Advertisement
football Edit

UCF commit Caden Kitler loved Bounce House experience

Caden Kitler knew he couldn't miss UCF's season opener against Boise State.

After all, the Plano (Tex.) John Paul II offensive lineman had the Knights and Broncos in his top two before making the decision earlier this summer to commit to UCF.

Ordinarily, his high school team plays on Friday nights which would have made out-of-state travel impossible. But when his game was pushed back to Saturday, Kitler and his family made quick arrangements so they could be in Orlando to witness the official debut of the Gus Malzahn era.

"It was all really surreal," Kitler said. "It was the second college game I've ever been to. It was really cool seeing where I'm going to be playing in the next few years. It was definitely a really cool experience."

Kitler arrived in Orlando in the early afternoon and headed straight to UCF.

"We were actually staying at the same hotel as the coaches and players. so we got to see Coach (Herb) Hand before the game," Kitler said. "He was really happy to see me make the trip. After that, we went over to campus and the stadium. We walked through the center of campus and saw all the tailgating, which was cool to see because that wasn't allowed last year because of COVID. Everybody was having a good time outside socializing. We saw all the students rushing inside the stadium to get their seats. That was pretty cool too."

He also met up with fellow recruits.

"Me and Leyton (Nelson) have been wanting to meet each other," Kitler said. "He's a real cool dude. Glad I got to see him. I also met Thomas (Castellanos). He's going to be my QB, so I think it's important I got to meet him."

Lightning strikes began during warmups so the game was delayed. After the weather cleared, the game kicked off around 9:45 p.m.

Boise State surged out to a 21-0 lead, but UCF battled back in the second half to come out on top, 36-31.

"The game got off to a rough start," Kitler said. "We had a good opening drive, then the 100-yard pick six really took the momentum from us. The second quarter we did a lot better, scoring those two touchdowns before half. That really helped us going into the second half. It was a really good game."

As a center, Kitler said he was paying close attention to Matt Lee.

"I always watch the offensive line and see what techniques they're working, where I'm at compared to them," Kitler said. "I was watching Matt Lee a lot. I really liked that one play, when Isaiah Bowser ran in for the touchdown, I saw him make a nice combination block with Lokahi (Pauole) and then got to the linebacker.

"I just really liked how fast paced they are. They run a tempo offense, but they're diverse in what they do. Also pretty equal between the run and the pass. I really liked what I saw."

Kitler got to go in the locker room afterward.

"I got to meet Matt Lee, Lokahi, Big Paul (Rubelt)," Kitler said. "Said what's up to all them. I met Big Kat Bryant and Dillon Gabriel. Cool dudes. I also met with up Coach Hand again. He was just so happy I could be there so that I could see I made the right decision. He was happy that I got to meet Leyton."

Kitler was already excited about his commitment, but as a Texas guy he loves the fact UCF may soon be joining the Big 12. That means UCF would be making regular trips to TCU, Houston, Baylor and Texas Tech, all in his backyard.

"My coaches have always wanted me to play in the Big 12," Kitler said. "It's known as a passing conference and my strength has been pass blocking. I texted my coach and said it looks like I'm going to play in the Big 12 after all. He was like, 'Let's go!' It's definitely really cool UCF will be playing there."

As for his season, Kitler and John Paul II played their first game on Saturday, a 38-31 setback to St. Thomas Catholic.

"We outplayed our standard," Kitler said. "Everybody makes mistakes in a first game, but we did a lot better than people thought. The offense moved the ball real well. We scored 31 points. The defense struggled, we've got to work on tackling, but we did a lot better than what everybody was expecting."

UCF will be in his neck of the woods on Nov. 13 when they visit SMU, just a few miles from his home in Plano. He'll definitely be at that game. He may also return to Orlando for the South Florida game on Black Friday, but that's TBA depending on a potential playoff schedule.

Kitler also commented on the strength of the 2022 class, which now stands at 12 players following the recent commitment of wide receiver Quan Lee.

"We've got a really good class," Kitler said. "It's looking really good. I'm excited."



Join the UCFSports.com Community!

Visit the Dungeon for more news and discussion with other UCF fans.

Advertisement