Don’t look now, but the 2023 recruiting class of UCF and Gus Malzahn is starting to pick up steam. In a five-day stretch over the last week, the Knights picked up four commits, including three-star quarterback Dylan Rizk and a four-star edge rusher Isaiah Nixon.
In addition to Rizk and Nixon, offensive tackle Jamal Meriweather and three-star tight end tight end Jayvontay Conner committed to the Knights.
Rizk was the latest of the high school players to commit to UCF. As a junior, he helped lead Fort Lauderdale, Fla. powerhouse Cardinal Gibbons to a championship, marking the school’s second title in a row and third in the last four seasons. He passed for 1,971 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushed 58 times for 456 yards and eight touchdowns, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Listed at 6-foot-2, he is ranked on the 247Sports Composite as the No. 53 QB in the country.
Nixon is so far heralded as the best player in the class. Ranked as the No. 25 EDGE rusher and No. 266 player overall in the class of 2023, he is the sole four-star that has committed to UCF at this time. Another commit out of Florida, the Lakewood (Saint Petersburg, Fl.) junior committed on April 16.
Conner, who plays for East Forsyth (Kernersville, N.C.), committed on Wednesday. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end had 43 offers, according to his 247Sports page. In his junior season, he had 24 receptions for 405 yards and six touchdowns, per Pokes Report.
Meriweather, who committed on April 17, was unranked by 247Sports. Hailing from Brunswick (Ga.) High School, the offensive lineman is listed at 6-foot-6.5 and 259 pounds.
With those four additions, UCF has moved up to No. 19 overall on 247Sports recruiting rankings. It will be immensely difficult for the school to stay in the top 20, given as the majority of five-star prospects have yet to commit and Alabama and Clemson only have three commits apiece — and are therefore ranked below UCF — but it’s an excellent start after rising incrementally each year from 2020 (No. 78) to 2022 (No. 40, as of April 23).
