Parker Navarro: 'I knew in my heart UCF was the place for me'
Parker Navarro committed to UCF on Thursday night and he caught up with UCFSports.com to talk about his decision.
Navarro had a pretty good idea of his intentions when he departed from his UCF official visit on Monday, but the Phoenix (Ariz.) Desert Vista quarterback thought it was only fair to hear out these other suitors one time, that being North Texas and Arizona State.
"North Texas came in on Tuesday," Navarro said. "I got to meet Coach (Seth) Litrell. Amazing coach, amazing guy. I was able to hear more about their program. I then went on an unofficial visit to ASU on Wednesday. Kind of saw everything there. I got to meet Coach (Zak) Hill, the OC. I got to talk with him for a little bit. After I met with the coaches from those two schools, I still knew in my heart that UCF was the place for me. I did want to talk with those other coaches because they had offered me. I wanted to hear what they had to say, but at the end of the day it just made my decision easier. It just made me feel real good about everything."
Navarro was ready to inform the UCF coaches of his intent late Wednesday night, but due to the time difference those conversations instead took place on Thursday. He spoke with head coach Josh Heupel and his recruiters, co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle.
"I know Coach Halzle was getting ready to come out here (to visit me)," Navarro said. "He answered right away, so I told him first. He was fired up about it. He told me that I made their day. I ended up having a really good talk with Coach Heupel. It solidified my decision even more. He just felt honored that I trusted him and my parents too for trusting me with him for the next few years. He told me how excited he was and how he was going to be looking out for my best interests and helping me to develop mentally and spiritually. It was a really good talk."
His parents were also fully on board, which made the decision that much easier.
"My parents loved it," Navarro said. "They were all in agreement. That was another sign. All of them felt the same way. No hesitation."
Navarro had a standout senior season, leading Desert Vista to the state semifinals, while passing for 2,749 yards, 26 touchdowns and six interceptions with a 64 percent completion rate. He also ran for 959 yards and 11 more scores.
"They said they liked how I play, how I can extend plays," Navarro said. "They thought I could be a good fit for their offense. After watching a little bit of film with them, I believe I could be a great fit as well. It's high tempo, quick RPO game. They break it down so it's really simple for the QB to get the balls to the athletes. The way they teach it is really efficient and fast. You can understand why they win games. That's really exciting to me. I could fit in really well."
He loves the fact he's stepping into an offense that values putting up big offensive numbers.
"It is exciting," Navarro said. "That's fun for a QB. It's why you play the game."
A few UCF players had already reached out when they learned of his commitment on Thursday night, one of whom being kicker Daniel Obarski who is also from Arizona.
"He said he was excited to have another Arizona guy on the team," Navarro said. "I've gotten a few messages from other players too."
Navarro's recruiting journey is somewhat similar to that of Brock Purdy, another Phoenix-area passer who saw his big interest come later in the process following the early signing period. UCF was one of Purdy's finalists before he ultimately chose Iowa State.
"I was able to meet Brock at the Iowa State camp last summer," Navarro said. "I had already reached out to him prior to that. We talked about his faith and how that helps him as a quarterback. Brock is always somebody I've looked up to. He's always been a leader in my eyes."
Navarro admittedly was a bit anxious when he went unsigned in December, but is thankful things worked out the way they did.
"It makes me feel good," he said. "It's nice to have this over and done with so I can focus on the next chapter and help UCF win games."
Navarro, who can officially sign Feb. 5, will likely report to UCF in June.
"I know I want to go in and compete," Navarro said. "I'm looking forward to growing and developing, mentally, physically, every aspect. I plan to soak everything in. For now when I'm in AZ, I'm going to hit the weights, prep and do track."
Navarro is also a track star, competing in events like the 100 and 200-meter hurdles.
Now that his recruitment is squared away, Navarro is hoping his No. 1 wide receiver Elijah Ervin also starts to draw more interest. Ervin, who wore No. 6 if you've watched Navarro's highlight video, has mostly FCS offers at this point.
"He's one of the most underrated wide receivers in Arizona," Navarro said. "He's big time. He led 6A in a lot of receiving categories. I think he's getting overlooked. We're real good friends off the field too. I hope more colleges start to check him out."