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UCF football targets complete official visits, where do things stand for Knights recruits?

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UCF football targets complete official visits, where do things stand for Knights recruits?

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ORLANDO — Three consecutive weekends of official visits at UCF are done, and so too is the bulk of the in-person recruiting work for head coach Gus Malzahn and his staff regarding the 2025 graduating class.

Now, the waiting game begins — with a handful of the Knights’ top targets set to decide before the summer ends.

Last July proved particularly fruitful. In the month’s first eight days, UCF landed six of its 2024 signees — including three of its four All-Americans: offensive lineman Waltclaire Flynn Jr., linebacker Qua Birdsong and tight end Kylan Fox. Not to mention, Dr. Phillips safety/linebacker Jashad Presley committed on the final day of June, and Benjamin offensive tackle Chase Malamala joined the class the following week.

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Will there be another bevy of booms on the horizon?

Here is a position-by-position breakdown of UCF’s recruiting targets, and where things stand following the flurry of visits.

Quarterback

The name to watch among UCF’s quarterback targets is Malik Washington, an Elite 11 finalist hailing from Severn (Md.) Archbishop Spalding. Of the 20 competitors at this week’s national showcase for signal-callers in Los Angeles, Washington is one of just two that are uncommitted — along with Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele out of Hawaii.

Washington (6-foot-5, 200 pounds) is a consensus four-star recruit, rated 14th among all 2025 quarterbacks by 247Sports. Named Player of the Year by the Capital Gazette in each of the last two seasons, Washington completed 62.3% of his passes (62.3%) for 2,093 yards with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions, adding 204 yards and six scores on the ground.

“The last time (Malzahn) had a quarterback built like me, he went and won a national championship with Cam Newton,” Washington said after his UCF visit. “I think I fit (the offense) pretty well.”

He visited UCF the weekend of May 31, and has also taken trips to Virginia Tech and Syracuse. Maryland will get Washington’s last visit this coming weekend after the Elite 11 event, and both Tom Loy and Brian Dohn of 247Sports predict he will stay close to home and choose the Terrapins.

UCF brought in a second Elite 11 finalist to kick off June in Macon (Miss.) Noxubee County’s KaMario Taylor, who has been committed to Mississippi State since Oct. 13. Taylor accounted for more than 4,400 yards of total offense and 63 touchdowns during his junior campaign.

KJ Jefferson will be a one-and-done player for UCF, but the Knights have long-term options waiting in the wings. Miami transfer Jacurri Brown still has three years of eligibility, while redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk and true freshmen Riley Trujillo and EJ Colson each have four.

Running back

Osceola’s Taevion Swint became the Knights’ first commit more than 14 months ago — announcing his pledge following the 2023 spring game. He took his lone official visit to date on May 31.

Swint (5-10, 180) is a top-25 national player at the position, according to the four major recruiting services (247, On3, Rivals and ESPN), and a top-300 overall recruit. He has rushed for 2,880 yards and 38 touchdowns across three varsity seasons, though he was limited to six games last fall due to injury.

“I’m back and better,” said Swint, a high school teammate of Knights defensive linemen John Walker and Derrick Leblanc. “Last year was just a bump in the road. I’ve come back real strong and hard for the rest of the guys that were doubting me.”

His spring game performance — nearly 200 yards and three TDs against Edgewater and DeLand — backed up that claim. Swint could well be the key piece of this recruiting class, and a focal point of Malzahn’s run-heavy offense.

UCF made a run at Plant’s Waltez Clark, envisioning him in an all-purpose athlete role, but the Florida commit canceled a June 7-9 visit after he attended Bounce House Weekend in an unofficial capacity the weekend prior.

Wide receiver

First-year offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Tim Harris Jr. is determined to bring in proven playmakers from championship-level programs, including last year’s selection as Mr. Football throughout the state of Florida.

Cocoa’s Jayvan Boggs (6-1, 190) will choose between UCF and Missouri on July 4, having canceled scheduled trips to USC and Georgia. Boggs reopened his recruitment in March after committing to Ohio State and landed verbal offers from a number of established bluebloods, including Texas and Oregon.

Boggs, who caught 93 balls for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns for the Class 2S state champion Tigers, was among the last to leave Bounce House Weekend and has been a frequent UCF visitor over the last year.

