Kasiyah Charlton always had UCF at the top of his list.
After first visiting for a game last fall, the Brunswick, Ga., offensive tackle returned last Thursday to watch spring practice and get to know the new coaching staff. By the end of the visit, he knew the time was right, committing on the spot to head coach Scott Frost and offensive line coach Shawn Clark.
"I've been liking UCF ever since the last staff was there," Charlton said. "I went to the BYU game last fall and that's when I was first offered. After those coaches went to FSU, Coach Clark got in touch sometime in February. He said, 'We love you over here to UCF. We'd love to offer you.'
"I already knew about Coach Clark because the head coach at my high school was going to work with him when he was at Purdue. The relationship I had with UCF and Coach Clark, I didn't have that with any other coach."
Charlton said everything about the visit felt right.
"I always talk to my coach about recruiting and I've been talking to him about UCF for a while," Charlton said. "He just told me, 'If you're feeling it, just do it.' I didn't really know I was going to do it that day. But when I got there, I watched the practice and all that. They treated me so well. Then when I was talking to Coach Clark in the team room, it just happened. I told him I was ready to commit.
"Coach Clark was fired up. He jumped right out of his seat. We went out to eat and after that came back to see Coach Frost. He was fired up too. Everyone was fired up."
Speed isn't typically the first thing you'd associate with a 6-foot-6, 292-pound offensive tackle, but UCF loves the way Charlton can move.
"Coach Clark, the one thing he always told me that he loves about me is I can run," Charlton said. "He says, 'If you can run, you can play.' I've never really been timed in the 40, but I've always felt like I'm fast."
Charlton said he was also strongly considering West Virginia before locking things down with UCF. He had around a dozen offers in total, including Tennessee, Kentucky, ECU and South Florida.
"Orlando is a great town," Charlton said. "My education is very important to me and UCF is a great school."
Charlton said his family loved the decision, particularly his mother who also appreciates the fact UCF is only three hours away. He also has a family connection to the Knights.
"My cousin is Rashad Jeanty who played at UCF," Charlton said. "He called me and said he was so happy that I picked them."
Jeanty, a defensive end, played for UCF from 2000-01. He initially played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL and later spent several seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Charlton joins Ocoee linebacker Michael McClenton, American Heritage linebacker Kymani Morales and Neptune Beach cornerback Elijah Keys in UCF's Class of 2026.
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