Gus Malzahn National Signing Day Press Conference - UCF's best class ever
The future is bright in Orlando.
UCF's 2024 recruiting class, which ranks No. 31 nationally, officially is the best in school history and is also at the top of the Big 12. The group of 18 signees ranks No. 2 in the conference according to the overall points system, but No. 1 in terms of average commit ranking.
UCF signed seven four-star prospects, which is more than any other Big 12 school. 13 of the 18 signees are also slated to enroll in January which means they will be participating in spring practice.
Head coach Gus Malzahn recapped the record haul during a Wednesday press conference in Tampa where the Knights are in the midst of Gasparilla Bowl preparations.
Malzahn reiterated they're committed to building their roster "the right way" by focusing on high school players to lay the foundation.
Among the 18 signees, 10 are from Florida including several "Hometown Hero" local players. Six are from Georgia and particularly the Atlanta area which is always a big focus. The other signees hail from Texas (RB Frankie Arthur) and South Carolina (DT Marcus Downs).
Malzahn began his address by commenting on each signee.
RB Frankie Arthur: "Our running backs coach, Kam Martin, did a super job recruiting this guy. He's Adrian Peterson's younger brother. He's a big guy. He can run. He'll have a chance to help us next year. Very excited about him."
LB Qua Birdsong: "A tall, very athletic linebacker, a physical linebacker. He can rush the passer, went to Kobe Hudson's high school, a guy that we're very familiar with, very excited about Qua."
WR Jordyn Bridgewater: "Got a chance to watch him I guess the last two years in 7-on-7. He's very smooth. He can run, really catches the ball. We're very excited about him. Once again, a Hometown Hero, which is very important"
QB EJ Colson: "He fits our system perfect. I got a chance to watch him play in the state championship game I guess a couple of days ago. He was MVP. He is a dynamic thrower, runner, leader. He's got everything. We're very excited about EJ."
DT Marcus Downs: "He's a defensive tackle that is a really big athletic guy, about 6-5. He does a great job as pass rusher. He's a physical guy. I think he's got a chance to be a really, really good player."
OL Waltclaire Flynn: "He's really one of our more prized recruits. A lot of people around the country really wanted this guy. He's either the top center or No. 2 center by all the rankings and all that. He's playing in the Army All-American Bowl. This guy will have a chance to help us early. We're really excited about Waltclaire. He's been a leader of this class."
TE Kylan Fox: "One of the better tight ends in the country. He's playing in the Under Armour All-American Game. He's got receiver skills, but he's a big physical guy at the tight end position. He was really one of our main guys recruiting. He did a super job leading our class also."
RB Stacy Gage: "Another leader. He was really one of the first guys committed in this class that really gave us some momentum. He's a running back. Kam Martin did a super job with him also. He can do it all. Run, catch, he can do everything that a running back needs to do."
DB Jakob Gude: "A defensive back, this guy was offered by just about everybody in the country, chose to come here. Very physical, very athletic, plays with an edge. And he'll have a chance to play early, very excited about Jakob."
DB Jaylen Heyward: "One of the highest-rated recruits that we've ever had in school history. A guy that was committed to another school in the SEC for a long time and chose to come here. Really one of the leaders in this class. He can really run, he got great coverage skills, great ball skills. He'll have a chance to help us early."
DB Chasen Johnson: "He's a guy that's come over to our 7-on-7s from Seminole. We know a lot about him. He can really run too. He's got really good ball skills, some receiver background and really think that he's got a chance to help us also."
OL Chase Malamala: "He's a guy that we circled early on. He's a big athletic guy. We really think the sky is the limit for this guy moving forward. Very excited to have him on our offensive line."
LB DJ McCormick: "A linebacker from Rockledge, AP's (Jaylen Heyward) teammate, he is also one of the leaders in this class. He can really run, he's very athletic and a very physical linebacker."
DB Christian Peterson: "A defensive back. This guy is really good, a receiver too. He's got great ball skills, a great return guy. Also plays with that edge and he's a guy I think will help us early too. I just love his attitude and his approach."
DB Jashad Presley: "He's a guy that came to our 7-on-7, I guess it was two years ago when he really stood out to me. I think that's when we offered him. He's a big guy, can really run. Really think he'll be able to help our defense early."
WR Bredell Richardson: "He's a receiver that has a lot of upside as far as being a big-time player. He's a guy that I really had to circle from a head coach's standpoint. Recruited him personally, really for the last year. Real excited to have him.He will play early on. I think he's the all-time leader at his high school. Got a chance to watch him in 7-on-7. He's a dynamic playmaker."
