National Signing Day: Which players joined UCF football during December window?

Posted by author January 22, 2025 Football

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Expect the traditional National Signing Day — the first Wednesday in February, formerly the marquee date on the college football recruiting calendar — to be a quiet one for UCF.

The Knights have recruited more than two-dozen players out of the transfer portal since Scott Frost’s appointment as head coach, the majority having at least two more years of eligibility left. In addition, UCF managed to sign 11 athletes from the high school and JUCO levels before Frost arrived on Dec. 7.

Only a handful of high-level recruits trickle into the February window these days as college coaches push for their young recruits to enroll early and participate in spring camp, thus increasing their odds for immediate on-field contributions.

From a UCF perspective, the most notable prospect still unsigned is Warner Robins (Ga.) Northside four-star offensive tackle Chastan Brown, who decommitted from the Knights immediately after news broke of Gus Malzahn’s departure. All signs point to the 6-foot-7, 270-pound Brown ultimately signing elsewhere, perhaps following Malzahn and former Knights offensive line coach Herb Hand to Florida State.

Frost mined a couple of underrated gems in his first tenure as Knights coach. Within two months of taking the job in 2016, he and his staff signed — among others — quarterback McKenzie Milton, running back Adrian Killins, wide receiver Dredrick Snelson, defensive tackle Trysten Hill and safety Richie Grant.

Let’s look back at UCF’s signing class from December, including a pair of consensus blue-chip prospects. The players are listed in order of their 247Sports composite scores.

Taevion Swint

Position: Running back
Previous school: Osceola
Height: 5-10
Weight: 180
247Sports composite rating: 0.9020 (No. 24 RB)
Hometown: Kissimmee, Fla.
Details: Swint took an extra couple of days to reconsider options but ultimately signed with the Knights before the December window closed. He produced a huge senior season, guiding Osceola to the FHSAA Class 6A championship game with 1,915 rushing yards and 28 total touchdowns.

Tony Williams

Position: Defensive back
Previous school: Miami Central
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
247Sports composite rating: 0.8950 (No. 38 S)
Hometown: Wellington, Fla.
Details: UCF’s lone representative in the Under Armour Next All-America Game, Williams displayed his versatility by lining up in the slot, on the boundary and at safety against the nation’s premier receivers. He was credited with eight tackles and two pass breakups in five games at Miami Central, his lone season with the Rockets after transferring from Palm Beach Central.

Rukeem Stroud

Position: Cornerback
Previous school: Tampa Bay Tech
Height: 6-0
Weight: 160
247Sports composite rating: 0.8867 (No. 43 CB)
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Details: UCF poached Stroud from Wisconsin’s recruiting class on June 24, one day after losing Demarcus Gardner to Kentucky. A four-year contributor at Tampa Bay Tech, Stroud finished his high school career with 66 tackles (47 solo), seven interceptions and 43 pass breakups.

Waden Charles

Position: Wide receiver
Previous school: Somerset Canyons
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185
247Sports composite rating: 0.8833 (No. 87 WR)
Hometown: Boynton Beach, Fla.
Details: Charles finished as Somerset Canyons’ leading receiver in just eight games, hauling in 37 passes for 595 yards and four touchdowns. Formerly committed to Miami, Charles was described by 247Sports’ director of scouting Andrew Ivins as a “physical, possession-type of wide receiver who wins with body control and sure hands.”

Carl Jenkins Jr.

Position: Wide receiver
Previous school: St. Augustine
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
247Sports composite rating: 0.8800 (No. 95 WR)
Hometown: St. Augustine, Fla.
Details: Jenkins rejoined UCF’s class in a mid-afternoon surprise on the first day of the early window. He previously decommitted from the Knights Sept. 30 following a home loss to Colorado. Jenkins had 48 catches for 592 yards and eight touchdowns as the Yellow Jackets reached the Class 4A state semifinal round.

Santonyo Isaac

Position: Wide receiver
Previous school: Tampa Bay Tech
Height: 6-1
Weight: 170
247Sports composite rating: 0.8775 (No. 100 WR)
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Details: Isaac missed significant time this fall due to injury, but he returned to catch four balls for 65 yards and a touchdown in TBT’s playoff win over Edgewater. He set career-highs across the board as a junior, recording 30 receptions for 695 yards and nine touchdowns.

Caden Piening

Position: Tight end
Previous school: Anderson
Height: 6-4
Weight: 240
247Sports composite rating: 0.8756 (No. 36 TE)
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Details: Piening reopened his recruitment following the coaching change but signed with UCF despite late flip pushes from Florida and Missouri, according to 247Sports. He helped Anderson achieve a program-record 15 wins and a trip to Ohio’s Division II state final with 43 catches for 769 yards and seven touchdowns.

RyShawn Perry

Position: Defensive tackle
Previous school: Newton
Height: 6-3
Weight: 275
247Sports composite rating: 0.8753 (No. 87 DL)
Hometown: Covington, Ga.
Details: Perry committed to the Knights over the likes of Auburn, Oklahoma and Ole Miss in April. During his senior season at Newton, he racked up 21 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Perry is the younger brother of former UCF defensive back Koby Perry.

Laparka Langston

Position: Offensive tackle
Previous school: Northwest Mississippi Community College
Height: 6-8
Weight: 305
247Sports composite rating: 0.8717 (No. 1 JUCO OT)
Hometown: Jonesboro, Ga.
Details: Offensive tackle was a huge need for UCF’s roster, and Langston could be given an opportunity to contend for the vacancy opposite lone returning starter Paul Rubelt. Langston earned NJCAA All-America First Team honors, and he visited Liberty before signing with the Knights.

Malakhi Boone

Position: Linebacker
Previous school: South Sumter
Height: 6-2
Weight: 230
247Sports composite rating: 0.8678 (No. 109 LB)
Hometown: Webster, Fla.
Details: Boone, who decided to sign after initially planning to wait until February, is not only expected to improve UCF’s linebacker room after tallying 114 tackles, 18 TFLs and eight sacks as a senior, but its baseball team as well. He hit 18 home runs over the previous three springs for South Sumter.

Jaquez Joiner

Position: Offensive lineman
Previous school: Cocoa
Height: 6-4
Weight: 265
247Sports composite rating: 0.8622 (No. 84 OT)
Hometown: Cocoa, Fla.
Details: Committed to UCF since September 2023, Joiner was a mainstay at left tackle for the state-champion Tigers. It’s likely he kicks inside at the next level, flashing his athleticism and power in the run game and pass protection.