense – defensive line, linebacker, and the secondary – to better equip the coaching staff with options for combating modern day spread offenses.

Here’s a look at the defensive ends and defensive tackles that UCF appears to be going after and hold a shot to bring to campus for an official visit at some point. Keep in mind, this list is extremely fluid. It does start with UCF’s first commitment of the 2023 class, and he is a potential difference-maker at the college level.

Defensive Ends/Edge

Some of these young men could play multiple roles. While a traditional defensive end plays with his hand in the dirt, some of the following players could inhibit a dual role by being a standing outside linebacker that sometimes attacks the backfield and also drops into coverage on occasion.

Kaven Call, 6’2” 245-pounds, Apopka (Fla.) High School

Kaven Call, Defensive Lineman, Apopka (Fla.) High School — Kavin Call, DL Apopka (Fla.) High School / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

Call committed to UCF on Christmas Day, 2021. That was a fantastic start to UCF’s 2023 recruiting class. Call has played both defensive end and defensive tackle for Apopka, but he’s naturally athletic enough to play outside linebacker for the Knights at the college level as well. The reason being, he’s one of the rare players that’s over 240-pounds with the lateral mobility to be effective in space against running backs in coverage. Call’s all-around ability will help not only himself once in a Knights uniform, but also provide opportunities for players that may not be as versatile and need to play a specific position.

Isaiah Nixon, 6’4”, 220-pounds, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Lakewood

Nixon has a plethora of schools coming after him, UCF included. A national recruit that’s just beginning to fill out his frame, Nixon could easily end up at 255, perhaps 260-pounds and still be a difficult matchup off the edge for offensive tackles. He’s not even close to full physical maturity and yet still creates numerous negative plays at the high school level. UCF has been recruiting Nixon hard. To learn more about specifics about Nixon: FULL ISAIAH NIXON PROFILE.

Deejay Holmes, 6’1”, 230-pounds, Pahokee (Fla.) High School

The Pahokee Blue Devils have produced numerous big-time recruits over the years and several have gone on to play in the NFL. Down in “Muck City” on the edge of Lake Okeechobee, Holmes could be the next player to become an elite talent. He’s already an excellent pass rusher. Holmes uses his hands well to make plays, and he also actually uses his lack of height as an advantage because he stays underneath the pads of offensive tackles to generate more power. It’s brilliant. His first-step explosion is also tremendous. He’s much like 2022 UCF signee Jamaal Johnson in terms of style of play.

Defensive Tackle

This short list is a bit more difficult to narrow down, which is a good thing. Not to mention, there’s some position flexibility as noted within the actual bios below.

Derrick LeBlanc, 6’5”, 255-pounds, Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola

Derrick LeBlanc Defensive Line Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola - 2023 — Derrick LeBlanc, 2022 Miami Under Armour Camp / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

There are few defensive lineman in the United States with a better frame to be a swing-defensive lineman than LeBlanc. Depending on the play, LeBlanc can play strong side defensive end or move inside to defensive tackle. Either way, he’s an impactful pass rusher and still powerful enough to stuff the run. That combination has made him a national recruit since his freshman year of high school. He’s been to UCF’s campus numerous times, much like the next player on this list, also a teammate of LeBlanc’s.

John Walker, 6’4”, 295-pounds, Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola

John Walker Defensive Tackle Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola - 2023 — John Walker, 2022 Miami Under Armour Camp / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

As good of a pure interior defensive lineman (DT or NG) as there is in Florida or any other state, Walker’s ability to place hands on and move the offensive lineman in front of him backwards is an incredible skill. Natural strength, a strike-first mentality, and good technique at the point of attack aids Walker in dominating most of his competition. At the high school level, few players can remotely handle Walker one-on-one. UCF will be battling Michigan, Southern California, Ohio State, other in-state programs and several members of the SEC for Walker’s services. Like LeBlanc, he’s been to UCF numerous times for unofficial visits.

Terry Simmons, 6’2”, 300-pounds, Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School

A teammate of UCF linebacker commitment Troy Ford, Jr., Simmons is an explosive athlete that Calvary Day School coaches move to the edge as a pass rusher much of the time. He’s also capable of playing the interior and shooting gaps or overpowering offensive lineman with a frame that’s loaded with power in his upper legs and hips. He’s played in a three-man defensive front for Calvary Day School, and with his explosiveness, Simmons could be an intriguing nose guard and defensive tackle. That versatility has his recruitment on the rise. UCF is one of the schools that Simmons has recently visited.

Final Thoughts

It’s very early in the recruiting process. That’s especially the case with COVID knocking out many camps for underclassmen over the past few years. College coaches generally like to see and work with prospects first hand before going all-in on a recruitment. That means several players could become top priorities for the Knights this summer after they come to the Orlando campus. Additional unofficial visits by any of the above prospects, plus others along the defensive line, could be signs that UCF is making a move in their recruitments. For now, UCF is involved with some very talented players and already holds the commitment of a top-notch edge defender in Call that chose UCF over Georgia. That’s a good place to be.

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