Tampa Bay Tech’s Santonyo Isaac (6-1, 170) verbally committed to the Knights on the afternoon of the Gasparilla Bowl in December and has built a strong connection with Harris since he rejoined the program from Miami. Isaac caught 30 passes for 695 yards and tied Oregon commit Dallas Wilson for the Titans’ team lead in TD receptions (nine).

St. Augustine’s Carl Jenkins Jr. (6-2, 177) listed UCF among his top four schools last week, along with Louisville, Mississippi State and South Florida. Fresh off a 60-catch, 1,172-yard and 15-touchdown season for the Class 3S runner-up Yellow Jackets, Jenkins said: “UCF is just one of those schools that I love the most. The whole coaching staff loves me, and every time I’m down there, they show me how much of a priority I am. (Malzahn) calls me every week, and it’s never a peer pressure thing for what they want me to do. It’s straight love. It feels like a great atmosphere every time I’m there. They make me feel so welcome, and I feel at home every time I’m there.”

Rounding out the quintet of UCF receiver recruits are a former Miami commit, and a current Miami target.

Palm Beach Central’s Waden Charles, who reopened his recruitment May 30, visited this past weekend after taking a trip to Arkansas. Charles (6-3, 190) had 30 receptions for 478 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023.

Finally, Tyler Williams (6-2, 198), who recently transferred to Armwood from Sumner, was UCF’s lone attendee the weekend of June 7. He averaged 22.5 yards per reception and scored 19 touchdowns, including five special teams returns, for Sumner and is being pursued by, among others, Miami, Syracuse and Georgia.

Tight end

An Orlando native, Cincinnati Anderson’s Caden Piening declared his intentions of a homecoming in April. He committed to the Knights one day after attending the spring game, and returned May 31 for his official visit.

247Sports compares Piening (6-4, 240) favorably to a former Knight — Jordan Akins, a six-year NFL veteran who is currently with the Cleveland Browns. Piening caught 35 passes for 624 yards and five touchdowns at Anderson this past season.

Florida, however, brought Piening in for an official visit this past weekend and he met with Gators head coach Billy Napier for the first time in a significant capacity, according to 247Sports’ Blake Alderman. Of note, the Gators hosted four tight ends the previous two weekends: Tae’Shaun Gelsey, Micah Jones, Andrew Olesh and Hollis Davidson.

UCF could also still be in the running for Calhoun (Ga.)’s four-star prospect Emaree Winston (6-2, 230), who had the Knights in his top three before committing to Texas on Dec. 18. Winston took an official visit this weekend, and he is scheduled to head to Austin on Friday.

Offensive line

This is shaping up to be, comfortably, UCF’s largest high school offensive line haul in Malzahn’s tenure. The Knights have taken two or fewer linemen from the prep ranks in each of the past four cycles, instead showing a preference for the transfer portal.

UCF already has two interior targets committed: Cocoa’s Jaquez Joiner (6-3, 260) and Wiregrass Ranch’s Gavin Blanchard (6-3, 300).

Seminole’s Max Buchanan (6-5, 300) is a priority, though the Knights face competition from Florida State, Miami, Clemson and others. He told The News-Journal that he is targeting early August for a commitment. Roswell (Ga.)’s Andrew Stargel (6-4, 305) is another primary target with Ohio State and N.C. State also in the running.

Tackle is a need to fill in the class, and UCF’s preferences include Warner Robins (Ga.) Northside’s Chastan Brown and Orlando Christian Prep’s Demetrius Campbell. Anna Adams, of 247Sports, forecasted a UCF pick for consensus four-star recruit Brown (6-8, 260) on June 3, but Louisville reportedly made a strong impression the following week.

Miami is the reported leader for Campbell (6-6, 300) following his June 7 trip. If Campbell chooses the Hurricanes, it would be Miami’s second triumph over UCF in the trenches after previously securing Fletcher guard TaKaylen Muex.

The Knights could intensify recruitment on a player that decommitted from the Hurricanes in Gadsden County tackle Lamar Williams (6-7, 285). He received a verbal offer on May 8, reopened his recruitment the next day and visited Maryland earlier this month.

