The Knights look to lure the dynamic dual-threat passer from Las Vegas as Gus Malzahn’s staff battles hometown UNLV and Big Ten powers for this rising signal-caller.
The UCF Knights recruiting efforts are on full-blast, as they are receiving a mid-week visit from 2027 three-star quarterback Thaddeus Thatcher before heading to Michigan.
Thatcher finished a visit with his hometown college program, UNLV. He plays for Arbor View High School in Las Vegas and home field advantage may play a factor in his recruiting.
The three-star recruit told Greg Biggins of On3 that he and his father are UNLV fans and has most likely visited the campus more than other recruits. Although the Rebels are close to Thatcher, he is still paying other schools a visit.
He is traveling to Orlando for a mid-week visit to UCF. Coach Scott Frost and his staff have done a stellar job at impressing recruits and earning commitments. Thatcher’s father holds Frost and quarterback coach McKenzie Milton in high regards.
“My dad is a big fan of coach Frost and coach Milton is a UCF legend so I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s all like there,” Thatcher told Biggins.
UCF has a storied history with quarterbacks. Daunte Culpepper (1999) and Blake Bortles (2013) are first-round draft picks, Milton helped lead the program to an undefeated season in 2017 under Frost and the duo recruited Alonza Barnett III in January’s transfer portal.
ESPN named Barnett III a top-70 newcomer in college football and many analysts say he the player to watch for the Knights. His playoff experience and dual-threat ability can unlock Frost’s offensive scheme.
The Knights are also building toward the future with their signal callers. Rocco Marriott and Dante Carr are two freshman who early enrolled to get acclimated to college football.
Like Marriott and Carr, Thatcher is dominating the high school football scene. He threw for 2,625 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions for the Aggies in his junior campaign.
The Las Vegas native recorded four or more touchdowns four times last season. Thatcher also added 605 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 53 carries.
Frost has recruited or coached quarterbacks with dual-threat abilities. Milton in 2016-17; Jacurri Brown, Cam Fancher and Davi Belfort last season.
Earning a commitment from Thatcher would add another versatile quarterback to the room and make competition interesting. However, UCF has to compete with the three-star quarterback’s hometown school, Oregon State and Michigan for his skill set.
High school recruit commitments have come in bunches for the Knights in recent weeks. They secured five commitments from Jonathan Barns, Omari St. Fort, Dontallis Render, Ian McDuffie and Ty MontsDeOca.
Thatcher set his commitment date for June 26 at his church.
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