Signed yesterday 6"5 pro style 3 star from Cocoa. Even more interesting is Ryan Schneider is his head coach. Cocoa is a perennial powerhouse hopefully this starts a little pipeline for us. I know they have had some big players leave the state.
New QB
- Thread starter jtGoldenKnights
- Start date
Nice pickup that adds the depth that we need going into 22
Lots of discussion about him yesterday in the recruiting threads. He was the offensive leader of the team that was runner-up in 4A and was considered a top 50 HS football program in the country. 3 Star QB and 247 has him as 4th best QB in the FL class of '22. Very nice pickup and, if he delivers his passing skills and improves with his feet, could be the future. Here's a summary of his 2021 season.
2021: Set a Cocoa (Fla.) single-season school-record with 3,529 passing yards. Completed 223 of 320 passing attempts (69.7 percent) with 22 touchdowns to go against 8 interceptions. Also ran for 172 yards and 2 more scores. Guided Tigers to an 11-2 record and an appearance in Florida’s 4A state title game; Named MVP of the Elite 100 All-Star Game, which is an event for Central Florida’s top seniors.
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I agree, I think he has potential especially if he has zip on the ball with accuracy. He could turn out to be our best passer. As we seen with DG ( which I don't consider a dual threat QB) when teams don't respect the read option lanes open up for chunk yards. With his size at 6'5 he should be able to take a hit. I'm looking forward to see how he develops.
Go to @DavinWydner and congratulate him on his UCF decision.
previous interview. Sounds like he was a transfer portal refuge.
Competition at Cocoa is always h
Thanks for posting this! Cocoa plays a brutal schedule every year. I'm excited to see him grow at UCF.
I think it’s because Leyton Nelson was counted as a recruit all the way up until signing day. He then signed with Vanderbilt.
Good kid. Nice head on his shoulders. Wish him the best of luck! Go get it Wydner!
Awesome interview...I have a great feeling about this kid. Playing some of the best schools in the state, being 6'5, setting high school records and now taking a PWO...he's going to compete like his hair is on fire and ready to kill it. Good luck young man, we'll be watching you!
He is a preferred walk-on so he adds an important arm to that unit.
With hard work, he might even earn a football scholarship in the future.
With hard work, he might even earn a football scholarship in the future.
I think there is a good possibility he earns a scholly after spring camp. Or the first scholly that becomes available. With the current state of the transfer portal it is believed that there will be another surge of players transferring from teams after spring camps.
I'm sure Gus will give him a very close look. When he proves he's the best arm in the QB room (which I think he will) Gus will cut bait with at least one of our current QB's who can't throw...after all, this is the QB position right?
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Disagree...as Gus wants to use available scholarships on Portal Transfers come May...ad he still has immediate needs (i.e
LB).
Is LB oyr biggest need right now? I've been thinking DT or OT.
I think it is.
Jean-Baptiste is the only one with a lot of experience and while we are all very excited about Lewis, the truth is he has never played a snap in college. Assuming those 2 are the starters, go ahead and close your eyes and tell us who comes in and plays behind those guys if there is an injury? The 2 Arkansas LB? Maybe they make a big leap.
Our LB depth currently would probably look like:
Jean-Baptiste
Lewis
McDaniel (assumes he wont be a DE)
Mosier
Joyce
2 true freshmen
Yes we could use an experienced MLB....by the same token we also need a mauling guard with an attitude.
Jean-Baptiste
Lewis
McDaniel (assumes he wont be a DE)
Mosier
Joyce
2 true freshmen
Yes we could use an experienced MLB....by the same token we also need a mauling guard with an attitude.
Yep, even if we add a LB in the portal we'll definitely need the AR LB's to step up. And if we don't add another LB, we'll have to rely on them. It's time.
Gus is a run first then pass offense at the QB position so the better running QB who can throw the adequate on the short pass is the starter.
This, even if this kid is a stud passing QB he's going to look to have a mobile QB in there. His use of Gatewood shows how much he wants to focus on running vs. Passing.
I think we will throw more with a passing QB (especially with Chip Lindsey as the OC). Without Lindsey, DG threw 10 or so more passes in his games than Mikey did. And remember, Mikey was hardly a mobile QB (that was obvious if you watched the games). For the season he rushed for -36 yards (yes, that's minus). John Rys will make a huge difference in that stat. Back to the kid, if he is a stud passer and can elude the rush/run when necessary, he has a good chance at significant playing time in his career at UCF.
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Bingo. The real reason that Dillon left. I still can't figure out why Dillon committed to Army before he came here?
Meh, i live in Brevard and the football is sub-par outside of Cocoa, Melbourne and (this year) Merritt Island. Still, the more qbs the more merrier.
They played a tough schedule. https://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/cocoa-tigers-(cocoa,fl)/football-21/schedule.htm
DG threw more passes but, as many people mentioned during the season, there were not many deep balls for him or Mikey. Gus is short pass guy.
Probably had something to do with the fact that every time he came in the game he was completely ineffective.
Gatewood stepped on campus like 7 days before Boise State. If he started then it would been like telling the entire team that the offseason and fall practice was a waste of time for the offense. Malzahn shoe horned Gatewood in several times in games in situations that baffled everyone across the board, because he prefers a game plan/QB of that makeup.
Keene didn't start because he valued Keene's skillset over anyone else. He just got told not to make any mistakes and let the defense and running game win and probably had the most rapport with the team and understanding of the playbook.
Is there any doubt one of the dual threat QB options will be the starter next year?
Plenty of doubt....with just a bit of improvement, how hard would it be for Keene to beat out a guy that hasn’t played the position much in 2 years (also distracted by baseball) and a true freshman? Maybe not that hard.
Merritt Island was a powerhouse for a long time. Demographics changed and the population grew older, and Cocoa who was our whipping boy back in the day became the power school. In 1972 Merritt island team was state champs and to this day is considered one of the best high school teams ever in the State of Florida.
Again, I think he rolls with the QB that matches his style/playbook. Just like how Gatewood/Navarro got thrown in so many redzone situations over Keene even on drives when Keene was marching down the field.
Keene needs to improve, more than a little, and learn to play fearless....if he does, he's got a chance to play. If he doesn't, he won't (-36 yards rushing and mediocre downfield passing won't win the job this year). Let's see if he can step it up. It'll come down to who wants it and will play with his hair on fire. I guarantee you that JRP does. What about Keene?
Gatewood already knew Gus’ offense after playing a full year for him, was in his third year of being coached as a college QBs….and still couldn’t overtake Keene halfway or 3/4 of the way in to the season…
College coaches play the best player they have which will help them win…Keene was clearly the best last year all the way through the biggest game and Win of the season vs UF……despite what some fans think…Gus valued Keene skill set ….if you think Gus isn’t having a competition for the starting QBs job and there’s “no doubt” for next season ….you’re mistaken. ..may the best QBs win
For me, it will be the most interesting QB battle in our program's history without question.
Keene will be better, but by how much?
Can JRP learn to throw the ball accurately, just enough, to take over?
Is Castellanos the Gus prototype we all think he is and does he pull a DG, grabbing the start as a freshman?
Does Wydner, standing taller than anyone, sling the rock so well in Spring that he makes everyone question everything?
Lots of cool storylines!
Keene will be better, but by how much?
Can JRP learn to throw the ball accurately, just enough, to take over?
Is Castellanos the Gus prototype we all think he is and does he pull a DG, grabbing the start as a freshman?
Does Wydner, standing taller than anyone, sling the rock so well in Spring that he makes everyone question everything?
Lots of cool storylines!
