Gus Malzahn National Signing Day Press Conference
UCF welcomed 15 Knights into the program on Wednesday, a group that could be the best recruiting class in school history. Coach Gus Malzahn says these players will help build the foundation for UCF's upcoming entry into the Big 12. They're not done yet as they have about 10 spots remaining which will likely go to players in the transfer portal.
Opening statement:
"First of all, just very excited about our first class. We signed 15 players. They're big-time players. I think most of them have a chance to play in the NFL. They're super young men. It's one of the best classes in school history. Could end up being the best. We talked about laying the foundation. Really feel like we have a class when we go into the Big 12 next year we think we'll be in super shape with these guys right here.
"We signed 14 high school players, 10 from the state of Florida. If you remember when I first got hired, I said we're gonna recruit the state of Florida and that's what we did. We got four from the Orlando area. It's been a priority for us, keeping the top players home and laying the foundation for that. We did that. Three from Georgia and one from Texas.
"I believe we signed three wide receivers, two defensive ends, two linebackers, two safeties, a corner, two offensive linemen, a quarterback, a running back and a tight end. That was really by design as far as our needs were as far as that goes. We got five players that played for state championships. I think that's very important when you look at the big picture.
"Overall, I'm just real proud of our staff. Real proud of our recruiting team led by Dave Shumate. We've got some great players and some great young men.
"I want to talk about each one of them briefly and then I'll open it up for questions afterward. I'll go by when they came in.
"Tyler Griffin, a wide receiver. We felt like we needed a big receiver in this class. We got on him early. This guy can really run. He's a physical guy. He played defense in high school too. He's a great basketball player. Really feel like he has a chance to come in and really do a great job for us.
"K.T. Thompson is a guy we got on early from a great program like Lakeland that's right down the road. Defensive end. He's very versatile. He's very physical. Sky's the limit for this guy. We're excited to have him a part of our family.
"Jamaal Johnson is a guy, I believe it was probably the first week we were here, I got on a Zoom with him and his mom. He was committed to an in-state school. We felt like he was a great fit for us. We recruited him extremely hard. He just previously won a state championship. This is a guy that can come in and feel like early can play. He's got a lot of leadership ability.
"Jordan McDonald, a running back. He's really the guy we zeroed in on. We think he's the best running back in the country. He's a big guy. He glides. He's very fast. His team just played for a state championship. Coach Tim Harris did a great job recruiting him. He's an early enrollee and I think that's very important too.
"Quarterback Thomas Castellanos is the only quarterback we recruited. He was our first commit. He really led our class. Reminds me of Nick Marshall, a player I had in the past. Just can really extend plays. Got a great arm. He can make all the throws. He's an early enrollee too. We're very excited about Thomas.
"Tylan Grable is a transfer offensive lineman from Jacksonville State. Went in the portal. Obviously he was in a state I was in previously and knew a little bit about him. His former head coach is a buddy of mine and think he's an NFL player. Came on a visit. Super young man. He'll fill in some gaps for us with offensive line.
"Xavier Townsend is a guy that I'm very excited about. Guy that came on an official visit in the spring. You're talking about one of the more dynamic players in our state. He's very versatile. He'll play wide receiver for us. I know he played running back in high school. He's a great returner. We really feel like his skill set fits our offense perfectly. He's a guy we're very excited about. Just came on board with us really last night. Got a super family. We're real excited about him.
"His teammate, T.J. Bullard. They're both from Berkeley Prep, a great program. T.J. is a guy that came on board with us in the summer. We really needed some linebackers with speed. He's a real speed guy. He's a heat-seeking missile. He's a very, very good player. We're very excited about T.J.
"Quan Lee, wide receiver that we got on early. He was committed to an in-state school when we first got here. We just kept recruiting him. This guy is a very physical player. He's a very confident player. He plays defense too. This guy has a chance to be on the field early and making plays for us.
"Nikai Martinez is really the first guy that I called once I got the job. I recruited him at my former school. I think it was right after the press conference, I got him on the phone and said, 'Hey, I came to you. Come here and be the leader.' Really, when he chose to come on board with us, just a guy that could have gone anywhere in the country and he chose to stay at home. I really think he's laying the foundation moving forward for that. He's fixing to play in the state championship game. He's a dynamic player and we're tickled to death to have him.
