Gabe Davis: 'We're going to bring UCF back up again'
Suffice it to say UCF is on a roll.
Another player popped for the Knights on Monday, this one from Sanford (Fla.) Seminole standout Gabe Davis, a big wide receiver/tight end target that will focus on the latter in college.
Davis has been favoring UCF ever since landing his offer last month. On Monday, while an unofficial visit with teammate DeMarco Artis, he made a verbal commitment to head coach Scott Frost.
"Coach Frost was like, 'Man, you guys have been here two or three times, what's taking you so long? What's holding you back?,'" Davis said. "I said, 'Nothing, coach.' He said, 'So you're committing?' Yeah coach, I'm committing. He starts beating the chair and said, 'Congrats,' and everything. He wanted to make sure I wasn't being pressured. I said, 'No coach, this is where I want to go.'
"I've been on a tour already. I already loved it. My mom and grandpa are going to be able to come see me play. They've been watching me since I was nine years old. It was a family thing. Everybody was happy. I'm happy. We're going to build this program back up again with everybody else who's coming in 2017."
He said all the commits have already established a close bond via social media where many of them participate in a group chat.
"I played 7-on-7 with (quarterback commit) Marvin Washington," Davis said. "He's wanted me to come. When he got offered he was all like, 'When are we making the move to UCF?' He wants me on his side of the ball because he knows what I can do. (Offensive line commit) Viktor Beach texted me out of nowhere and said, 'You gotta commit.' I talked to Bam (Seminole teammate and incoming freshman Brandon Moore). Just a lot of players."
Davis may not be the only Seminole player headed to UCF. The Knights have their sights set on DeMarco Artis, who is the top defensive target on the board for this 2017 class.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it happens," Davis said.
Davis, who is 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, caught 20 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns last season. Another aspect that worked in UCF's favor was how they plan to utilize him as a tight end.
"I really didn't want to be a hand-in-the-dirt tight end, but I felt a lot better after talking to Coach Frost and Coach (Sean) Beckton," Davis said. "They said I'd be standing up playing in the slot, not having your hand in the dirt as much. That's really all I wanted to hear. They compared me to Jordan Franks, who's on the team now. He's about my size. They don't expect him to block 280-pound defensive ends. They're standing him up playing him in the slot and he works as a receiver a lot. Sometimes they have him block, but usually on a backside defensive end or a linebacker."
Momentum is quickly building in UCF's 2017 class, which currently stands at nine total players. That figure could rise as the week unfolds.
"We want to put UCF where they should be," Davis said. "We all know what they're working towards right now. I know the talent that we have and the coaching staff we have. With all the kids committing and going there, this team is going to be successful. In fact, I talked to (sophomore wide receiver) Tristan Payton today and he feels the same way. He said, 'I don't understand why people are sleeping on us. When they see us on Sept. 3, it's going to be crazy.'"
