Bounce House Weekend, UCF's mega recruiting event is back
Welcome to Bounce House Weekend!
UCF is kickstarting June recruiting with a mega weekend of visits, which include official and unofficial visitors. The Knights have six commits in their 2023 class, all of whom will be in Orlando and they'll be joined by high-level targets in the 2023 and 2024 classes.
Official Visits
Apopka DE Kaven Call was the first player to join the 2023 class, announcing on Christmas Day just a couple days after UCF's bowl win against Florida. His final six prior to the commitment also included Georgia, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Mississippi State and Rutgers. Speaking of Bounce House Weekend, Call was offered just prior to the inaugural 2021 event and was among last year's BHW visitors.
Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School LB Troy Ford Jr. emerged as a priority target last season, visiting for a game and then returning in January for the "Hometown Hero" Junior Day event. Following that visit, Ford named UCF as his top school and committed a couple months later shortly after a return visit for spring practice. South Carolina had factored prominently prior to his commitment and other schools in the mix included Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati, Duke, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
DE Isaiah Nixon exploded on the scene as a high-level prospect following his junior season at St. Petersburg (Fla.) Lakewood. Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State and USC were among his other offers. He rose to the top of UCF's board and visited several times, including for Hometown Hero. Nixon made headlines in mid-April when he committed from the stands while visiting for UCF's spring game.
Brunswick (Ga.) OL Jamal Meriweather was another spring game commitment, but waited until the following day - Easter Sunday - to announce his pledge. He had been on UCF's radar since last season, visiting for a home game last November. His other offers included Utah, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, USC, Houston, Cincinnati, Missouri, South Carolina, Kentucky, Minnesota, Tennessee and West Virginia.
TE Jayvontay Conner currently attends East Forsyth High School in Kernersville, N.C., but his roots are in Opelika, Ala., not too far from Gus Malzahn's prior stop. He committed to UCF in April, choosing from a finalists list that also included Maryland, Florida State, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech.
Cardinal Gibbons QB Dylan Rizk's roots with UCF can be traced to last summer when he landed his offer following a standout performance at a camp. He had an oustanding junior season, leading his team to the Class 4A state championship in December. He committed in late April.
One of the top players in the country, Osceola DT John Walker recently named a top five of UCF, Michigan, USC, Ohio State and Florida. He's been a longtime target of UCF and defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin, visiting several times over the last year. He will OV to Michigan (June 10), USC (June 17) and Ohio State (June 24) to round out the month. He plans to announce his decision Oct. 22.
Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes DL Joshua Horton's very first offer arrived from UCF in March 2021, just a few weeks after Gus Malzahn and staff arrived in Orlando. Other schools eventually caught on as his offer list now is well into the dozens. In April, Horton issued a top 10 that included UCF, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Tennessee, Michigan State, North Carolina, West Virginia and Mississippi State. Florida offered afterward. His OV schedule for the rest of the month includes Auburn (June 10) and North Carolina (June 24).
Miami Northwestern WR Lamar Seymore has been a longtime commitment to the Hurricanes, pledging all the way back in April 2020. He's kept an open ear to other schools, UCF obviously included. His most recent visit to campus was during the spring. Other schools still involved in his recruitment include West Virginia, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Pitt and Auburn.
Lake Mary DB Braeden Marshall is one of the most-coveted players in Central Florida. He recently dropped a top 10 that included UCF, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Pitt, Clemson, Penn State, Miami, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Not long after he published that list, Florida State offered. He's got a busy month ahead with other planned OVs to Wisconsin (June 9), Pittsburgh (June 16) and North Carolina (June 24).
Ocoee DB Zachary Tobe exploded this spring in terms of recruiting attention. Being local, he's made multiple visits to UCF. In fact, he formally received his offer during a January visit to campus. Following his UCF OV, Tobe will visit Boston College (June 10), Illinois (June 17), Iowa (June 20) and North Carolina (June 24). He is planning to announce his commitment July 7.
Unofficial Visits (2023)
UCF was among the first schools to offer Gainesville Buchholz DE Gavin Hill, doing so in April 2021. His offer list is now quite lengthy, including Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Arizona, Miami, Maryland, Duke, Indiana, NC State, Mississippi State, Auburn, Kentucky, Louisville and Nebraska. He's been on campus several times, including Hometown Hero and the spring game. Hill camped at Georgia earlier this week.
Boone kicker Grant Reddick is ranked by Kohl's (organization that focuses on specialists) as the No. 1 kicker recruit in the entire nation. While most specialists receive preferred walk-on offers with a promise to be put on scholarship if they win the job, Reddick already has a full ride offer from UCF as well as Air Force. He's on the radar of many more though, including Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State, Florida, Mississippi State, Alabama and Florida State.
After a junior season with more than 1,000 receiving yards, Eustis WR Tyree Patterson began attracting attention this spring. Florida was the first Power Five school to catch on with the Gators offering in early April and he committed shortly thereafter. UCF quickly followed suit, offering later in the month.
To say May was a big month for North Cobb offensive lineman Gabriel Fortson would be an understatement. He had zero offers going in, but ended the month with offers from Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Tulane, Duke, Troy, Mississippi State, ECU, Memphis, UCF, Middle Tennessee, Georgia State, Georgia Southern,m Appalachian State, Missouri, Western Kentucky, North Carolina, NC State and South Florida. Fortson has a busy June as he plans to visit many of those schools on his offer list.
Lakeland WR Daidren Zipperer was offered by UCF in April, joining a group that also includes Pitt, South Carolina, Kentucky, BYU and many others. He's visited multiple times, including last summer.
Unofficial Visits (2024)
Tampa Catholic OL Eddy Pierre-Louis has emerged as one of the best prospects in the 2024 class. He's already visited twice this year, once in January and again for the spring game.
Orlando Jones defensive tackle D'antre Robinson is a truly elite prospect in the 2024 class. He's been on campus several times, including in January for Hometown Hero.
Another highly-touted 2024 prospect, Rockledge DB Jaylen Heyward has been a frequent visitor to UCF including attending a couple games last year and returning during the spring.
A teammate of top 2023 prospect Gavin Hill (as well as incoming UCF freshman Quan Lee), Kendall Jackson has been on campus several times already. He was offered during an early February visit, returned in March for a lengthy sit-down with Gus Malzahn and was back again to attend the spring game.
Wekiva High School DL Sincere Edwards has been making a name for himself in Central Florida ever since he was a freshman. He already has a long offer list, UCF obviously included. He's been on campus many times, including for Hometown Hero.
Largo LB Adarius Hayes is ranked by Rivals as the No. 2 outside linebacker in the country in the Class of 2024. He's already got offers from virtually everyone. He also visited UCF during spring practice and then returned for the spring game.
West Palm Beach-Cardinal Newman's Tovani Mizell is one of the top prospects for 2024, ranked by Rivals as the No. 5 running back in the country.
Chaminade Madonna's Davion Gause is another highly-rated 2024 prospect, ranked by Rivals as the No. 6 running back in the country.