Andrew Ivins of 24/7 just put in a crystal ball to UCF for 4 star DE Isaiah Nixon with high confidence after speaking to a couple in the know.

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Open to everyone, sponsored by Invstr. Come hang with Mikey, Matt, Davonte and Lokahi. To gain access all you have to do is download the sponsor app.

Nm

Has offers from almost everyone.

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UCF comes in at #33 to start.

Big XII

1. Texas (#6)
2. OU (#8)
3. Ok St (#13)
4. Baylor (#19)
5. ISU (#27)
6. KSU (#39)
7. TCU (#42)
8. TTU (#48)
9. WVU (#52)
10. Kansas (#97)

AAC

1. Cincinnati (#32)
2. UCF (#33)
3. Houston (#49)
4. Memphis (#51)
5. SMU (#56)
6. Tulane (#64)
7. ECU (#78)
8. usf (#90)
9. Tusla (#92)
10. Navy (#107)
11. Temple (#122)

Any word on this? I know it was discussed in one of the threads on here but couldn’t find it when I searched.

..at the baseball games. Do we know if they are at the football games? If so I hope its draft beer and not cans.

Following his weekend official visit, Miguel Maldonado says his UCF commitment is stronger than ever.

The Lakeland (Fla.) offensive tackle was the first high school pledge of the Gus Malzahn era, committing to the Knights in March just a few days after receiving his offer. He dropped by for a couple practices during the spring, but Bounce House Weekend represented his first face-to-face contact with his future coaches.

Maldonado loved every minute of it.

"It was great," Maldonado said. "It was probably the most fun I've had in a while, to be honest. It made me even more confident about my decision of committing to UCF."

As for the visit activities, Maldonado gave them an A+. There was a Friday night social at the stadium with players and coaches and Saturday's itinerary included a scavenger hunt and eating competition.

"We got robbed of a victory in the eating competition," Maldonado said. "It was cake, pie and watermelon and each four-man had to pick three guys to eat each food as fast as they can. I didn't personally participate because I have braces. I let the other players do it which was Jack (Streubing), Payton (Kirkland) and (Marcus Peterson). Jack did the pie, (Kirkland) did the watermelon. We 100 percent won the pie and watermelon, then we got robbed. I don't want to say it, but there was a little bit of cheating going on with food disappearing."

The culinary offerings at the catered meals also impressed.

"It was a lot of food," Maldonado said. "Pasta, fish, shrimp, steak. It was really good."

Maldonado felt he really connected with the coaches. He already had a close bond with assistant offensive line coach Caleb Pickrell, who previously coached him at Lakeland. He loved getting to know offensive line coach Herb Hand and Malzahn.

"It was great to have a personal feel in real life of what they're like," Maldonado said. "It was great meeting up with Coach Pick again. It's been a while. I got to take photos with him on Friday night. I got a great feel for all the coaches. Coach Pick is obviously great. Coach Hand was great. I can already tell he's a great coach because he was helping me with some things. It only took a few minutes for him to help me with my offensive line skills.

"Coach Malzahn was great. He's a great guy. I like his mindset on UCF. I got to meet his wife too. My mom seemed to take an interest in his wife. They're pretty cool now, I think they're friends. It was great getting to talk to Coach Malzahn in person and see what he was like. Overall, I'm loving it."

Adrian Medley served as his player host for the weekend.

"He was a great player host and made it a lot of fun for us," Maldonado said. "I was mostly with him, a d-tackle (Cam) Goode and Chidoziri (Maghiro). Other players too. I don't remember all the names. I met so many. That was actually my favorite part of the whole visit, being with the players on the team. They got to show me what they're like and what it will be like when I get here."

Maldonado focused on basketball during the early part of his high school career, then Pickrell convinced him to play football prior to his junior season in 2020. The rest is history.

"Basically, my whole life I'd never played football," Maldonado said. "I stuck to my three sports, which was soccer, baseball and basketball. My top two was baseball and basketball. I played baseball at a high level through eighth grade, then I played basketball in eighth grade and fell in love with it. I dropped baseball for basketball. Going into my junior year, I got tired of Coach Pick asking me for three years to come out and play. My basketball coach told me to try it out. I went out for it and it was actually a lot of fun, so I just stuck with it."

College coaches immediately become enamored with the 6-foot-6, 320-pounder's potential.

"I think things started to click for me before the season when I earned a starting spot on the team," Maldonado said. "And even before the season, Coach Pick was getting me recruiting interest. I hadn't even played a game yet. Coach was sending colleges video of conditioning and how fast I was running. That's when I realized I had a huge chance in this because I had colleges already looking at me. After my first game against Lake Gibson, I thought I played great, and then I got an offer from Virginia Tech. That's when it all clicked."

Also to offer were Iowa State, FIU, South Florida, UConn, West Virginia, Appalachian State and ECU. Others would have undoubtedly followed suit, but Maldonado shut things down following his March commitment to UCF.

