UCF put the finishing touches on their 2019 recruiting class on Wednesday.
With the majority of players having already signed in December, the Knights made just three additions during February's late signing day: OL Lokahi Pauole, DB James Tarver Jr. and kicker Daniel Obarski. UCF also brought in Notre Dame graduate transfer quarterback Brandon Wimbush, who enrolled several weeks ago.
During an afternoon press conference, Josh Heupel talked about the class as a whole and also looked ahead to spring practice, which begins next month. Here's everything he had to say.
On the early signing day becoming the main signing day:
"I think that's consistent. The last two years for most programs. Year one for us was a short time before that first signing period. I think just continuing moving forward, that's where a majority of the signees are going to come from."
On spending more time in January evaluating 2020 and beyond:
"You still prioritize the guys that are in the current signing class that haven't signed yet and the guys you're going after. A couple official visits sprinkled in throughout the month of January on the weekends, but a lot of it is recruiting the next class."
On the importance of local recruiting:
"Critical to our success as a program. I think that's the great thing about being here in the fertile recruiting ground that you have at your disposal. You can recruit the area. Tons of great players. Big guys, skill guys. Really proud of what we did inside of the city and the surrounding counties. It's going to be critical for us to continue to develop those relationships with high school coaches. Get to know the players at a young age. You have the ability to have them on your campus multiple times, whether that's unofficial visits, junior days, game day experiences. I think the success we've had on the field, the exposure we're getting nationally, and our game day environment is critical to the success we've had with the local area kids."
On the decision to bring in Notre Dame graduate transfer quarterback Brandon Wimbush:
"Obviously losing KZ and the recovery he's on with the youth that we had at that position, we felt like it was an opportunity for us to bring somebody in who has a lot of game experience. He's competed at the highest levels. He fits what we do offensively. Add a player like that to our meeting room. The most important thing to have as a coach is competitiveness, having great players in there that will push each other on a daily basis. I think Brandon brings that to our room, a level of maturity. Those guys are all competing right now in a really positive way."
More on Wimbush's skill set:
"He's athletic. He manages games well. Has the ability to spread the ball down the football field. He's an explosive athlete. He's a kid that has gone through some ups and downs in his career and has come out on the other side of it, I believe. I think those experiences are critical and will help kids go compete at their next opportunity. He's extremely mature. He's handled himself in a great way. He's been great in the meeting room and around our players. Been great in the strength and conditioning area. I expect him to compete at a really high level when we get into spring ball in early March."
On having QB Dillon Gabriel enrolled early:
"Dillon, being able to come in, we're really excited about DG. He's got the ability to spread the football around the field. Set a bunch of records in Hawaii. Competed at a high level. You watch his tape and he's extending and making plays with his feet. Dynamic. Really accurate with the football. Extremely competitive and smart for a young guy inside our program. Again, I think the strength of that position, just like any position on your football team, the strength can never be one guy. It's got to be the group. They've got to compete within themselves. They've got to compete with the guy next to them and compete in a positive way. We've had that since we got here a year ago. I believe that's going to be the strength of that group."
On Wimbush fighting for a starting spot:
"We don't ever promise anything in recruiting. If you're promising something in recruiting to a kid about starting, that kid should probably beware of he promised the guy who was recruited before him and the guy that's going to be recruited after him. We promised him an opportunity to come in and compete and earn a spot. We promised we're going pour our energy and time into him to help him become the best version of himself as a football player."
On whether the QB spot is an open competition:
"There's open competition at all 22 starting spots, offense and defense. You want to be a championship football team? You have to continually strive to put the best players on the football field. To do that, you've got to compete and earn it and prove yourself. There's not a play that we made last year or did not make that's going to help us in the coming season. We've got to earn it as individuals and as a football team."
On the living rooms "being different" after his first successful season:
"I think there's a trust factor and a known commodity as far as what you're going to do on the football field. What your environment is going to be like inside your program, your culture. They understand that you're not just promising something. You've delivered on those things, what you're going to be about. I think there's a comfort level with our players. When guys came in on official visits, they know what the culture is going to be like. I think that's the most important thing in selling to a recruit is they're going to be around your players and they're going to know exactly what it's like. Players don't lie to players. Our players enjoy being here and doing what we do."
General question about recruiting:
"What this program is continuing to do is continuing to build. It's helping us go compete and win recruiting battles inside this state and across the country as well."
On the latest regarding McKenzie Milton:
"Everybody saw that he had his most recent surgery. He's doing really well in the rehab process. Long road to go yet. Everything is unfolding in a very positive way. Best case scenario after the initial injury. I think when he's been able to be around our players, I think that's been really good for him. He's in our building going to rehab, continuing to get better every day."
On keeping the coaching staff intact:
"Excited that we've been able to keep them. As a head coach, you're successful because of the guys in that building. I'm talking about your assistant coaches and players. As much time and energy our assistant coaches poured into relationships with our players, I think it speaks to how much players matter to them. I think it speaks to the power of this place and what they feel we are going to continue to build and do here. We want those guys here as long as possible."
