ORLANDO — Plans change on the fly throughout the summer recruiting season, and UCF’s final expected list of official visitors reflects that fluctuation.
Only two rising high school seniors are set to spend the weekend in Orlando; the Knights also hosted a quarterback for a mid-week visit, their first foray into the 2027 class of signal-callers since Port Charlotte’s Logan Flaherty flipped in favor of Florida State.
Commitments are commonplace by mid-June, resulting in cancellations of other trips. Among the in-state targets the Knights previously planned to bring in for the upcoming weekend were Miami Palmetto wide receiver Kaden Howard (Georgia Tech commit), Geneva School edge rusher Duke Carpenter (Stanford), Bishop Verot defensive back Jyden German (Minnesota), and Tampa Catholic cornerback Carl Jones Jr. (Wake Forest).
Last weekend proved fruitful for UCF, though. The Knights added five players to their recruiting class between June 14-16: Vero Beach edge rusher Dontallis Render, Delray Beach Atlantic running back Omari St. Fort, Duncanville (Texas) cornerback Jonathan Barnes, Lakeland Christian interior offensive lineman Ty MontsDeOca and Passaic Tech (N.J.) linebacker Ian McDuffie, whom the Knights flipped from Syracuse.
Here is the Knights’ list of incoming visitors to close out the summer.
James Reynolds, K/P, Venice (Venice, Fla.)
Reynolds kicked off the week by receiving a full offer from UCF special teams coordinator Pete Alamar, and he will close with a quick turnaround trip to Orlando. The No. 3 ranked punter in the nation per Kohl’s Professional Camps, Reynolds averaged 42.1 yards per punt with eight kicks downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. He sent 47 of 60 kickoffs into the end zone for a touchback, as well.
Thaddeus Thatcher, QB, Arbor View (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Quarterback is not a big of a need for the 2027 cycle, considering the Knights took both Rocco Marriott and Dante Carr last year, but they have kept an eye on Thatcher since he decommitted from Utah back in January. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Thatcher completed 70% of his attempts as a junior for 2,625 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. His UCF visit concluded midweek, and he’s heading to Michigan for a final trip before deciding between those two schools, Oregon State and UNLV.
Tyler Walker Jr., CB, Rickards (Tallahassee, Fla.)
UCF has been trending as one of the favorites for Walker since he backed off a commitment to Coastal Carolina earlier this month. Walker, who made 30 tackles with four TFLs, two sacks and one interception, recently visited Appalachian State and collected offers from South Florida and Georgia Tech.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Las Vegas QB headlines final UCF football summer recruiting visitors
Reporting by Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
