Caden Piening has had his eye on UCF for a while.
Now a standout tight end at Cincinnati's Anderson High School, Piening spent his early years in Orlando. His family lived in the Dr. Phillips area from his birth until 2015 and his father is a UCF alum.
UCF is open to recruiting players nationally, but typically will concentrate their primary efforts within Florida, Georgia and other Southeastern states. Piening was the one who actually initiated the contact, eager to inform the coaches of his interest.
"I always wanted to be recruited by UCF," Piening said. "I was trying to message the staff, I finally made a connection and was able to send my film to (UCF tight ends coach Brian) Blackmon. We got on a phone call and it was great. I ended up getting an offer in February and we've been talking every week. It's been a great process. He's gotten to know my mom too. It's been great."
On Monday, Piening and his family visited UCF, spending the day watching the Knights' first spring practice and touring the campus.
"We got to the practice and as soon as we walked in Coach (Gus) Malzahn and Coach Blackmon came over and introduced themselves," Piening said. "They said that I'm bigger than what they thought. It was great meeting them. Practice was great, a lot of competition. I enjoyed watching the one-on-one drills. Coach Blackmon was going back and forth, talking to me and my parents during practice. I got to meet Coach Malzahn's wife, Kristi, and Coach Blackmon's wife. My parents talked to Coach Blackmon's wife for a good 45 minutes during the practice. She's a sweet lady."
After practice, Piening and his family met Blackmon for lunch and then went on a campus tour.
"It was great finally meet Coach Blackmon in person," Piening said. "I really enjoyed seeing campus. It was beautiful, very modern. They took us around on a golf cart. The facilities were great, like the weight room. They have blueprints showing the new facilities they're going to build. They're going to be adding on to the stadium.
"At the end of the visit, I got to meet with Coach Malzahn. We talked for at least 30-45 minutes. It was awesome. I just love the family atmosphere. Really, from the whole team. I met all the tight ends. They all greeted me. They've recruited a bunch of good guys who can get after it on the field. I just felt so welcomed.
"I'm definitely coming back for an official visit. My family and I just loved it."
Piening, who is 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, caught 35 passes for 624 yards and five touchdowns as a junior.
"They really see me as a player that can go out and play wide, but also do the dirty work inside, putting my hand on the ground to block," Piening said. "I can be a versatile tight end."
In February, Piening trimmed his list to a top 10 that includes UCF, Florida, Louisville, Michigan State, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Stanford and Illinois.
He's the midst of spring visits. He visited Florida a couple days before UCF. He has plans to visit Louisville (March 19), Michigan State (March 28) and Pitt (April 4).
On the official visit front, Piening is confirmed for Louisville the weekend of June 7. A UCF visit is in the works, maybe the week before.
A commitment could come before his official visits, though that's still to be determined.
"It will come down to how comfortable I am with the school," Piening said. "My parents will want to know they're okay sending me there, that I'll be in great hands. Another thing is academics. If I wasn't playing football, is it still a good school? I'm going to take it through spring practice and if I feel comfortable I might commit before my official visits, but I might wait until after."
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