Defensive line

UCF is all-in on Cocoa’s Javion Hilson, the nation’s top-ranked edge rusher who flipped his commitment from Alabama to Florida State in the aftermath of Nick Saban’s retirement. A consensus top-75 prospect, Hilson (6-5, 235) totaled 14 sacks for Cocoa in a title-winning junior season.

Hilson heard what the Knights had to say this past weekend, telling Rivals, “They compared me to John Walker. … He was highly ranked too and could have gone anywhere like Alabama, Georgia, all that. That’s similar to me. I’m currently committed to Florida State right now, but I can go anywhere I want to.

“But UCF, after this visit, kind of has me thinking.”

Beyond Hilson, UCF is also working to land Pace’s Tylon Lee (6-5, 235), Buchholz’s Nick Clayton (6-5, 215) and Norland’s Desir twins, Darryll (6-5, 244) and Mandrell (6-4, 245). Those four players combined for 18 sacks last fall.

Moving inside, UCF took the first shot at flipping longtime Auburn commit and Opelika (Ala.) defensive tackle Malik Autry, who has since visited USC and Florida. Autry (6-6, 283) earned five-star distinction from 247Sports and is intrigued at the possibility of being the Knights’ first such signee. He visited for both the spring game and Bounce House Weekend.

Newberry teammates Jarquez Carter (6-3, 270) and Mykah Newton (6-3, 260) visited UCF together last weekend, and Mainland’s Christian Hudson (6-2, 290) kicked off a busy month with a short drive over to Orlando. Hudson has since gone to Iowa State and Maryland, and will close with a visit to Iowa before committing on July 6.

Covington (Ga.) Newton three-star defensive tackle RyShawn Perry (6-3, 275), the younger brother of former UCF safety Koby Perry, committed to the Knights in April.

Linebacker

Despite his commitment to Ohio State at the end of March, Vero Beach’s Tarvos Alford II (6-2, 210) continues to be a major target for UCF — understandably so, considering he’s the No. 5 player at the position according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. Alford, the reigning TCPalm Defensive Player of the Year, told USA TODAY Florida Network recruiting reporter Jon Santucci that he was “locked in with the Buckeyes,” but would take visits. He has since gone to Illinois and UCF, in addition to booking an in-season trip to Florida State.

The Knights have one linebacker in the boat: South Sumter’s Malakhi Boone (6-2, 230). A three-year varsity starter, Boone has collected 294 tackles (75 solo), 61 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, three interceptions and 12 pass breakups to date.

Another player to monitor is Armwood’s Cameron White (6-1, 225), another May 31 weekend visitor. White, who also jumped ship from Sumner following a coaching change, had 81 tackles, 13 TFLs, five sacks and four quarterback hurries. West Virginia, Syracuse, Louisville and N.C. State are all in the mix.

Defensive back

On one hand, UCF’s secondary is somewhat solidified thanks to three early commitments. Thomasville (Ga.) Thomas County Central safety Kendarius Reddick (6-0, 180), Palm Beach Central cornerback Tony Williams (6-2, 190) and Cedartown (Ga.) cornerback Demarcus Gardner (6-0, 170) remain steadfast, though the latter went to Kentucky over the weekend.

On the other, UCF is still pursuing at least three more players.

Vero Beach’s RJ Jones III (6-2, 170) committed to N.C. State on June 9 following his official visit, but the Knights had him on campus this past weekend and feel optimistic about their chances in the long run.

As for safety, UCF’s priorities still on the board are Atlanta (Ga.) Frederick Douglass’ Jontae Gilbert (6-1, 185) and Escambia’s Ladarian Clardy (6-0, 180), another pair of consensus four-star talents.

Set to play in the 2025 All-American Bowl, Gilbert plans to wait until October to make a final decision, allowing for a September trip to South Carolina. Previously an Ohio State commit, he’s also gone to Louisville and Georgia, and he is due to visit N.C. State and Georgia State before the month concludes.

As for Clardy, UCF believes it is in a good spot despite competition from Florida State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Miami. He helped Escambia reach the Region 1-3S final as a junior, tallying 57 tackles, four interceptions and eight PBUs.

Eastman (Ga.) Dodge County safety Duke Johnson (6-1, 200) continues to be committed to Alabama, though the consensus top-50 national recruit has also visited UCF and Auburn this month.

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