Former Auburn, Colorado State WR Nate Craig-Myers commits to UCF
Nate Craig-Myers, a four-star prospect in the Class of 2016 who began his career at Auburn and later transferred to Colorado State, will finish his collegiate career at UCF. The former Tampa Catholic star announced his intentions Saturday afternoon, a few days after entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Craig-Myers, who attended Tampa Catholic, played two full seasons and a partial season under Gus Malzahn at Auburn. His most productive year on the Plains was 2017 when he caught 16 receptions for 285 yards and three touchdowns. One of his better games came against UCF in the Peach Bowl when he caught three passes for 54 yards. He chose to transfer out of Auburn early into the 2018 season.
Coming out of high school, Rivals ranked Craig-Myers as the No. 3 wide receiver in the country and the No. 35 overall prospect.
"We really felt like he was one of the best overall players in the entire country," Malzahn said on National Signing Day in 2016 according to AL.com. "He's a big guy. He can go get the football. He's tough to tackle. He's got that competitive edge. He's got a great family. He's a wonderful person... We're excited about him. He's got a chance to be an impact player."
He played the 2019 and 2020 seasons at Colorado State. In 2019, Craig-Myers had the Rams' fourth-most receptions with 23 catches for 329 yards and a touchdown. In a short season of only four games in 2020, Craig-Myers caught six receptions for 68 yards.
Due to the extra year of eligibility granted to athletes because of COVID-19, 2021 will represent Craig-Myers' sixth season in a college program.
UCF is losing three of their primary receivers to graduation in Marlon Williams, Tre Nixon and Jacob Harris.
The returning wide receiver group will likely be headlined by Jaylon Robinson, who was second on the team in 2020 with 55 catches for 979 yards and six touchdowns, along with No. 4 target Ryan O'Keefe, who caught 20 passes for 391 yards and three touchdowns.
The Knights added another receiver transfer at the beginning of the semester, former Tennessee player Brandon Johnson, as well as two junior college transfers: Jaylon Griffin and Kaedin Robinson. Prior to last season, former Florida wide receiver Dionte Marks joined the program as a transfer.
Ke'von Ahmad, Amari Johnson, Justin Menard and Jarrad Baker round out the scholarship returners.
Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, a four-star prospect in the 2021 class who signed with UCF in February, will join the program later this summer.