"Caden Kitler is an offensive lineman from Texas, a center. He's very athletic. Herb Hand, at his former job, was in-state recruiting him and had a previous relationship with him. Came on an official and really loved it. This guy is a really good player and will play center for us.
"Grant Stevens, tight end from Nease. Another very good program. We really felt like tight end, we wanted a guy who had receiver skills. He does that. But he's a very physical young man. He's an early enrollee. He's a guy that can play early. We're tickled to death to have him.
"Kam Moore, linebacker from Seminole. His brother is Brandon Moore who played here from '16 to '19. He just has one of those dynamic personalities. You get around him and he's got something special to him. He plays with a chip on his shoulder. He's a very physical player and has leadership abilities. We're very excited to have him playing linebacker.
"Of course the twins, Demari and Ja'Cari. Guys that we zeroed in early. We felt like we needed them to stay home. They could have gone anywhere they wanted and they chose to come here. Our coaches did a good job recruiting them. Both these guys are the type that could play very, very early and make an impact.
"Overall, that's our 15 guys. Like I said earlier, I think there's a lot of NFL guys in this group. They're the foundation. These guys will have a chance to be on the field early. It was really great getting to know them. They all have great parents. They're gonna lay the foundation for us. We signed 15. There's a good chance we'll probably sign about 10 more before it's all said and done. But we're very excited about today."
Can you talk about the impact you made locally? You talked about the twins, Kam and Nikai. How important is that going forward as you look to recruit locally in future classes?
"There's no doubt. That's really where it starts. We've been saying the State of Orlando. We divided up our 10 coaches. I think each of them has eight to 10 schools here. There's great players in this area as you all know. We're trying to keep the great players at home. The fact we got those four that decided to come on board, they're laying the foundation where it will be popular to stay home. Everybody is going to see. They're going to unbelievably successful I believe. This is the start of it. We're very happy those guys trusted us to come here. Those four could have gone just about anywhere. That'll be the first of many more in the future."
How much of an impact did going to the Big 12 help on the recruiting trail?
"I think so. First of all, our staff is great with relationships. They're great people. The way they recruit, their true personalities. We got off to a good start. That was a shot in the arm when we went into the Big 12. I feel like it'll be a bigger factor in the '23 class. The good thing for us, we hit the ground running after I got hired Feb. 15, we had to play catch-up. For us to sign a class like this, very exciting for me. The future is going to be really good. We've got really good relationship with '23s. They see what's going on. They see the future. The Big 12 like you're talking about is huge. A lot of these guys can go anywhere in the country. I said the goal is to keep them here. That's a group we're going to win championships with."
Polk County is a hotbed for recruiting. How important was it to get K.T. Thompson out of Lakeland?
"That's big for us. There's no doubt. I told him that. He's a guy that could have gone just about anywhere too. He's got great parents. I really felt like he felt at home here. He's a big-time player. He can do a lot of different things. He's the first of many to come out of that county."
You mentioned a couple January enrollees. How many do you expect on campus and what's the value of that?
"I believe we've got five early enrollees. When you get them those 15 days of spring it really helps. That was really good."
Any stories from the road? Did you meet anybody in the driveway?
"First of all, it was just good to get out. With COVID year and all that, that was really something, just to get out. To be able to go into schools. Get to talk to coaches. There's nothing like meeting somebody face-to-face. Getting a feel for them. Our staff did a really good job in that area. Then of course when you go in homes, that's really the funnest thing for me recruiting. You get to go in their house. They're trusting you with their son. You've got the goals and dreams and everything. It's really powerful. Really a neat deal for me. We've got some great families."
You mentioned signing 10 more players down the road. Are you keeping scholarships aside for the transfer portal?
"First of all, we wanted to start it with the high school. Really felt like the foundation is going to be built with high school players, specifically from this state. The fact we signed 14, I think that's really good. We will look to fill in holes that we need with the portal. You see every day, every hour, every minute there's a new guy in. I really feel like the teams that can manage their rosters the best are going to have the advantage. We're pretty patient. I'm probably more patient than a lot of other teams. But that's by design. I just want to make sure it's right. More than anything, get the right type of people here. That's going to be really important as we build this thing."
You talked about a little about Jordan McDonald in your opening statement, saying you thought he was the best running back in the nation. Can you talk more about his skill set, and does he remind you of any players you coached in the past?
