UCF adds 4-star edge rusher Isaiah Nixon

It’s been seven months since UCF accepted an invitation to the Big 12 Conference and the future move to a Power Five league has made a big impact on the recruiting trail for coach Gus Malzahn.

Malzahn and the Knights added another big piece to the puzzle Saturday midway through the spring game when St. Petersburg Lakewood four-star edge rusher Isaiah Nixon announced his verbal commitment to the program.

Nixon is viewed as the No. 23 edge rusher in the country and the No. 48 prospect in Florida for the 2023 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

Malzahn isn’t able to talk specifically about Nixon until he signs with UCF during December’s early signing period, but the Knights coach did say there’s a really good buzz around recruiting.

In addition to the move to the Big 12, a 29-17 win over the Florida Gators in December’s Gasparilla Bowl has helped a lot.

“Ever since the bowl win, it’s been different,” Malzahn said. “We’re in the game with some guys that we may have not been in the game before.”

If Nixon signs with UCF, he would become the Knights’ sixth-highest ranked signee ever, according to 247Sports.

The 6-foot-4 215-pound defender chose UCF over a number of Power Five programs, including in-state schools such as Florida, where he visited in March, and the University of Miami, which offered him a scholarship in February.

Nixon totaled 75 tackles, 24 of which were for loss, and 10 sacks in 11 games as a junior at Lakewood. He helped his team win 10 games and reach the Florida Class 4A state semifinal game.

Nixon joins Apopka three-star edge rusher Kaven Call, who committed on Christmas, and 3-star linebacker Troy Ford, who announced his verbal pledge in March, as members of UCF’s recruiting class for the 2023 cycle.

With the addition of Nixon, UCF’s 2023 recruiting class jumps to No. 35 in the country, according to 247Sports.

“The combination of the bowl win and going to the Big 12 ... when you’re here you can feel that we’re about to do something special,” Malzahn said. “Recruits feel it.

“They feel it from our players, our coaches and just everybody around the program. Everybody wants to dream or be a part of something special and we’re well on our way.”