On the eve of UCF's official Big 12 entry, the Knights won a big recruiting battle with the addition of Jashad Presley.

The defensive back from Orlando's Dr. Phillips High School had visited UCF and Georgia Tech over back-to-back weekends in June and had been deliberating between the two schools.

"What stands out about UCF is family," Presley said. "They always welcomed me with open arms. They started recruiting me before my junior year. They made me a priority around this time last year. I just really appreciated how Coach Addison Williams welcomed me in. We have a real strong bond. I know I can hit him up any time of the day if I need to talk about anything. He always kept it real with me, which included about things I need to fix in my game. He wants me to be the best."

Presley brings speed, strong tackling ability and coverage skills, but it's an intangible attribute that stood out to UCF.

"Coach Addison always told me he likes my passion," Presley said. "I have a different type of passion than other players on the field. I treat this like a job. It's more than just a game. He likes my passion and says that's something they need on the defense."

Presley said his passion comes from a lifetime of playing the sport.

"I've been a football player my entire life," he said. "I started playing around four years old with flag football and Pop Warner. Once I got into high school, I started putting my head down and had that drive to become the best version of myself."

Doing whatever it takes to get to college became the goal once he got to Dr. Phillips.

"After my ninth grade year, I started going on college tours and visits to campuses," Presley said. "Once I saw I had the potential, I turned it up a notch."

Safety could be the spot for Presley, though he does bring versatility.

"Coach Addison and Coach (David) Gibbs see me as more of a boundary safety, though I could play money linebacker which is like a hybrid outside linebacker or safety," Presley said.

Gus Malzahn has made recruiting the local area a big focus since his arrival. Presley said it means a lot to be a "Hometown Hero."

"I'm super excited," Presley said. "I've probably visited UCF like 20 times over the past couple years. I knew the last day of my official visit that this was home."

Presley is the first of several big-time targets that could be announcing for UCF in the coming days and weeks.

"I feel like we're going to have one of the best classes coming in," Presley said. "A lot of people's heads will start to turn when they see the statement UCF is making."

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