"I was already looking at UCF, then Coach Pick told me before he left (Lakeland) that he got a job offer and he obviously has to take it because it's a big opportunity for him," Maldonado said. "He started telling me about the school. Once I got my offer, I started looking into it. It only took me a couple days. After talking to Coach Hand and Coach Malzahn, I realized, yeah, this is the place I need to be.

"The visit I just went on, it was definitely like a refresher. This is where I need to be. I met the players and had a great time with them. I felt like I instantly clicked with them. I like their personalities, all of them. It seems to fit me. I like these types of people. Especially in the photoshoot. When you go on a visit, you either like it and it fits or it doesn't. If you put on a jersey, it's like you belong there. That's how I felt over the weekend. I hated leaving. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay."

Maldonado may not be the only Lakeland player headed to UCF next year. He was accompanied on the visit by his friend and teammate Keahnist Thompson.

"I think there's definitely a chance (he comes with me to UCF)," Maldonado said. "I got to talk to him a little bit. He liked being there and had a lot of fun. I would love that. I would have somebody I know with me, somebody I know who works hard. It would be a lot of fun."

Living about an hour away from campus, expect Maldonado to be a frequent visitor until he officially reports about a year from now.

"I'm definitely coming back soon," he said. "We already talked about that. I'll be back a couple times in the summer. After that, I'll be there for their first game."

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a pre spring game thread. Seems like QB, LB, and even K will be the biggest things on the field to watch for - what are you excited to see? Equally or more important - what are you grilling/drinking?

A fun hour on this week's Sons of UCF LIVE: Catch cameos from QB John Rhys Plumlee and Monster the Barber! Plus former UCF QB Nick Patti previews this weekend's Spring Game. Stephen Branca reflects on UCF Baseball's pine tar viral moment in Memphis and we answer viewer questions!

On demand anytime by clicking here.

Connor Staine is expected to start. Thursday-Saturday series because of Easter.

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A fun hour on this week's Sons of UCF LIVE: Catch cameos from QB John Rhys Plumlee and Monster the Barber! Plus former UCF QB Nick Patti previews this weekend's Spring Game. Stephen Branca reflects on UCF Baseball's pine tar viral moment in Memphis and we answer viewer questions!

On demand anytime by clicking here.

I purchased two extra tickets to the spring game that are now in my apple wallet. My grandmother passed away and I have to fly out on Saturday and miss the game
anyone know of a way to transfer these to the person I bought them for? not the free ones from my season tickets but the extra ones we purchased

Sounds like we’re leading for: Ford, Tobe, Malachi, and Johnson??? Would be a nice little haul over the next couple weeks

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The newest addition to UCF on-field coaching staff is Grant Heard, who spent the previous five years at Indiana. Prior to his time in Bloomington, Heard coached at his alma mater, Ole Miss.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Heard had familiarity with Gus Malzahn from his SEC days.

"I knew Coach Malzahn when I was at Ole Miss sand he was at Auburn. I believe in God and prayed about this, me and my wife. We felt like this was the best opportunity for us. We're supposed to be here. We took the plunge. It's been awesome every day."

What did he know about UCF prior to arriving?

"It's a name. It's been winning. From my viewpoint, they've been having exciting offenses. That was a big attraction, to be able to come to Florida. Be able to get some of the top players and play in an explosive offense. Just make it better, as good as I can here. Try to fit in with what Coach Malzahn wants. Just have fun."

Heard was one of the top wide receivers in Ole Miss history (1996-2000), finishing his playing days as the program leader in career receptions and scores. In the 1997 season opener, the Rebels held on for an overtime win against a UCF team led by quarterback Daunte Culpepper.

"We probably should have lost that game. Somehow we snuck out with a win. We probably took those guys for granted. Looking back now, they had a Hall of Fame quarterback. We should have been a little more serious. Those guys came in and played us tough."

In talking about his new job at UCF, Heard believes his receivers should get plenty of one-on-one opportunities since they'll be balanced offense.

"I want to learn (from Malzahn) and bring some stuff I've done in the past so we can make the offense better."

What's it like working with this group of wide receivers?

"It's a bunch of personalities. I think I might have the biggest personality in there. But it's fun. I don't dread being around those guys. We laugh. We have fun. They know when it's time to work. It's been an awesome experience. Me just getting to know who they are, their personalities. Who needs to be pushed a little bit harder than others. It's been a joyful experience. And the weather is amazing."

What does he like about Ryan O'Keefe?

"In the four weeks I've been here, watching how he approaches practice every day. Especially him and Flash. They approach practice like pros. They go out and they work. I don't have to tell them go. I have to tell them to slow down sometimes. They come out with a mindset of trying to get better every day."

What can O'Keefe do to take his game to another level?

"He can run. Just working on him getting in and out of his cuts better at the top of his cuts. He is quick and fast, but the better he can get in and out of his cuts, he's going to be even more explosive of a player to create space that he needs. He comes out and works. If I told him to run through a wall, I think he would."

