National Signing Day, once a staple of the first Wednesday in February, is now a December event. UCF head coach Gus Malzahn though opted to utilize this day to formally announce their transfer class that enrolled last month.
UCF's transfer class of 15 players is ranked No. 11 nationally, according to Rivals.
Malzahn ran down each of the incoming transfers, though did skip over QB KJ Jefferson because he already had a dedicated press conference with him a few weeks ago.
Here's a recap of Malzahn's press conference:
LB Xe'Ree Alexander (Idaho) - They recruited him extremely hard, he can be a big-time linebacker and he's very good on special teams.
LB Ethan Barr (Vanderbilt) - He initially committed to Washington, then came back to UCF after the coaching change there. Two-time team captain at Vandy. Very good player. Ted Roof coached Barr during his freshman year.
OL Jabari Brooks (Samford) - He has NFL potential. He can play center or guard. Herb Hand and Gus really zeroed in on him. He can really help.
DE/LB Zavier Carter (UNLV) - He's a pass rushing specialist. He can play both positions. Previously at LSU and is originally from Atlanta.
OT Wes Dorsey (WKU) - He's 6-7, 315 and started last year. Real excited about him.
DE Daylan Dotson (UT Martin) - Big South Defensive Player of the Year. Talented DE and can rush the passer.
CB Antione Jackson (ECU) - A DB they actually recruited out of high school. Knew a lot about him already. Adds depth to CB.
WR Goldie Lawrence (Florida State) - He was previously highly recruited from Sanford-Seminole. "Happy to get him back." Big, strong and fast.
RB Myles Montgomery (Cincinnati) - They've played against him the last two years so they knew a lot about him, Big and strong, great addition to RB room.
TE Evan Morris (Michigan State) - MSU did a lot of similar things that UCF does offensively, so with Alec Holler moving on he will fit right in.
S Deshawn Pace (Cincinnati) - He was an All-Big 12 honorable mention. They felt he was one of Cincinnati's best players. An impact player. A big-time cover guy and tackle. A real football player. He could have gone a lot of places.
LB Jesiah Pierre (Texas Tech) - All-Big 12 honorable mention as well. They knew a lot about him. He's a local guy from Mount Dora who originally signed with Florida.
DB Ladarius Tennison (Ole Miss) - Rockledge grad who originally went to Auburn to play for Malzahn, then later transferred to Ole Miss. One of the best special teams players in the country. He's a nickel/DB type that has NFL potential.
DB Bryon Threats (Cincinnati) - Physical and real explosive. He stood out during prior UCF-Cincinnati games.
Malzahn felt this class addressed their immediate needs. They've fit in quite well in the early going.
Improving defensive talent was a big objective. Gus felt they needed some playmakers and some experience from veterans, not just potential. They recruited leading tacklers and team captains. He feels they landed a lot of impact players.
Following their first year in the Big 12, Gus recognized it was very physical. Others may have thought it was a 7-on-7 type league, but it was totally the opposite. They had to address their tackling issues. Adding some OL to mix in with what they've got. They needed an experienced TE.
Looking at the influx of LBs, they were already thin last year and lost their starters to graduation. They needed experience to complement the younger players.
Gus stressed they're committed to building via high school players and transfer portal is more about specific needs.
RB Myles Montgomery is a great person. He breaks tackles and he's a physical runner that protects the football.
Looking at center competition in the spring, it will consist of Jabari Brooks, Caden Kitler and Waltclaire Flynn. Brooks could also play guard. All will be in the mix.
During high school recruiting, there's much a longer time to develop a relationship. Transfer portal is about making quick decisions.
On newly hired CB coach Trovon Reed, he was a top 10 player in 2010 from Louisiana. Played in two National Championship games at Auburn. Played in the NFL for a long time. "He's like family." He's a dynamic personality. Sky is the limit for him as a coach. Really good recruiter and can relate to players. Working with Addison, he'll do a great job with the corners.
Looking at the 2024 schedule, Gus says last year they were "world travelers" so he likes having eight games in the state of Florida. One real road trip to Arizona State. Real good teams. Only two teams on the schedule that they played last year (Cincinnati, West Virginia). Really good home games the fans will enjoy.
Gus is fine with the bye week placement. He likes it much better than the 2023 schedule.
Since Gus arrived, recruiting the local area was always a priority. Even if those players didn't initially sign, they knew they might want them later on in the transfer portal.
