For Alhassan Iddrissu, the decision was easy.

The fast-rising edge rusher from St. Thomas More School in Connecticut, a native of Ghana who only recently began playing football, gave his commitment to UCF on Thursday, just days after taking his official visit to Orlando. He said he was blown away by everything he experienced and knew right away he wanted to be a Knight.

"I love Orlando. I love the coaching staff and the campus," Iddrissu told UCFSports.com. "I feel like Coach (Scott) Frost, they've got something great going on over there. It was a great feeling."

Iddrissu is a relatively new addition to the football world. He initially came to the United States to pursue basketball before making the switch to football, a transition that caught the eye of several major programs. He held offers from Texas A&M, Michigan, Florida State, USC, Washington, West Virginia, and Cal, among others. He officially visited Maryland earlier this month and canceled upcoming trips to Washington State and Temple after making his decision.

He said his strong relationship with edge coach Mike Dawson played a key role in his commitment.

"Coach Dawson was the main guy I was communicating with," Iddrissu said. "We had great conversations way before I got there. Meeting him in person and getting to know him even more, it was great."



The Knights are betting big on Iddrissu's upside. Despite his limited football experience, the staff believes his natural athleticism and 6-foot-8 frame give him a high ceiling.

"They like how I picked up a lot quickly even though I started playing football later," he said. "They love my length and my potential. They think I can be a great football player in the next year or two."

Iddrissu also appreciated Scott Frost's vision for the future and the way the coaching staff has emphasized development.

"Coach Frost is a players' coach. He's been at UCF before and did a lot of great things," Iddrissu said. "He told me about what they're building, what they want to accomplish, and how they're going to develop me and train my body. They need me in the program."

He was equally impressed by the approach Dawson uses to coach the position.

"I just love the way he coaches," Iddrissu said. "He keeps everything basic and simple for a guy like me who hasn't played the game for that long. I need that type of development. That really stood out."

The visit also sold him on UCF's campus.

"The campus is beautiful with great weather. It just kind of feels like back home," he said. "It’s a great community."

With the Knights looking to reload on the edge in 2026, Iddrissu believes UCF presents the perfect opportunity.

"With Coach Frost coming back, they’re building something special," he said. "Coming in as a freshman with a lot of guys leaving, I feel like that opens a big window for me to explore and become the best I can be."

Welcome to The Knighted One’s Podcast, Episode number 89!! We are the ONLY podcast that features a former UCF National Champion, a former UCF radio host, an ESPN Analyst and Hoops Player, a INfamous rapper, Our Resident Influencer, and an IG star, shooting the breeze, talking UCF Sports. Remember to like and follow us Youtube, IG, and check out the 70+ teams and conferences on the College Huddle.

This week, almost all the crew is back as we discuss HS Recruits on campus, Phil Steele's rankings, what success looks like this season, and if we should be missing our beef with the cows in the west. All this & much more while answering questions from our awesome live viewers! Thank you to everyone who showed up!!

Please comment for subjects that we should cover in our Intern Re-Education segment!

Go Knights! and Charge On!


Introductions
Recruits On Campus - 00:04:47
- Seeing Who Sticks
- Frost's Method
- Allen Joins In!
- Elijah Keys (CB)
- Kaj Baker (RB)
- Tre is Back!
- Defenders Vs Smaller RB's
- Gap Integrity
- South Florida Greatness
- Isaiah McNish (DL)
- Jarius Rogers (Edge)
- Desmond Johnson (LB)
- Fun Facts Spoiled Again
- A Heartful Athlete
New Knights - 00:26:58
- Dante Carr (QB)
- Calling On Carr
- Tre & Football Camps
UCF Football - 00:35:55
- Phil Steele Ranking
- U is for Unpredictable
- A Decent Ceiling
- Managing Expectations
- Success Looks Different
- A Running League
- Mental Reps
- Burned Too Many Times
- KZ v JRP
- Facellift & a New Name
- Coming In Phases
- The BounceHouse Will Always Be The BounceHouse
- Should We Be Missing The Cows??
- Who's Our Rival Now?
- What Makes a Real Rival?
- The NCAA Lawsuit
- The Offish Commish
- Other Revenue Avenues
- Meeting Minimums
UCF Baseball - 01:46:22
- Knights Leaving and Knights Arriving
Allen's Oxymoronic Stats Of The Week - 01:49:53
- Big Numbers Back-To-Back
Josh’s Sometimes Funny Fact Of The Week - 01:52:44
- Talkin Mustangs
A Quick Update On Other UCF Sports - 01:55:40
- Hannah Lovejoy Earns All-American Honor!
- A Lebanon Star Joins Our Men's Tennis Team
Final Thoughts - 01:57:27

