UCF is among the finalists for EJ Colson, a Class of 2025 dual-threat quarterback from Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Ga.

Colson has made multiple trips to Orlando this year. He was offered during a January visit, returned for the spring game and was back again on June 10.

"It was amazing," Colson said of his latest trip. "My parents and I wanted to see the academic part of UCF. They broke it all down. We sat down for an hour and went over academics. They showed me the biology building, which is what I want to study. It was amazing."

As a sophomore, Colson led Cedar Grove to the state championship game while guiding his team to an 11-3 overall record. He completed 182-of-290 passes for 2,632 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions. He rushed 127 times for 486 yards and 10 more scores.

UCF head coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Darin Hinshaw feel Colson would be a perfect fit.

"They were saying I'm everything they want in a QB," Colson said. "Coach Malzahn has done great with dual-threat quarterbacks like myself with the RPO game and the deep ball. Coach Hinshaw says everything I'm doing now (in high school) is what UCF is doing already. He loves how I play. Coach Hinshaw was able to see me in practice during May and he also liked how I'm a leader on the field."

Above all, Colson prides himself on his leadership qualities.

"I'm always being vocal and pushing and encouraging my teammates," Colson said. "My dad instilled that in me. If a player messes up, I'm always like, 'Get back, next play.' As a quarterback, I feel I make good decisions. I try my best not to turn the ball over. I have great pocket presence. A lot of people have to look down to move around in the pocket, but one thing I'm always working on with my trainer is being able to move around while still looking downfield."

At the Rivals Camp in April, Colson was among the standout players:

While he is young and still developing it could be argued that the Georgia native had as strong of an arm as any quarterback that attended the camp. Colson can really spin it and proved more than capable of making even the hardest throws look routine.

Asked about what he likes most about UCF, Colson didn't hesitate.

"Coach Malzahn and Coach Hinshaw, definitely," Colson said. "They're amazing. I was able to get coached by them in my private workout and how they coach you is just top notch."

He met again with Malzahn before departing from his last visit.

"His message was that he loves me and loves my film," Colson said. "He loves the type of person I am. We sat down and talked about stuff away from football. He said he's really excited for my decision and is hoping it'll be UCF."

Quarterbacks typically make commitments sooner in their recruitment. Colson is planning to announce his decision next week.

There are four finalists: UCF, UAB, Cincinnati and Virginia Tech. Colson broke down the others.

UAB: "I really like the coaching staff. A lot of my guys went there from my past teams. I've got like three or four players there. It feels like home away from home. I could go in and compete for a job as a freshman."

Cincinnati: "Coach Pete (Thomas), he's coached some great dual-threat quarterbacks. We were able to sit down and watch film. He broke down stuff on the field and it was amazing. Coach (Brad) Glenn, he came there from Virginia Tech and actually offered me when he was there."

Virginia Tech: "I like their history. They've had great quarterbacks like Tyrod Taylor and Michael Vick. Coach (Brent) Pry, he's a very family-oriented person. The whole team is like a family. I was able to sit down in meetings with them and everybody loves one another. They go out and compete, but they're still brothers."

Colson will make his announcement on Thursday, July 6 at 7 p.m. from Byron Middle School. Colson said the decision would be live streamed from his Instagram. His username is 2wayy._ej.

"The big thing for me is academics," Colson said. "All my top schools are great football programs with great coaching staffs. I think it's going to boil down to academics and what's best for me in what I want to study."