Stanford offensive lineman Drake Metcalf came away incredibly impressed following his weekend official visit to UCF.
A four-star center in the Class of 2020, Metcalf is on track to be a spring graduate from Stanford with three years of eligibility remaining. This was his third visit so far following trips to SMU and Northwestern.
The Orange, Calif., native graduated from storied St. John Bosco High School which was crowned National Champions during his senior season in 2019. Metcalf was a four-star center in the 2020 class, choosing Stanford over dozens of other schools that included USC, Oregon, TCU and Northwestern.
After redshirting in 2020, Metcalf appeared in all 12 games as a reserve in 2021. He saw action in a handful of games in 2022 as the backup center and had one start at right guard against Notre Dame. He entered the NCAA Transfer Portal following the departure of Stanford head coach David Shaw.
UCFSports.com caught up with him Sunday night upon his return home.
"I'd say the (recruiting) process now is quite different (from high school)," Metcalf said. "There are some similarities, but a lot more differences. I'm finishing up my undergraduate studies and I've done that whole process. On my visits I'd say it's more business unlike when you're in high school and you get impressed by trying on uniforms... This upcoming decision will affect me the most in my future to come. I want to make sure I get into a good graduate studies program, either a business school or law school."
Metcalf has treasured his time in Palo Alto. He he was worked as a research assistant for Dr. Condoleeza Rice, the former Secretary of State who is currently the director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford.
That opened the door for Metcalf to meet dignitaries such as General James Mattis, former Secretary of Defense, General H.R. McMaster, former National Security Advisor, Paul Nakaone, current director of the NSA, John McLaughlin, former director of the CIA, and Michael McFaul, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia.
"I've done a lot of cool things," Metcalf said. "I want to get into law and politics after I'm done playing football. My ultimate goal is to play in the NFL and have a fruitful career. One of the main reasons I came to Stanford is to be able to make the connections that can pay off in the future. There was no better spot than Stanford."
As for UCF, Metcalf said a big reason for his high level of interest is offensive line coach Herb Hand. UCF is recruiting him as a center, though he can play guard if needed.
"Coach Hand is awesome," Metcalf said. "You can really tell he has a great relationship with his offensive line. He really cares about them. He's got a strong level of experience and commands respects from the offensive line community. I've been following o-line trainers and other accounts on Twitter for years and I'd always be seeing his name pop up in the past. I followed him back in high school when he was recruiting me. I was fired up to be recruited by him this time around. He brings high energy into the room. He's not quiet and laid back. He gets in your face and fires you up.. He has a swagger to him with his personality."
As for his UCF visit, Metcalf flew in from California last Thursday arriving around midnight. That allowed him to have two full days on campus Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, Metcalf learned more about UCF's academic offerings, which included a sit-down meeting with the director of the business school.
He first thought he might be a little old to enjoy the uniform shoot, but he absolutely loved learning more about UCF's space uniforms.
"Coach Hand asked me if I wanted to do it, I guess some guys are into it and some are not," Metcalf said. "Those space uniforms, wow! Those were pretty cool. Not a lot of people on the west coast know about UCF's connections with NASA and the space program. Down one of the hallways they had a photo of one of the rocket launches being visible right over the 50-yard-line of the stadium lighting up the night sky. That was so awesome."
Metcalf's player host was offensive lineman Adrian Medley and he spent a great deal of time with quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, wide receiver Trent Whittemore as well as linemen Chidoziri Maghiro and Lokahi Pauole.
"John Rhys was hanging out with us the whole weekend," Metcalf said. "It was great to build a relationship with him and hear what he had to say about the program. He's a cool guy. A special player. Watching him play through his highlights, I remember watching him at Ole Miss when he was a freshman. Now at UCF, this guy is a star on the field. He can run with legs that can move like the wind and he's got an arm that's like a rocket. He's really dynamic. That's really enticing to me, playing with a quarterback like that. I feel super comfortable with him."
The food offerings were definitely a highlight.
"Tibby's (New Orleans Kitchen) was ridiculously good," Metcalf said. "I'm a pretty big sucker for Cajun and Creole food. I had alligator, crawfish etouffee and all sort of good stuff. We also went to STK Steakhouse at Disney Springs. We had some great steak and the whole seafood tower. I also tried Huey Magoo's. Those were some good chicken tenders. That place beats Raising Cane's in my professional opinion."
Metcalf said it was honor meeting head coach Gus Malzahn.
"Coach Malzahn is so awesome," Metcalf said. "He was a coach I grew up watching on TV winning big-time games and now I'm seeing him in person. It was a surreal experience, now being recruited by him. He's won a National Championship at Auburn as the offensive coordinator and competed for one as a head coach. Having a head coach with that level of experience is very enticing to a player. He brings leadership to the team and he expects leadership from the team. There's a saying that goes like, it's coach fed but it's player led. Team accountability is important to him.
"He's also really family oriented. A Christian guy. He brings values and morals to the table. That's cool to me. I'm a pretty big Christian guy and having a coach that's deeply rooted in his faith is pretty cool."
After taking in the whole experience, Metcalf explained what appeals to him about UCF.
"I'd say the overall experience of the football program," he said. "I've seen the vibe from videos of the Bounce House and the stadium shaking just full of crazed Knight fans. The community is awesome around the school. There's no NFL team, so UCF is the team of Orlando. UCF is going to the Big 12 which is really enticing to me. It's very evident UCF isn't tiptoeing over the threshold into the Big 12. They're preparing to blow the door completely off the hinges. They mentioned that to me the entire weekend. They're not going through the motions. They want to freaking win the Big 12 and establish a level of dominance."
As a summer enrollee, Metcalf doesn't have to rush into a decision. There are other suitors, but he's not sure yet if he'll take any additional visits beyond the three so far.
"It's about finding the best fit for me," he said. "A big aspect is making sure I'm happy. Football is a huge part of your life. I want to find a good fit that will make me happy on and off the field. The best place to develop me into the best player I can be. I want to continue to add tools to my tool box to become the best center I can be. Playing in the NFL has always been a dream of mine and I want to be in the best position to be able to make it.
"I also want a great experience. I want to enjoy the fans and play in a great stadium with a great fanbase that supports the team. The alumni connections as well.
"(As far as a decision), I'll know when I know. I'll wake up one day and decide I've thought about this long enough. Whatever school is going to get me will get a guy that's determined to work hard and dominate on the field each and every rep."