"He's from the same high school as Peyton Barber that played for me and is still in the NFL. Jordan is a big back. He's big. He runs big. I said earlier he glides. You watch him and he just glides. He can really run. He's got great vision. He breaks tackles. The key to being successful in college in a running back is breaking tackles. You turn on film and they're running free and outrunning people, but they're not breaking tackles. Well in college football, that doesn't happen much. He's a guy we really believe he is the best. That was real exciting for us to sign him. He's got a great family. I think the sky is the limit for him."
How would you describe the identity or the theme of this first recruiting class?
"I keep saying foundation. These guys are on the front end of something really special. All these guys can come in and contribute early. I look at it from potential. Like NFL potential. I've said that twice. Most of these guys or all of them have NFL potential. That's really exciting. That's what you're shooting for. Because we're fixing to go into a new conference. There's going to be a lot of NFL guys in there. The fact we've got these guys on the front end, and they're all pretty much going to play. That's just what we have as far as depth in our program. We need a lot more depth. These guys can come in and play. You'll see these guys out there starting. I'm really excited. I see very talented young men that have great character."
You talked about getting on the road and doing home visits. You ate Mexican food twice in one day. Were you okay stomach wise?
"It was about a three-hour turnaround. It didn't bother me a bit. Coach Kinne, I was a little disappointed in because he was still feeling the effects the next day. It didn't faze me a bit. I probably could have ate it three times."
You've been through the recruiting process at the high school and college level. What have the changes been like in the last couple years with NIL and the transfer portal. How much has recruiting changed?
"I think probably more in the last year times ten than any other time. Everything is different now. The transfer portal, everybody is learning that. The last two weeks, how many players? 1,000 players? It's a challenge keeping up with who's coming out and then you've got to look at film and make sure you're right. We're just taking a deep breath. We're not wanting to get in a hurry. We want to make sure we're right. I think that will pay off in the end. That's our philosophy this first year. I think every program is learning the new normal. But really like I said, the good thing for me is our foundation is high school players and building those guys up. Then we'll go into the portal to fill in the holes."
How important is NIL to players? Is that something that gets brought up a lot? Do you have meetings when they're on visits? How much is that talked about?
"It is talked about a whole lot. There's great potential here in Orlando. There's no NFL team. Our guys did extremely well. There's some individuals that did really well this past year. I think that is going to be a major selling point here. In the future, I think it's going to get nothing but better for our players."
A local high school coach said the other day the transfer portal is ruining high school recruiting. They were having trouble finding homes for players that normally would be scooped up right away. You just signed 15 high school guys. How do you see that?
"I think that is a big concern. There's no doubt. If I was still in high school and I talk to a lot of high school coaches and they're all concerned. A lot of these coaches are just going all portal. They're not recruiting high school. For us, it probably helps me being a former high school coach. It probably helps me being in the front end of this job too and having a plan of how we're going to get to where we're gonna get. When we got here, we had that goal and vision of winning championships. It really starts in this state. I know I said that in the introductory press conference. And it starts in this area. We held true to that. We're going to stick to that formula and that plan. We feel like it's gonna pay off."
Guys like Tommy and T.J. have been active on social media selling this program? How beneficial were they in the recruiting process?
"It all works together. You get these guys that are leaders and come in early in the class. They recruit for you. It all works together. Both those guys did a phenomenal job of helping us. Like I said earlier, Thomas I believe was the first one. You see him and you want a quarterback that leads. He's already doing that in the recruiting area."
A lot of your guys that committed have versatility and can play multiple positions. Is that a philosophy?
"I like football players. Not just measureables. I'm a former high school coach. I always tell our staff that we've got to get football players. Football players can play special teams. That was by design. We've got some real guys that are very versatile. There are a lot of returners in here. You can't have enough returners in college football."
With the coaching carousel, there's been a lot of talk that maybe the early signing period in December is not a great idea. They're talking about potentially moving it. What's your stance on that? Do you like it where it is, would you like to see something earlier or later?
"I think with the portal everything has changed. I think leadership wise we need to step back and look. What is best moving forward? You see how many coaches changed. It was mind blowing in itself. There is some talk about January. That probably makes a lot of sense. I'm the type whatever it is, try to get in a routine. I know early signing day, when it first started, it was a little bit different. Now I'm in a routine. Now it seems very natural. Looks to me like January would make a lot of sense."
