The momentum behind UCF’s football program has flipped as quickly as Scott Frost envisions his team playing.
The Knights’ want to play uptempo and get athletes on the field in space, moving the ball quickly down the field. The hashtags of #UCFast and #UCFierce to describe the new style and attitude for the team are already plastered everywhere for UCF.
His first recruiting class is a symbol of that, focusing locally most of all to own Florida and specifically Central Florida. The new attitude resonated with a recruiting class that quickly rose to the second-best recruiting class in the American Conference, according to Rivals.
The hallmark of the day came from a recruit UCF flipped from a power conference program.
Three-star wide receiver Dredrick Snelson officially signed with UCF, flipping from Minnesota, on Wednesday afternoon, cementing an incredible first recruiting class for Frost on the shortened recruiting cycle Frost had after he took over the team in December.
#Flanagan HS (FL) 2016 WR Dredrick Snelson (@D_Snelson2) signs LOI with the #UCF #Knights pic.twitter.com/iIInG76D5k
— Sleeper Athletes (@SleeperAthletes) February 3, 2016
Snelson joins big offensive stars in Mainland’s Adrian Killins, Seminoles’ Brandon Moore and Dr. Phillips’ Jaquarius Bargnare as impact players from Florida who joined UCF since Frost took over.
Snelson was also not the only player to make the UCF call on Signing Day. Offensive lineman Jordan Johnson picked UCF over Georgia Tech and Eric Mitchell picked over UCF over Louisville. Frost was winning recruiting battles on the final day.
Add in a big defensive end signing in Chris Mulumba and four offensive lineman, including four-star Georgia prospect Aaron Dowdell, and this is a big day for Frost and his staff.
The Knights so far have 20 recruits who have officially signed with the team and each seems to be bringing a new energy to the program that was absent during the forgettable 0-12 campaign last year.
Frost’s work is getting recognized too as UCF has climbed the recruiting rankings ever since Frost took over. They have surprised everyone with the way the program has sold itself.
@UCF_Football class of 2016 BF (before Frost) was ranked outside the top 100. Now #Rivals has them 57th. And 2nd in @American_FB.
— Joe Kepner (@JKepnerWFTV) February 3, 2016
Undoubtedly, many of the 20 players UCF has signed to this point — there may yet be more — will see the field immediately for this young UCF team still reshaping its identity.
Frost has yet to coach his team on the field. The road back from 0-12 is still going to be a long one. But for one day, things are optimistic again for the Knights. And they are winning these battles and taking some major steps forward with getting talent into the program.