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Welcome to The Knighted One’s Podcast, Episode number 89!! We are the ONLY podcast that features a former UCF National Champion, a former UCF radio host, an ESPN Analyst and Hoops Player, a INfamous rapper, Our Resident Influencer, and an IG star, shooting the breeze, talking UCF Sports. Remember to like and follow us Youtube, IG, and check out the 70+ teams and conferences on the College Huddle.

This week, almost all the crew is back as we discuss HS Recruits on campus, Phil Steele's rankings, what success looks like this season, and if we should be missing our beef with the cows in the west. All this & much more while answering questions from our awesome live viewers! Thank you to everyone who showed up!!

Please comment for subjects that we should cover in our Intern Re-Education segment!

Go Knights! and Charge On!


Introductions
Recruits On Campus - 00:04:47
- Seeing Who Sticks
- Frost's Method
- Allen Joins In!
- Elijah Keys (CB)
- Kaj Baker (RB)
- Tre is Back!
- Defenders Vs Smaller RB's
- Gap Integrity
- South Florida Greatness
- Isaiah McNish (DL)
- Jarius Rogers (Edge)
- Desmond Johnson (LB)
- Fun Facts Spoiled Again
- A Heartful Athlete
New Knights - 00:26:58
- Dante Carr (QB)
- Calling On Carr
- Tre & Football Camps
UCF Football - 00:35:55
- Phil Steele Ranking
- U is for Unpredictable
- A Decent Ceiling
- Managing Expectations
- Success Looks Different
- A Running League
- Mental Reps
- Burned Too Many Times
- KZ v JRP
- Facellift & a New Name
- Coming In Phases
- The BounceHouse Will Always Be The BounceHouse
- Should We Be Missing The Cows??
- Who's Our Rival Now?
- What Makes a Real Rival?
- The NCAA Lawsuit
- The Offish Commish
- Other Revenue Avenues
- Meeting Minimums
UCF Baseball - 01:46:22
- Knights Leaving and Knights Arriving
Allen's Oxymoronic Stats Of The Week - 01:49:53
- Big Numbers Back-To-Back
Josh’s Sometimes Funny Fact Of The Week - 01:52:44
- Talkin Mustangs
A Quick Update On Other UCF Sports - 01:55:40
- Hannah Lovejoy Earns All-American Honor!
- A Lebanon Star Joins Our Men's Tennis Team
Final Thoughts - 01:57:27

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Ari Temkin is the host of Big 12 Radio on TuneIn.

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Saw this on fb for Sam's in Sanford who has some early UCF Gear & Tailgate items for this season:







Note: I think COSTCO'S Gear is usually released in July...but it does vary as last year, some local stores barely got any UCF stuff. (Univ Blvd location usually gets the most).

Any one throwing money on the market right now? If so, where?

Money can't buy everything, but it came buy a college football roster.

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What I’m hearing about NCAA revenue sharing: $40M football rosters, unintended consequences​

“The top (football) teams are going to cost $40-50 million a year,” said one power conference personnel director. “That’s where this is going. Anyone who thinks different is nuts.”


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Story with content from the Big 12 spring meetings.



ORLANDO — As the college football world awaits a final decision on the future format of the expanded College Football Playoff, the Big 12 is making its stance clear.

During spring meetings held this week at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, conference leaders reiterated their support for the "5+11" model — a proposed 16-team playoff that would include the top five conference champions as automatic qualifiers along with 11 at-large selections. With the playoff set to expand in 2026, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said the conference has spent the week rallying behind that plan.

"We're pushing 5 and 11. We have all week," Yormark said Friday. "I was also glad to hear that the SEC coaches supported that format, which is critically important."

Yormark serves on the CFP management committee, which includes representatives from all 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame. But with the Big Ten and SEC consolidating power in the next phase of college football's realignment era, the two leagues are holding significant sway over what the future format looks like.

The Big Ten has floated an alternate model that would grant four automatic bids each to itself and the SEC, with two bids to both the ACC and Big 12, and one reserved for the top Group of Five champion. While SEC administrators have expressed interest in that model, several league coaches pushed back on it this week during the SEC's own spring meetings in Destin.

