Jamal Meriweather excited to join UCF family
For Jamal Meriweather, his decision came down to relationships.
As the Brunswick (Ga.) offensive tackle started reeling in offers, a group that included Utah, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, USC, Houston, Cincinnati, Missouri, South Carolina, Kentucky, Minnesota, Tennessee and West Virginia, Meriweather kept circling back to the connections he had down at UCF.
So prior to Saturday's spring game, which was his third visit in recent months, Meriweather jumped on board UCF's recruiting class becoming the Knights' fourth commit for 2023. He then officially announced his decision Easter Sunday.
"I always wanted to go to a college where I feel like I'm part of the family," Meriweather said. "That was the main thing."
Standing tall at 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds, Meriweather is a former defensive lineman turned offensive tackle, making his offensive debut this past season. That caught UCF's attention, who invited him to a game last year.
"I went down there for the South Florida game," Meriweather said. "One of my coaches, Mike Gibson, brought down me and Ka'Shawn Thomas. I talked to Coach William Lee and he liked how I look, said I need to gain another 20 pounds. I was about 240 then. He said when you put on 20 more pounds you'll look like a grown man and we'll offer you."
The game made an impression.
"I liked the atmosphere," Meriweather said. "I liked the energy from the students, jumping up and down. They're crunk in that stadium."
Being tall for his age, Meriweather gravitated towards basketball before going out for football, first seeing time as a defensive lineman.
"My first love was basketball," Meriweather said. "I used to take basketball real serious. One day my dad was like, 'You should play football.' Once I got used to the contact and started lighting people up, I was like basketball ain't nothing like this! As I grew into it, football became my thing."
A big turning point for him was this past season when he started playing offensive tackle.
"I didn't think I'd like playing tackle, but when I actually got in a game and started pancaking people, I liked how that feels, taking advantage and being dominant. This is fun!"
High-level offers start rolling in once his junior highlights got distributed. UCF offered more recently, wanting him to get him down for another visit first. At that point, Meriweather felt like he didn't need to drag out his recruitment much longer.
"I've been thinking about committing," Meriweather said. "I had a good talk with (UCF coach) Alex Mathis. He just got there from Glynn Academy. He was like, 'Yeah man, there's a good vibe here.' It's close to home. Everything they said, it was just like that when I visited. He told me they're gonna treat me like family. That's never gonna change. UCF has great fans that hype the team up. They're always doing different things. The head coach always has surprises, like the (spring game) jerseys with the QR codes. I like that kind of stuff."
Meriweather also felt a connection with offensive line coach Herb Hand.
"Coach Hand was always saying he liked my frame, how I've got long arms," Meriweather said. "He liked how I get off the ball. At Brunswick High, all we do is run the ball. At UCF, that's all they do. Run the ball, run the ball, run the ball. I'd be a great fit there. All their offensive lineman are seniors. A lot of older guys. So I could get some early playing time too.
"During one of the visits, (Hand) explained everything on a Power Point to my mom and dad too, just showing how everything works. They liked the presentation. I feel I can trust him. (Coach Hand) is a family man, but he pushes his players also."
When he committed on Saturday, Meriweather caught the coaches by surprise. They didn't think a decision was coming that soon.
"I knew I was gonna make them happy," Meriweather said. "Gus (Malzahn) said he had been praying about it because they need offensive linemen. I told Coach Hand I was ready to commit and he was so hyped he punched the desk. It's the right place. I just love the energy."
UCF is now making a major recruiting push into South Georgia. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos, an early enrollee this spring, hails from Waycross. Incoming freshman wide receiver Tyler Griffin is from Brooklet. And UCF recently got a commitment from linebacker Troy Ford Jr. of Savannah.
"I know Thomas," Meriweather said. "Last season we played Waycross in our spring game, like a scrimmage. When I saw him at practice, throwing the ball, he seemed familiar. Oh yeah, that's the dude from Waycross! We've got a little bit of Georgia down there now."
Meriweather said his other finalist was an SEC school.
"I was back and forth with South Carolina and UCF," he said. "UCF just got me. It was the best fit."
