UCF stands out to Orange Park OL Roderick Kearney
Orange Park (Fla.) offensive tackle Roderick Kearney loved his time at UCF on Saturday at "Hometown Hero," the mega recruiting event aimed towards the Knights' top rising prospects.
"I had a great experience with the coaches," Kearney said. "I brought my family with me, my mom, my cousin and my brother. They had a great time and I had a great time as well... I liked the way the coaches were hands-on with the players. It wasn't just a big group, individually we got to talk to the coaches and experience what they have to offer you."
Kearney spent an extended amount of time with UCF offensive line coach Herb Hand.
"Coach Hand has always been a great dude," Kearney said. "He's somebody you can talk to. I feel as the years go on, whatever school I commit to, he's still going to be in touch. And if I do come here, I feel he's going to develop me into the player and man I need to be."
UCF head coach Gus Malzahn was not on campus for the event as he was tending to his wife Kristi who has been hospitalized with an infection.
"I really respect him for that," Kearney said. "Instead of being here, he's with his wife because she really needs him."
UCF's coaches are perhaps the biggest reason Kearney has such a high interest level in the Knights.
"I feel like UCF is turning around as a program," he said. "UCF has always been a great program. The coaching staff, with Coach Malzahn and Herb Hand, they're really turning this program to where it needs to be."
Kearney has a long list of offers in addition to UCF, including Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Nebraska, NC State, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
"As of right now, the schools that stand out to me the most are UCF and Florida State," Kearney said. "Schools may come and go, but at the end of the day you've got to choose one. The ones that have the most interest in me and I have the most interest in them, they'll get me."
What does he like about FSU?
"It's kind of the same (as UCF)," Kearney said. "They both have really good programs and really good coaches. It's all a brotherhood."
Kearney, who also visited FSU in January, hopes to check out a few more schools this spring before locking down official visit plans.
"I'll be going on official visits in the summer," Kearney said. "I think I'll make my decision around December and early signing day... It's gonna be a really hard decision. I pray about it every day. God will lead me where I need to be. I have some really good parents on my side to help me."