Yormark says the Big 12 — along with the ACC — has no interest in a setup that rewards conferences with multiple automatic bids.

"In talking to our ADs and coaches, we want to earn it on the field," Yormark said. "The 5 plus 11 might not be ideal for the conference, but it's good for college football and it's what's fair. We don't want any gimmies. That was the direction of the key stakeholder group — the ADs and the coaches. I feel very comfortable with that. I feel the same way and I've been very outspoken about it."

Yormark said Big 12 leadership recently met with their counterparts from the Big Ten and SEC to present a series of options — including fallback ideas in the event the four-conference AQ model gains traction — but reaffirmed that the 5+11 format remains their top choice.

"Yes, the Big Ten and the SEC are leading the discussions," Yormark said. "With leading those discussions, they have a great responsibility that goes with it to do what's right for college football and not to do anything that just benefits two conferences."



UCF athletic director Terry Mohajir, who served on the CFP selection committee from 2019 to 2021, echoed that sentiment.

"We like the 5 plus 11," Mohajir said. "Having been on the selection committee, we have a lot of really talented people that are on there. Despite what people may think, I don't think there's as much brand loyalty. I think people try to pick the best teams."

Mohajir believes the 5+11 model strikes the right balance — rewarding conference champions while still allowing a deep pool of at-large teams, which benefits every league, including the Big Ten and SEC.

"You could have a 7-5 Big Ten team play in the playoff with the fourth AQ. I don't think that's right," Mohajir said. "Have 11 at-large, the selection committee can pick it. You reward the four conference championships, and then you have the best Group of Five team. I think it's the most fair way to do it."

He also pushed back on the idea that the CFP's future should revolve around creating guaranteed access for only a few power conferences.

"The way the construct of the CFP wasn't to give one or two conferences more value," Mohajir added. "It was supposed to be the best way to conduct a real national championship. And I think the 5 plus 11 is the best way to do that. It gets the best teams in."

UCF head coach Scott Frost, who led the Knights to an undefeated season in 2017 before returning to the program this offseason, said he’s always believed in a format that values winning and on-field performance above all.

"I'm just a traditionalist, I guess, and I think you play your way into anything," Frost said. "Ideally, in my opinion, you have the conference winners who probably deserve to be in, and then it's probably the next best 11 teams."

Frost noted that a 16-team playoff could have changed the postseason outlook for some of his past teams. Under the current playoff structure, his 2017 UCF team would have made the playoff as the top Group of Five team. The Knights were ranked No. 12 in the final CFP poll.

"I would have loved that a few times in my career when I think we had a good enough team to be in a top 16," he said. "I think there are smart enough football people out there that can judge that."

As the debate continues, the key stakeholders — the FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua — are scheduled to meet in person June 18 in Asheville, North Carolina. A final decision on the new format must be made by Dec. 1.

Until then, Yormark and the Big 12 will keep pushing for what they believe is the fairest path forward.

"I have a lot of faith in the process and I think we’ll land in the right place," Yormark said. "Certainly, the public is voting yes for it, which I think is critically important. It’s a very good sign."

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UCF has expanded its recruiting reach into the Midwest, as Portage Central (Mich.) tight end Charlie Jilek announced his commitment to the Knights following a recent visit to Orlando.

Jilek, who plays both tight end and linebacker at the high school just outside Kalamazoo, earned his offer from UCF last week after making the trip south to see the program up close. He said the journey to becoming a Knight began earlier this year when he reached out to UCF.

"I DMed Coach (Alex) Ward on Twitter and sent him my film," Jilek said. "He said he really liked it and was going to share it with the rest of the staff. They all watched and said they really liked it too. So we started talking, and then we planned a visit. I'd been talking to (offensive coordinator and tight ends) Coach (Steve) Cooper once or twice a week, and we built a really good relationship. That visit last Tuesday just highlighted everything."

Jilek was blown away by his visit, which included sitting in on special teams and tight ends meetings, a full facilities and campus tour, and multiple conversations with head coach Scott Frost, Cooper, and the rest of the staff. He was very appreciative for the hospitality shown by Director of Player Personnel Ryan Beer, who escorted him and his family on the tour.