WR Kason Stokes: "He's a big, fast guy. He was one of the first to commit to us in this class. He's from here in Tampa, which is very, very important to us for recruiting. We're very excited about him."
QB Riley Trujillo: "He is a dual-threat quarterback. He's a big guy that really fits with what we like to do offensively."
Malzahn said UCF's Big 12 affiliation has been the biggest key in elevating recruiting.
Quarterback EJ Colson initially committed to UCF last summer as a member of the 2025 recruiting class. He has accelerated his academic timeline to reclassify to 2024 and will now graduate from high school next May.
"EJ decided to reclassify, I guess it was a month or so ago," Malzhan said. "He had told us he was thinking about it, and we're all for it. He's a dynamic player. Obviously, the MVP of the state championship game. He actually led (his team) to the state championship game the two years before, too. He's just a winner and can do a lot of things that help teams win."
Malzahn added that Colson will bolster state of Georgia recruiting for 2025 and beyond.
"He's got a great name around Atlanta, and a lot of guys want to play with him," Malzahn said.
Recruiting Florida is always the first focus.
"It starts in this state," Malzahn said. "I guess in the first press conference I had when I got the job, I said we're gonna start here in Florida. We've been committed to that and building this thing the right way with high school guys. I think that's the way to go. (Some schools are) portal heavy, that's what they choose to do. But we're gonna build this thing from the foundation. Our foundation is going to be with Florida high school players."
Georgia is very important too.
"We have a lot of connections (in Georgia) with our staff, from South Georgia all the way up to Atlanta," Malzahn said. "You see how well we're doing in Atlanta. I think that will continue."
Recruiting local Central Florida players, "Hometown Heroes," remains a priority. UCF signed five local players, including three from the Orlando area (WR Jordyn Bridgewater, DB Chasen Johnson and DB Jashad Presley) and two from the Space Coast (DB Jaylen Heyward and LB DJ McCormick).
"It was our plan from day one," Malzahn said. "I've recruited this area for a long time even at my previous school. When I first got here, I said if we can keep our top players home and make it popular for them to stay home and be successful, and we've chipped away. Every year it's been a little bit better and you see the guys having success on the field like John Walker, a Freshman All-American. Everything is trending in the right direction. We'll continue to full-court press the top players at home."
Malzahn sees these players as "Big 12 ready."
"They can help us win a Big 12 championship," Malzahn said. "The great thing about this group is they're outstanding young men and they'll fit into our program, our culture. We don't just take anyone. We do our homework on not just their athletic ability but the type of person they are, the character they have and then the fit within our program."
Malzahn expanded further on wide receiver Bredell Richardson, whom he said he "personally" recruited.
"I'm expecting him to be on the field early," Malzahn said. "There's no doubt about that. I recruited him since day one and that was really our conversation. Certain guys have it at a young age and have something really special about them. He's got that. He's got that it factor. He's got a great personality. Just watching him play and watching him play 7-on-7, I'm real excited that he's gonna be a part of our program."
Transfer Portal is obviously a big part of recruiting nowadays. Malzahn said they still look at high school players to build the foundation and then will evaluate the portal for immediate needs.
Malzahn also thanked his current players for helping during the recruiting process.
"A lot of these guys we've been recruiting a long time and they've got great relationships with our players," Malzahn said. "Our players have done an unbelievable job helping us recruit. And I think that says a lot about our players. It's hard for me to single out one (player). There's numerous guys that have developed a relationship with these guys when they come on campus. And it all works together."
The majority of UCF's Georgia recruits committed in early July. One pair were high school teammates (Waltclaire Flynn and Kylan Fox at Grayson) but all were familiar with one another.
"The group knows each other well," Malzahn said. "And their families know each other well. We're recruiting very hard for the 25 and 26 class around that area too. I think you will see that continue even more than it was this year."
As far as adding a transfer portal quarterback, Malzahn says it remains a possibility. They've been linked to several names.
"If the right person comes available, we'll at least listen," Malzahn said. "We're just looking for the right fit. My job is to make our team the best it possibly can be. It doesn't matter what position that is. And so we'll see what happens."
The 13 early enrollees will be the most since Malzahn arrived at UCF.
"It gives you a complete head start," Malzahn said. "Not just weight program, but just understanding how college football works, how college life works, and then you can get prepared to help during the fall."
Malzahn also commented further on running back Stacy Gage, who was one of the first four-star prospects to commit.
"He's a guy that has influence," Malzahn said. "He's not just a good player in his own right, but he has influence and great players want to play with great players. So when he committed to us early, that was a great shot in the arm for this class. He helped recruit the class and hold the class together. And there's a handful of others that I said were leaders in this class. It was probably about six or seven. And so that is a really, really good deal."