Frost lands his top QB target in Hawaii's Milton
With two weeks to go before National Signing Day, Scott Frost has found his quarterback.
McKenzie Milton of Mililani, Hawaii announced his commitment late Wednesday night, just hours after he had departed from his official visit. He had been committed to the University of Hawaii for more than a year.
"After a long, tough process I've found in my heart that it is best for me to decommit from UH," Milton said in a tweet. "This fall I will be attending The University of Central Florida! Thank you for all the love and support. God bless!"
As a junior, Milton was named Gatorade's Player of the Year for Hawaii after leading his team to a perfect 14-0 record and state championship. During that junior season he completed 238-of-346 passes for 3,392 yards and 35 touchdowns while rushing for 808 yards and another 12 touchdowns on the ground.
A shoulder injury limited his production as a senior, but he still threw for 2,344 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Frost has been building his inaugural recruiting class ever since his hire in early December, but he had yet to secure a commitment from a quarterback.
Reached by phone early Thursday morning, Milton told UCFSports.com Frost offered him immediately after he was hired at UCF. The pair were already well acquainted as Milton was one of the top quarterbacks on Frost's board at Oregon after earning MVP honors at the Ducks' summer camp.
"Two days after he got the job he offered me a scholarship," Milton said. "I first told him no because I wanted to stay home and was solid on UH. Later I decided to change my mind and take two official visits to Navy and UCF. That was about two and a half weeks ago."
Milton says it was difficult decision to leave home, but UCF was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"I just fell in love with UCF," he said. "I came into the visit with an open mind and when I got there I just had a real good feeling about it. I talked to my mom and dad about it. I think UCF is the best fit for me. It was a combination of things. It wasn't just football. I love the campus. The campus was beautiful. I just feel like they have a real good thing going there. I'm excited to be a part of it. It's also good to have a relationship with Coach Frost already."
That bond was forged at Oregon's summer camp where he got to work with his future head coach in a one-on-one setting.
"I just admire him as a coach and a player too," Milton said. "He was great at Nebraska and Stanford. He's the perfect guy to learn from. He's got a great resume. I feel good about him as a mentor. He's like a father, brother and a coach figure all in one. I'm really excited."
He's also looking forward to working with quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco, whom Frost has regarded as his own mentor.
"The first time I met him was when he picked me and my mom up from the airport," Milton said. "I immediately liked the guy. He's hilarious. I think he's going to be real good for me."
If all goes well, the 6-foot, 175-pound dual-threat quarterback will eventually be the centerpiece of the Oregon-style offense Frost plans to install at UCF.
"I've already watched all of Oregon's games especially while Marcus Mariota was playing there," Milton said. "It's just a recipe for success down there. There's a lot of good athletes coming in. They've got good recruiting grounds down there in the Southeast. I met all the guys and felt real good about it. I'm really excited."
Speaking of Mariota, the parallels are similar as Milton was also born and raised in Hawaii.
"He's a rock star," Milton said of Mariota's stature in the Aloha State. "He's the biggest thing in Hawaii, for sure. He only started his senior year of high school, but you could always tell he was a special player."
Milton explained how the commitment went down.
"It was kind of funny," Milton said. "My mom was Facetiming with my dad and then she gave me the phone with Coach Frost in the room. She said, 'McKenzie, do you have anything you want to tell your dad?' I said, 'Dad, I'm about to commit to UCF.' Coach Frost said it was the first time somebody has committed to him while telling someone else. That was kind of funny. They were excited. A lot of hugs and stuff like that. That was right before I left for the airport."
His player host for the weekend was fellow quarterback Justin Holman, who will be a senior in 2016.
"He was a real good dude, a class act," Milton said. "We really hit it off. Cool guy."
What kind of quarterback is UCF getting? Asked to describe what he feels are his strengths, Milton believes it's his knowledge and dedication to the intricacies of the game.
"Even the most athletic guy with the strongest arm isn't going to get very far if he's not smart with the ball," Milton said.
His goals are simple.
"I just want to come in there and compete to play," Milton said. "I'm pretty sure most recruits say they want to come in and play as a freshman. I know Justin Holman is a very good player and will probably have a great senior year. I just want to compete. Of course I want to win championships and stuff like that, be a starter. If I work hard enough, those things will take care of itself. I just want to be the best person, the best player and the best teammate I can be."
***UCFSports.com offers the most comprehensive coverage of the Knights that you can't find anywhere else. Get breaking team and recruiting news, in-depth interviews and exclusive photos from practice and games plus access to the popular Dungeon message board. Give us a try with a 7-day free trial.