UCF’s recruiting map is getting a lot bigger, and Scott Frost isn’t hiding it.
The Knights are reaching beyond Florida and making a real push into talent-rich pockets around the country, with Texas and New Jersey among the places they’ve targeted. Frost said the program is prepared to go wherever the right players are, and he made it clear that Orlando has its own pull.
"It's hard to cast your net so wide that you look under every rock and every corner for players," Frost told reporters at Big 12 media day. "But we're going to be willing to go anywhere in the country, including Texas, to get players. And I know Orlando is a really awesome place, and kids are going to want to be there."
That approach is already showing up in the 2027 class. UCF has landed commitments from tight end Tanner Ehmen of Alabama, defensive back Jonathan Barnes of Texas and linebacker Ian McDuffie of New Jersey over the last several weeks.
McDuffie is the headliner of that group. UCF flipped him from Syracuse, a school only five hours from home, which says plenty about how far the Knights are willing to stretch and how much ground they can cover when they decide to make a move.
The 2026 class also reflects that wider reach. Nine players in the incoming freshman group come from outside Florida, including quarterbacks Rocco Marriott of Missouri and Dante Carr of Pennsylvania, along with EDGE Alhassan Iddrissu of Connecticut.
Frost has been direct about what UCF expects when it spends real resources on high school recruiting. The goal is not just to stockpile names - it’s to bring in players who can help right away.
"If we're going to invest some of our resources from a money standpoint in high school kids, then we expect those kids to come in and play," Frost told reporters on National Signing Day on Dec. 3. "And there are a few of those that I think have a chance to come in and help the team right away."
National Signing Day is still months away for the 2027 class, but UCF has already put in the work during official visit periods, and Frost and his staff appear to have made strong impressions.
For the Knights, the message is simple: the search isn’t limited by state lines anymore. If the right player is out there, UCF is willing to chase him.
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