Is your focus shifting to next week's bowl game? What's your timeline?
"We had four practices. We really worked on just us primarily. Trying to develop some of the young guys. We took today off for signing day. We're going to get in our routine as far as our practice prep for Florida. You look at them on film and they're an impressive group. Top 10 in the country on offense in most categories. Defensively, their defensive line really stands out to me. They're long, they're physical, they're fast. It's a big challenge for us."
Tylan Grable was a tight end in college. What is his athleticism like?
"He was actually a quarterback in high school. Then he moved to tight end. Then he moved to tackle. I think that's a good thing. He's about 290 pounds. You can see his frame. He's going to get bigger. He's only played the position for two years and was an All-American at that level. I think the sky's the limit for him. He's got the right attitude too. He's got a chance to definitely help us."
You mentioned your introductory press conference. How does this place look differently now than it did then?
"I think more than anything we know what we're getting here. This is the group that is really going to lead us I feel like as far as the goals and dreams that we have. It was really fun recruiting these guys and developing relationships with these guys. Everything's happened quick from that first introductory press conference to right now. I'm a very happy head coach now. I can see it and feel it. This is the start of something special."
I know the fans have gotten to know Quan Lee a little bit through social media. He has quite the personality. What can you tell us about getting to know Quan and the kind of player you think he's going to be?
"First of all, he's a real good person. He does. He's got his own personality. He's got his own personality on social media. Jet Lee. He's got his own name. I kind of like it. He plays with an edge. He's a tough guy. He's not scared of anything. I think he'll bring a really good attitude to our receiver group. I think he's a phenomenal player too."
Do you plan to use the extra practices to evaluate the younger players?
"A lot of our young guys are having to play because of injuries. It's not like a normal bowl practice. We did the first four practices, try to develop our young guys the best we could. The ones that hadn't played which isn't very many. Then just kind of get back in the flow of things. Our guys have been off for two weeks. We needed that to heal up. Our guys you can tell are fresher. They needed the break after that season. Now we took a day off. I expect our urgency to be pretty high coming into tomorrow."
You touched on both Jamaal and Quan being committed to in-state schools before. What's it like to get that win over in-state teams?
"This is a program that I believe can compete with anyone. This is a great program. People know on the outside even that the future is unbelievably bright. It doesn't matter if it's in-state school or committed to SEC school or Big 12. It doesn't matter. This is a very attractive place for top recruits. This is the start of it. Like I said, it's got a chance to be the best class in school history. We only signed 15 and we're going to sign 10 more. There's some really good ones coming this way I feel like in the future."
You talked about how this class addresses several needs. What else do you need to address?
"More than anything just depth. We're just a thin team. Offensive line, we're going to lose a couple guys. We've got two guys to add on to the pass rush. You can't have enough pass rushers. Three receivers. We needed some receivers too. We feel like we addressed the immediate needs. In the back end with these 10, we're looking for impact players at any position that can help give depth."
You said you had to play catch-up coming in late. Recruiting is a multi-year process. How much momentum do you think this class will have in helping to recruit the 2023 and 2024 classes?
"I think the big thing for me is this state. Getting top players from this state to come here and have a positive experience and recruit the next class from this state. It all works together. What you're going to see is these guys that could have gone other places that chose to come here, they're going to be ultra successful. It won't take long that the next class will see that and we'll start recruiting on a really high level. The plan is in place. This just confirms what the plan is. Things are going in the right direction."
You sound kind of giddy about this class?
"Oh yeah. We had a lot of these guys committed. I think there were only two that hadn't been committed that signed today. It was one of those things, we got really good players. We've just got to get them to sign. That's been our big thing. There were coaches that came after them the last month. A lot of them. They chose to hang in there. We got them to signing day. That was a great feeling. We picked up two real players on top of that. It wasn't a good day. It was a great day."
What can you say about the staff and the work they put in to land these guys and staying on them all through the fall.
"They played catch-up too. Catch up on relationships. Really good people. They're the type of staff that's going to attract the right type of people because they're genuine. They did a great job developing relationships. It shows. When teams come in late that are supposedly bigger, that they hung in there with us. I think hats off to our staff and our recruiting staff."