"They made me feel at home and wanted, which is something I didn't feel at some other schools," Jilek said. "I talked to Coach Frost a couple of times. I even met his mom, which my mom really liked. She was just walking around the facility, which was really cool. The lunch was amazing too. We met the chef, and he told us about everything the players eat. The campus was super impressive. I didn't know what to expect from a Florida university, since I've only seen places like Michigan State. It was just different in the best way."

Jilek didn't have an offer going into the visit, but that changed before he left.

"It came from Coach Frost, which was really cool," he said. "Coach Cooper had kind of hinted at it, but to hear Coach Frost say it, that they really wanted me, it meant a lot. You want to go to a place where you're wanted and where it feels like home."



Jilek, who is 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, plays both sides of the ball at Portage Central.

Defensively, he's regarded as one of the best linebackers in his area. He's coming off a season in which he recorded 104 tackles, eight TFLs, three sacks, an interception, four pass break ups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

UCF sees big potential in him as a tight end, and he agrees with the fit.

"They like me as a tight end because I'm physical and I can block," he said. "I broke both my hands this season, so I couldn't really show what I can do in the passing game, but I still showed I can come off the ball and hit people. They want to build that in their tight end room, and I think I have the skill set to be really good if I keep developing, which is super important to me."

Yes, you read that right: Jilek played most of his junior season with two broken hands.

"I broke one while blocking, my finger kind of twisted and it broke my second metacarpal, then six weeks later, right before I was supposed to get that cast off, I broke the other one tackling someone," he said. "But I'm all good now. When I visited UCF, their trainer did a physical and he said I was all good."

Once Jilek returned home from the visit, the decision didn't take long. After thinking it over and talking with his family, he called Coach Cooper on Saturday night to make it official, just as Cooper and Frost were watching the Final Four.

"They were super excited," Jilek said. "Coach Cooper was like, 'This made my day.' We talked about the scrimmage they had and how excited they were to get me back down there for my official visit. We're looking at June 20-22, or maybe earlier, late May, early June."

Frost is the type of head coach he wants to play for.

"That's something that was really important to me, I feel like sometimes you won't be able to talk to head coaches when you're going to a school," Jilek said. "During practice, he would come up and talk to me, not even about football, but, like, my other interests. He talked to me about fishing for a long time, bass fishing in Michigan and in Florida. That was just really cool. Not just super serious stuff, but he was just talking to me like I was just any other guy. It was really cool."

The move to the Big 12 also added to the appeal.

"It's awesome," Jilek said. "I've got friends going to different schools, even just as students in the Big 12, so it'll be cool to match up against them and their teams, like BYU, Colorado. It's just awesome."

He's also planning to arrive next January as an early enrollee.

"It's important to get ahead, especially moving to Florida" Jilek said. "I think it would be hard to adjust coming in June, with the heat and everything. Early enrolling is the move."

Jilek's other offers included San Diego State, Arkansas State, Ball State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Ohio. He had visited San Diego State, Michigan State and Rutgers in recent weeks.

Once UCF became an option, Jilek said it was a no-brainer.

"When we were around the team and the coaches, it was different how they welcomed my family," Jilek said. "All the players gave my mom a hug, and she loved that. The coaches were so welcoming. I've had a great relationship with Coach Cooper, and to get a big-time offer like this, it's a blessing. It just felt right. I mean, it's Orlando, you can't really beat Florida."

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Do the Knight thing.

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Join Bailey Adams and Christian Simmons from the Pegasus Podcast as they react to the latest in UCF Sports.

In this episode the guys rummage through the mailbag to answer viewer questions.

Plus: with House now settled, what does this mean for UCF?

Check it out here.

Zak Skinner has played baseball in some unique settings, from setting up cones to mark home run fences back in Australia to representing his country at the U23 World Cup in China. Now, he's headed to UCF for his final season of college baseball.

A native of Melbourne, Australia, Skinner recently committed to the Knights after two strong seasons at Lamar University, where he was a consistent offensive presence and saw time at both catcher and third base. Prior to that, he was a JUCO All-American at Vernon College in Texas.

"This was a really easy decision for me," Skinner said of choosing UCF. "Almost right away, they jumped on me in the portal. Everything I heard sounded amazing."

Skinner batted .339 as a junior at Lamar in 2024, earning second team All-Southland Conference honors while leading the team in average, doubles and RBIs. This past season, he hit .277 in 57 starts while splitting time between catcher and third base.

