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ORLANDO — In each of Gus Malzahn’s three seasons as head coach, and boosted by the Power Five move into the Big 12 Conference, UCF has upped the ante on the recruiting trail.
The Knights signed their most accomplished high school class in history last month, cracking the top-35 on all four major recruiting services’ team rankings (247Sports, On3 Sports, Rivals and ESPN). Nine consensus blue-chippers — rated as four-star athletes or higher were among the 18 players who put pen to paper in the early signing period.
Meet the new Knights: UCF football lands 18 high school recruits on early signing day
“All these guys are quality guys that can come in and be Big 12-ready,” Knights coach Gus Malzahn said in Tampa ahead of the Gasparilla Bowl. “When we’re recruiting, that’s exactly what we are asking ourselves with everybody that we come across.
“We don’t just take anyone. We do our homework, not just on our athletic ability but the type of person they are and the character they have, and then the fit within our program.”
And the expectation for some of those players, including a trio of Under Armour Next All-Americans, will be to suit up and contribute right away.
Under Armour Next All-America Game: 5 takeaways for Florida high school athletes, college football programs
Malzahn and his staff have shown they are willing to entrust major responsibilities to true freshmen. During the 2023 season, John Walker and Braeden Marshall each logged more than 200 defensive snaps, and Randy Pittman Jr. matched that threshold on offense. Pittman, Kaven Call and Andrew Harris made significant contributions on special teams, as well.
Defensive back Jaylen Heyward, tight end Kylan Fox and linebacker Qua Birdsong — the three Knights who suited up Wednesday for the prestigious high school all-star festivities at nearby Camping World Stadium…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/americans-qua-birdsong-kylan-fox-101002280.html
Author : Daytona Beach News-Journal
Publish date : 2024-01-07 10:10:02
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