Jaylon "Flash" Robinson is looking to rebound from an injury-plagued season in 2021.

"He's a guy that knows how to run routes. He's one of the best, and I've gotten to coach some good ones, but he's one of the best pure route runners I've seen in a long time. My big challenge for him is be more vocal. Those little lapses he has where he might drop an easy catch. He'll go and catch a one-handed catch one day and then drop an easy one. Just being consistent. Challenging him to practice hard which he's done every day. He's been a pleasure to be around."

I asked about the battle between Kobe Hudson and Jaylon Griffin.

"It's still going. One day Jaylon has a good day. One day Kobe has a really good day. It's back and forth. I think they're still growing into the position. It's been fun. It makes me feel better I have two guys that can go out there and compete."

What's it like working with Gus Malzahn?

"It's been fun. I didn't know his personality. I didn't know how he did things. I call my wife every day and tell her how much I enjoy being around the offensive group. We have fun. We work, but we have fun doing it."

Joey Gatewood is UCF's newest receiver having moved over from quarterback.

"It's still a work in progress. Just rep wise, changing positions and understanding the nuances that come with it. One thing he understands is he knows what to do, but still trying to figure out how to do it. He's a work in progress. I think as long as he keeps working, he'll give us a chance to help us out."

In terms of recruiting, which will be a big focus of the next few months with coaches going back on the road and host summer visits, Heard says he's "super excited."

"Coming from where I came from, we had a bunch of Florida kids on our team. But it was tough to get them because they can't just come (and easily visit). What's different (about UCF) is kids stop by all the time. Even from out of state because everybody wants to come to Disney. While they're here, they come by UCF. We've gotten some big-time talent here on campus. That's all you can do is get them here, show them what you've got. Try to give yourself the best opportunity you can. That's the part that's been exciting.

"Still trying to figure out where I'm going to be recruiting. As soon as I got here, I saw their list and have been trying to get in touch with all the wideouts they've been recruiting. Deciding which ones I really like and which ones I don't. It's been fun."

$20 on the ucf ticketing site. Just snagged two

I know this is in the baseball game thread, but let's start a new post.


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Nm

Press Release:

UCF Athletics and iHeartMedia Orlando have extended their partnership for four additional years to keep WYGM/FM 96.9/740AM The Game as the flagship station for Knights' radio broadcasts through the 2025-26 season.

The new agreement begins with the 2022-23 school year that will mark the 28th consecutive year of Knights' athletics on The Game. UCF contests will continue to be carried on FM 96.9 and 740AM The Game. All UCF contests also can be heard on the iHeartRadio app as well.

The agreement includes all UCF football and men’s basketball games as well as a selection of baseball games—plus UCF Knight Talk, 16 weekly hour-long remote shows featuring UCF coaches and student-athletes. The longtime play-by-play voice of the Knights is Marc Daniels.

“UCF has been a terrific partner throughout my tenure with iHeartMedia Orlando, and I look forward to working with the university to grow the partnership in years to come,” says Scott Harris, program director for 96.9FM/740AM The Game.

“We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with UCF that will span 30-plus years with this agreement. Today, it is as exciting to be the premier broadcast partner of UCF athletics as 30 years ago. Go, Knights, Charge On!” adds Barbara Latham, area president, iHeartMedia, Central Florida.

UCF vice president and director of athletics Terry Mohajir echoed the sentiments of Harris and Latham: “UCF Athletics has benefited tremendously from the huge role iHeartMedia has played in expanding the Knights’ brand. UCF has a commanding radio presence in the Orlando market and the iHeart Radio app offers a world-wide reach. This is a longstanding partnership that has grown through the years, and we are thrilled to extend the collaboration.”

Hunter Patteson #67
Connor Staine #87

This dude rocks

UCF had offered Cameron Ward, who was lighting it up at FCS Incarnate Word (where GJ Kinne later became head coach).

===

I reached out to a member of Washington State’s “Cougar Collective” on Thursday who confirmed that the entity put together a lucrative package for transfer quarterback Cameron Ward.

Ward jumped in the portal in January and transferred from University of the Incarnate Word to WSU. He figures to be an integral part of the Air Raid 2.0 offense that new offensive coordinator Eric Morris is implementing in spring football.

Ward’s total haul: $90,000.

His deal includes a contract with a housing firm for the school year that provides an apartment in Pullman. Also, Ward gets the use of a new pick-up truck for the year from a booster-owned car dealership. Also, he collects $50,000 in cash in exchange for promotional appearances he’ll make in the next year.

Said one member of the WSU collective: “For smaller schools to compete, it’s going to be very important. Our donor base is strong but nowhere near some of the big hitters.”

The “Cougar Collective” doesn’t have a required minimum contribution from donors. It also doesn’t collect fees or turn a profit. It’s solely there for the benefit of athletes. The group formed and put out the call for “like-minded business owners” and then placed an emphasis on the connections that the current and future athletes could form with business owners and leaders.

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