The Palmetto standout chose Kansas over his hometown Knights, leaving UCF to lean on record-breaking recruits and rising stars to bolster its deep wide receiver corps.
UCF has been making strides in the 2027 recruiting class, bringing in local talent on the offense and defense.
But, Sunday, the Knights struck out on 3-star WR/DB Nazir Pitchford, who visited UCF in late May.
After decommiting from Kansas State, Pitchfordtalked with Knights247 and Roundtable reporter Andrew Cherico, where he announced his top 4: UCF, Boston College, Kansas, and North Carolina.
Over the weekend, Pitchford committed to Kansas, writing "1000% committed. #Rock Chalk," via X.
Pitchford, a local product and Palmetto, FL, native, plays both wide receiver and defensive back, recording six tackles and one pass breakup in his junior campaign, while adding 344 yards and seven touchdowns on 34 receptions.
Although we have seen Travis Hunter make his way through college playing both sides, Pitchford will likely end up playing more offense than defense, as his statistics as receiver outweigh his defensive metrics.
In his sophomore season, Pitchford recorded 43 receptions for 752 yards and nine touchdowns in 10 games.
While he would have been a nice boost to the offensive attack, the Knights' wide receiver room is well rounded, with a mix of returning and incoming talent.
Sophomore wide receiver Waden Charles is one of the most intriguing returners for the Knights, gearing up for a big second season.
As a true freshman, Charles hauled in 26 receptions for 290 yards, while showing he can be a major contributor for seasons to come.
Charles proved as a consistent plug-and-play option for UCF, filling in nicely when his name was called. But, he truly began to make an impact late in the season. On senior night, Charles posted a career-high six receptions for 78 yards.
In the following week against BYU, Charles had 50 yards on four catches. Throughout the season, he averaged 11.2 yards per reception, a promising sign for such a young talent.
Incoming freshman Tyren Hornes is also an intriguing prospect, with his latest ranking boost making him the most highly-touted recruit in program history.
According to TheUCReport, "No one climbed higher in the final ESPN 300 update than Tyren Hornes. The UCF commit balled out at the UA All-America game and now ranks as the No. 12 WR in the class."
Hornes announced his commitment to UCF at the same Under Armour All-America event last year. Hornes won MVP of the event, foreshadowing an impressive senior season at Booker High School.
He joins a wide receiver room that is returning a lot of production, including: junior Duane "Speedy" Thomas, Charles and junior tight end Dylan Wade, who set the program-record for yards by a tight-end last season.
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