"I think my best strength is my approach at the plate, hitting to the backside, making contact, not striking out," Skinner said. "I'm very good at, if there's a runner on third and less than two outs, just hitting the ground ball to score him. I guess the small fundamentals of baseball that are sometimes easily passed over, I try really hard to focus on.

"And defensively, being a leader behind the plate. Helping my pitcher and making everyone's job easier."

That trait definitely stood out to UCF head coach Rich Wallace and assistant coach Norberto Lopez.

"One big thing for me was they said being a leader was something they really saw in me," Skinner said. "That's something I really take pride in, being a guy who can come in and make an impact, whether it's in the weight room, on the field, during BP, whatever it is."

Lopez was Skinner's primary contact during the recruiting process. By that time, Skinner had already returned home to Australia for the summer.



Aside from a past visit to Universal, his time in Orlando has been limited, but he's been doing his homework on UCF ahead of his August arrival.

"Now, everything I heard from Coach Lopez, especially compared to what I've been used to and coming from baseball fields where we have to set up cones as our home run fence, was so eye-opening, so this is an opportunity I really couldn't turn down."

While baseball may not be a mainstream sport in Australia, Skinner is part of a growing group of players from the country making their mark in college and professional baseball. Last year, Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, also from Australia, was selected No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Guardians in the 2024 MLB Draft.

"There are definitely more guys starting to break through now," Skinner said. "You've got guys like Brent Iredale at Arkansas and Conor Myles at UTSA. So it's growing."

Skinner's own resume includes an international experience few college players can match. Last fall, he represented Australia at the U23 WBSC World Cup in China, competing against teams like Japan, Korea, Cuba and Venezuela.

"That was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had in baseball," he said. "Just being able to see how we match up against the best of the best, it was really eye-opening."

Skinner grew up around the game, influenced heavily by his father, a former Australian Baseball League player and now coach. His passion for the sport intensified after attending a 2014 MLB Opening Series game between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in Sydney, an event that turned him into a Dodgers fan.

He also spent time in the ABL himself, playing as a developmental player for his hometown team. One season, he even shared the field with Ronald Acuña Jr., who had a brief ABL stint before becoming an MLB star.

"That was a great experience, just being at practices and learning from a guy like that," Skinner said.

He hopes to bring a winning mindset to UCF as the Knights continue to build in the Big 12.

"My main goal is to help this team win," he said. "Obviously, like any player, I want to get into pro ball and make the major leagues, but first I want to bring a Big 12 championship to UCF and even bigger. That'd be amazing.

"We've missed out the last couple years (at Lamar) on doing stuff like that. We won a regular season title, but once the games got important, things kind of fell apart. So, at UCF, I really want to win and bring home the hardware when it matters."

Has anyone heard if Frost and co will be keeping the tradition alive of doing the preseason Ladies Knight event? My wife has always enjoyed the experience and hadn’t heard anything yet this year.

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Beach Boys mastermind, Rock icon, gone…

Portal opens up in about a week and a half

Going to the open practice I think we still need a WR, younger RB and OL.

Based on depth at positions would be surprised if we lost a younger WR or two that aren’t gonna play, QB and possibly some DBs. Hopefully no one on the two deep we want to keep leaves.

Would love if we could bring in the local WR from Ohio State, EPL and get a Harris brothers reunion at LB.

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There are a lot of engineers and science people on here. What type of death are these guys looking at with that PSI? Are you just blacking out, your body explodes or what?

Would anyone of you go try this? Is it hubris or just having IDGAF $ that nothing satisfies you?

What is the mindset.

After weeks of anticipation, a federal judge in California approved a $2.8B dollar antitrust settlement that clears the way for college institutions to directly compensate athletes at their respective schools (Editor’s Note: it also addresses back pay for athletes who played before the NIL floodgates opened in 2021).

What this all means is really anybody’s guess at this point, and trust me when I tell you that you can fall down a rabbit hole trying to make sense of it. Perhaps one of the best explanations I have seen comes from Yahoo Sports insider Ross Dellenger, who created this thread on twitter. I also found this article from CBS, and this article from The Athletic, to be insightful as well.

Click here to read more and thanks for subscribing.

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It might be summer, but the fun never stops on Around the Kingdom: Overtime with Adam, Trace, and @EricLopezELO.

Check out the latest episode now, only available on audio ... right here.

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It might be summer, but the fun never stops on Around the Kingdom: Overtime with Adam, Trace, and @EricLopezELO.

Check out the latest episode now, only available on audio ... right here.

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