UCF Recruiting Continues to Roll

A broad range of recruits came to UCF for the annual Spring Game, including now committed defensive end Isaiah Nixon, who made his pledge on Saturday to Gus Malzahn.

Brian Smith | Apr 17, 2022

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UCF Knights

ORLANDO - With the commitment of defensive end Isaiah Nixon, the Knights are doing very well with 2023 recruiting. That’s not all, however, as recruiting digs into the class of 2024.

There are several points to make, and the podcast below goes into more detail, but here’s a broad overview of what UCF fans need to know.

*The level of talent that’s being brought on campus has gone up exponentially in just one year. The Knights are constantly competing with national programs for recruits, several of which were on campus this weekend.

Great question by ⁦@therealBeede⁩ of the Orlando Sentinel regarding UCF recruiting, and ⁦@CoachGusMalzahn⁩ defined the positive transition that the Knights are going through. #UCF #ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/2AUGfrtweE
— Brian Smith (@fbscout_florida) April 17, 2022

*UCF’s defensive front is going to have a plethora of options with Nixon making his commitment on Saturday. Along with fellow commitment and defensive end Kaven Call, UCF now has multiple 2023 edge defenders that are capable of playing from a two-point or three-point stance.

That provides a multitude of options: 4-3, 3-3, 50, 4-2-5, and even more defensive front “names” and concepts can be used when the personnel is flexible. They can also help out when players are banged up at one particular position and move there, i.e. defensive end is short so both Nixon and Call play that spot more often. Same thing with outside linebacker. This is a huge development for the UCF front seven.

Speed. There were a lot of shifty and fast athletes (2023 and 2024) on the UCF campus. That includes local target Aidan Mizell, a wide receiver from Orlando (Fla.) Boone, Tyree Patterson, a wide receiver from Eustis (Fla.) High School, and Randy Pittman, a tight end/H-back from Panama City (Fla.) Mosley.

Aidan Mizell WR Orlando (Fla.) Boone 2023 — Aidan Mizell is one of the fastest wide receivers in the prep class of 2023 / @fbscout_florida

*Length. Just watching the young recruits walk around the campus, there were a lot of players that were very long. It’s incredible how many long armed players were on the UCF campus.

*Local flavor. Top programs with coaches and players from around the Central Florida region like Cocoa, Apopka, Orlando (Boone), and St. Petersburg (Lakewood), to name a few, were on campus.

*Georgia prospects. Several talented Peach State prospects came down, including linebacker commitment Troy Ford, Jr. from Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School. Do not be surprised if one, if not two, of his high school teammates join him in Orlando either. More on that down the line. Of note, the Knights are locating several bigger bodies that can play along the offensive and defensive lines from Georgia. That state has long since been known for producing linemen, and that’s not likely changing anytime soon.

Troy Ford, Jr. Lienbacker Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School - 2023 — Troy Ford, Jr. and his mother came down to see the Spring Game. He's been a consistent visitor to the UCF campus / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

*Personal interaction. Coaches and staff members consistently being around the prospects, coaches and parents. The members of the Knights staff consistently go out of their way to introduce themselves and make sure each recruit feels welcomed by the overall UCF staff and community as a whole.

*2024 prospects were also on campus. This was not just a situation of bringing in soon to be seniors in high school. Arguably the nation’s top underclassmen, middle linebacker Adarius Hayes, did make it to campus on Saturday. He plays for Largo (Fla.) High School near Clearwater. He’s one of those rare players that could help a major college football program right now. Hayes has been to UCF’s campus multiple times already and the Knights will do battle with the likes of Alabama and Ohio State for his signature.

Adarius Hayes Linebacker Largo (Fla.) High School 2023 — As good a defensive prospect as there is in the entire 2024 recruiting class, linebacker Adarius Hayes from Largo (Fla.) High School / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

Overall, this was a big recruiting weekend for UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn and his entire staff. It turned out very well. Here’s the podcast further discussing the recruiting efforts.

More Knights Recruiting News: UCF Prospect Profiles and Recruiting News

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