On adding another Hawaii player:
"Hopefully it is a pipeline, so they keep coming over. Getting DG was awesome. Very visible over there on the island. He has a lot of relationships with kids. Lokai knew him. I think the success of McKenzie, the players over there recognize what's been going on here the last couple years and wanted to be a part of that."
On whether Heup has been to Hawaii to recruit:
"I have not been over there physically recruiting yet. There's a couple other coaches that made that long haul."
On the advantage of early enrollees:
"It's a choice each kid and each family needs to make. You're giving up a portion of the last semester of your senior year. You're gaining a lot in return. I think the ability to get into our weight room helps those guys physically mature in a really positive way. They get a lot of football in a short period of time, that first semester here. They grow every single day. You go out there on the practice field and you'll see a kid grow from one to two and they're a dramatically different player at the end of spring ball. It allows them to fast forward really fast in May, June and July and by the time they come back in August, they feel like a seasoned veteran instead of a guy that's in their first fall camp. That allows them to be really comfortable in your schemes, understanding exactly how you're gonna to want to practice, the expectations. That allows them to ultimately get on the field a little bit quicker than somebody just coming in during training camp."
On DB James Tarver:
"He's a kid that we had in camp last year. We talk about the ability, being where we are with location, to have kids come on campus. Had a chance to have him come into our camp. Really liked him in person. Liked what we saw on tape. Continued to evaluate him throughout the fall. Love his ability to play multiple positions on the back end. At 5-11, he's got a really long wingspan. Plays longer than his height. Just feel like all his intangibles off the field, he's a guy that can come in and compete right away inside of our program."
On kicker Daniel Obarski:
"Kid that's got a powerful leg. He can help your cover unit because he can kick out of the back of the end zone. A critical position because he's a point scorer. Extremely accurate with the football with a really solid leg. I think as he continues to develop his body, his power will continue to improve. With the loss of all of our specialists, replacing all of those roles was extremely critical to us as a program."
On the 2019 class addressing specific needs:
"Excited about what we did on both sides of the line of scrimmage, offensive and defensive. I think everyone here knows with us coming in that was a point of emphasis. We lost a bunch of really good football players on the defensive line and having to replace those guys was a high priority for us in this recruiting class. Love what our entire staff did, Coach Burnham going out and getting some really good players I think will help us next fall and help us long term at that position as well.
"I think the speed we added at the skill spots, particularly at wide receiver, is something that we're trying to continue to add to our roster."
On DE Tre'Mon Morris-Brash:
"I wasn't able to talk about him in the first press conference. Dynamic pass rusher off the edge. Has the ability to bend, run the hoop, make explosive plays on the defensive side of the football. Does a great job of chasing the ball sideline to sideline. A guy that's been recruited by a lot of people throughout the entire country. Excited that he chose this place because of the culture, because of what we're doing on the field and because of our ability to graduate players. I think he's a great fit to what we're doing."
On transfers becoming a bigger part of recruiting:
"When the bowl games end, the portal numbers go through the roof. I think that is a portion of recruiting. Certainly in today's recruiting. It's essentially a waiver wire. You're able to pick some kids up that can maybe help your program."
On whether they'll look for transfers to add:
"I think it's always something you're looking at, as you get through spring ball and you look at, whether it's injuries or maybe a position where some young guys haven't developed yet or a guy that can dramatically upgrade your position. Those are always things you're looking at, to continually upgrade your roster."
On what he's seen from his team since the bowl game:
"Team meeting a few days after the bowl game, then as coaches we're out on the road. I've seen in the weight room and work out a little bit. Every time I go in there, I like the energy and maturity that I see from those guys. They've been really focused on the job at hand. I feel like we're continually continuing to grow, just in our maturity as a football team and program. That's important. We have a lot of leadership left and have guys that need to step into that role. They're starting to take their first steps in that. Need to see them grow. I like the way our kids look. We're so much different than we were 12 months ago, just physically in the way we look. I'm proud of the work that they've put in, what Coach (Kurt) Schmidt has done in the weight room. Looking forward to the next four weeks before we get into spring ball, seeing those guys continue to change their bodies."
On kicker Daniel Obarski and the culture being a selling point:
"Academically, it's critical. He's an engineering major. I've been at football program where one wasn't capable of getting that degree because of when football is practicing and when those classes are offered. I think the size of our university, third-fastest growing city, job opportunities when they're done, that plays into the long-term vision. Kids that see that are really excited about what we have to offer. The product on the field the last couple years, I think speaks for itself. I think the culture is a big piece of the environment. What do you want it to be like when you walk in the door every day. What do you want your teammates to be like when you're outside of our building. That's a four-year process. It's a lot of fun. It allows you to accomplish everything you want to in college football and sets you up for the next 40 years of your life."
Whether he's going to watch the Orlando Apollos:
"Are they playing Saturday? I'll probably catch a little bit."
