UCF QB commit Riley Trujillo helping Knights recruit top players
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
UCF got their Class of 2024 quarterback commitment early, and Riley Trujillo (6-4, 215) has stuck firmly with the Knights since his March 20 pledge. The Bartram Trail (Jacksonville, Fla.) prospect has showcased his arm at two camps this offseason and will work over defenses on Wednesday at UCF’s scholastic 7-on-7 tournament.
Riley competed at the Pennsylvania Elite 11 Regional and at Rivals’ Miami camp where he won the Golden Ball honor. The performance at the QB focused camp was covered.
“I feel like I did well at the Elite 11,” Trujillo said. “I think I had an overall good performance. I had to go to Pennsylvania because I missed the Orlando regional. I think I missed only two throws; I was disappointed not being included in the finals.”
Asked what he did well at the Elite 11 Regional, Trujillo replied, “From the combine, I did well. I ran a low 4.7. With my throws, I had good arm strength and did well on my deep balls and short passes. I also did well with my footwork. Overall, I did well. I didn’t mess up my footwork once. The one-on-ones, I did well with that.”
Like all competitors, Trujillo is not content fine tuning his craft this summer.
“I am working on quicker reads and recognizing coverages,” Trujillo stated. “In Cover 3, which routes do I have; Cover 2, the same things. I have been working on my footwork, getting that faster, and my timing with my footwork on different routes. I’ve been working on the deep ball, and I am always working on my accuracy.”
Riley Trujillo with UCF OC/QB coach Darin Hinshaw.
While the vast majority of 2024 prospects are taking official visits this summer, Trujillo is waiting until December to use his in Orlando. Trips back and forth between Jacksonville and UCF’s campus have been regular.
“I went there for the Bounce House weekend to talk to the guys and hang out,” Trujillo said. “I went to the start of their spring practice a while ago. Tomorrow, I am going to their 7-on-7 tournament with all the high school teams.”
Insight into the relationship with the Knights’ coaching staff was given.
“It is great,” Trujillo shared. “I am working hard to get guys to commit and jump on board. I am in touch with coach (Gus) Malzahn and coach (Darin) Hinshaw (OC/QB). I talked to coach Hinshaw yesterday. With UCF, it is all love. It will be great.”
Following up on helping with recruiting, Trujillo gave some behind-the-scenes details.
“I’ll give you one big name, I am trying to get (TE) Kylan Fox,” Trujillo stated.
One of the big recent offensive commitments for UCF was four-star tailback Stacy Gage; Trujillo commented about adding the St. Thomas Aquinas prospect 10 days ago.
“I was messaging him on Instagram,” Trujillo said. “When I found out he was committing, I kept hitting him with the Knights’ emoji. All fun and games. It was great getting him.”
On the 2024 recruiting cycle for UCF, Trujillo stated, “I want to make sure this is one of the best recruiting classes UCF has ever had.”