Garcia excited for Dean's future at UCF under Heupel
Charlie Dean will enter his senior year as one of the top quarterbacks in Florida.
Before he even entered high school, Stephen Garcia saw big-time potential in the player that would later become a star at Tampa (Fla.) Catholic and an early 2019 commit for UCF.
More than a decade ago, Garcia himself was a star quarterback from Tampa, ending his career at Jefferson as the county's all-time leading passer. He signed with South Carolina to play for Steve Spurrier and helped to bring about a Gamecocks resurgence in a playing career that spanned from 2008-11.
These days, Garcia is a private quarterback coach in in the Tampa Bay area as owner and operator of Garcia Passing Agency. One of his first clients several years ago was an eighth-grader named Charlie Dean.
"I saw Charlie's potential pretty quickly," Garcia said. "I was at the Steve Spurrier Quarterback Camp in South Carolina and that's where I met him. His dad, Big Charlie, went to Florida and he knew my old quarterback coach, G.A. Mangus. I met Charlie and his parents and we arranged to start working out together back in Tampa."
Dean began his career at Tampa Catholic as a backup quarterback and starting punter, then moved into the No. 1 quarterback spot as a sophomore. He took a big step forward this past season as a junior, passing for for 1,743 yards and 14 touchdowns.
"Charlie's biggest asset is his arm strength," Garcia said. "He can make any throw all over the field. It's pretty impressive to see a kid throw the way that he can. He's a pretty fast kid. He runs a 4.5 or 4.6 forty. He's shifty. Definitely smart. He got offered by Harvard. He's definitely a smart kid. He works extremely hard."
While Dean lacks prototypical height for a quarterback, in this day and age of spread-based offenses size doesn't really matter. He's still plenty tall enough at 6-foot-1, same as Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield. McKenzie Milton is 5-11 and that didn't stop him from leading UCF to an undefeated season.
"His dad played tight end at 6-4 so he may still grow another inch," Garcia said. "He's tall enough, but his arm strength makes up for everything else. It's pretty impressive."
Garcia sees UCF - and specifically the opportunity to work with Josh Heupel - as the perfect fit for Dean.
"I actually was recruited by Coach Heupel at Oklahoma," Garcia said. "We have a long history. He came out to Tampa Catholic the other day to watch Charlie throw and we started talking again. He said if I'd have come to Oklahoma that I'd be playing in the League still. He was serious and who am I to doubt him? Coach Heupel is the best quarterback guy out there at the collegiate level. And that's what I told Charlie.
"We talked a lot that afternoon. He said they were only taking one 2019 guy and Charlie is the one they want. They wanted him to be the face of the program. They have big expectations for him. After that, I sent a group text to Charlie's mom and dad and suggested they might want to pull the trigger."
They did. Dean committed this past Friday, exactly one week after receiving the offer from Heupel.
"I'm really excited for Charlie," Garcia said. "It's the best fit in terms of going to a top program that went undefeated last year. Coach Heupel is one of the best quarterback coaches out there, if not the best. That's what I told Charlie. If you have aspirations to play in the NFL, this might be your ticket. If UF or Florida State offers I don't think it's going to matter. This is the best place for Charlie."