UCF After Top Athlete Ronnie Royal
Having seen Ronnie Royal play for three consecutive seasons, make no mistake, he's one of the best prep players in the state of Alabama.
Seeing him move this past weekend during the SUP7R 7v7 event in Naples, Fla. did nothing to change that prior statement.
In fact, he's been dominant for a long time. When he was a freshman in high school, Max Preps named Royal its national freshman of the year. He's been recruited for his gridiron talents even before that award.
UCF head coach Gus Malzahn and his staff have been recruiting Royal for quite some time. In fact, Inside The Knights has good reason to believe that Royal has UCF at or near the top of his list of college football programs to attend, and might be the best bet if he were to decide today.
The recruiting battle has already been interesting for Royal, and that's about to get even more entertaining.
Speaking with Royal and those around him on Saturday, he's not dead-set on any one school, but he does want to go where he's truly wanted.
Although Alabama has hosted Royal several times, Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide have not offered him. Do not look for Tuscaloosa to be Royal's landing spot. They've dragged their feet too long.
Auburn will be interesting, as newly hired head coach Hugh Freeze runs a spread offense that could utilize Royal's 5-foot-10 and 175-pound frame in the slot and at running back, as well as a punt and kickoff return man. Royal let it be known that he's going to visit Auburn this spring. If Freeze and the Tigers offer Royal, they could be a serious player in his recruitment.
There's also been offers from Florida State, North Carolina State, Mississippi State, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Illinois among others, for Royal to consider. There are a number of reasons teams would like Royal for offense, but he's also quite a defensive player, too. Check out these statistics from this past weekend's SUP7R 7v7 event, according to Gulf Shores Athletics 7v7 head coach Jason Barnett:
"Royal ended up with 10 interceptions and eight touchdowns in six games this weekend."
Considering the SUP7R 7v7 field had teams like Florida Fire, South Florida Express, and eventual tournament champion Gridiron Elite, those were some eye-popping numbers.
Statistically, Royal also displayed his physical prowess via being tracked for his speed. Check out these numbers, as Royal clocked 21.05 miles per hour.
A bunch of talent in Naples @Ronnie_Royal3x is putting on a show in bracket play 1st 2 games 5 INTs 3 TDs #Different #TheBestPlayForGCA https://t.co/PSpowMTyKi
— Gulf Coast Athletics (@GCoastAthletics) February 12, 2023
UCF football needs all the versatile and electric athletes it can attract. Royal would be an excellent addition to the roster. The Gulf Shores (Ala.) High School prospect is one to watch for UCF football fans.
