With the bulk of projected starters being upperclassmen, this upcoming 2024 recruiting class will be an important one for the future of UCF's offensive line.
The Knights already have several offensive linemen set to officially visit in June, the newest being Elijah Walker of Daytona Beach-Mainland. He'll be at UCF the weekend of June 9.
Walker has been a target for a while, receiving his offer during a January visit for Friday Knight Lights.
"It was pretty cool the way Coach (Herb) Hand offered me," Walker said. "He was asking about my recruitment and stuff like that. I've known Coach Hand for a couple years now, since eighth grade year. I used to go to camps with my team. He was asking about offers. I had seven offers at that time. I named my seven and he said no, I think you have eight. I said, 'What do you mean, Coach?' He said, 'You have an offer from us.' It was pretty cool. UCF is a cool atmosphere. Members of my family have gone to UCF. It was pretty exciting."
He currently plays guard in high school.
"I hope I grow a little bit more to play tackle, but with my size I could be an interior offensive lineman, center or guard," Walker said. "I go to camps and do well, but when we get pads on it's a whole different story. Spring is going really well for me. I think Coach Hand likes how physical I am."
Walker returned a couple times during UCF's spring practice, first for a scrimmage and then the spring game.
"I went to their first scrimmage and got to sit in like an hour before it started," Walker said. "I was with a couple other recruits there, like my friend Christian Hudson (2025) who got offered that day. We got to spend time in Coach (Gus) Malzahn's office. We were there for like 20 minutes talking about football. He's a very personable person. Very cool to talk to. He's the only active coach to beat Nick Saban three times. He told us a bunch of cool stuff about UCF. He was selling it perfectly. Just a really cool experience. We got to see his rings and pictures of him with Cam Newton."
UCF secondary coach David Gibbs recently visited his school and he checked in with Hand over the phone to book the visit. He'll be visiting the same weekend as his friend, Ethan Proffitt.
"We became friends going to Rivals Camps and Under Armour Camps," Walker said. "Probably about two years ago. It would be cool if we go to the same school. Two friends, balling out next to each other. Everything is a possibility."
His other offers include Iowa State, South Florida, Penn State, Western Kentucky, Marshall, Pittsburgh, Tulane, Charlotte and UMass. UCF is his first scheduled official visit.
"I like how UCF is in the Big 12 now," Walker said. "It's a very good school for academics and football. I like what Coach Malzahn is building. They've been getting really good recruits and they're definitely on the rise."
