4-star WR Bredell Richardson commits to UCF: 'I truly loved it there'

Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day four-star wide receiver Bredell Richardson went back and forth throughout his recruitment. In the end, it was UCF.

Richardson, the nation’s No. 363 prospect, chose the Knights over LSU and Michigan State. At one point, both Notre Dame and LSU led in Richardson’s recruitment until the Knights really took over this June.

“I went back and forth,” Richardson told On3. I thought I was going to three or four different schools at different times. It was Notre Dame early, but it was just too early to make a decision. Over the last eight months or so, it was LSU. Something just held me back.

“Over time, I got closer and closer with UCF. I had different lists and UCF was never on. them, but I took a visit in January. Then I was there twice in the spring, then three times in the summer and it just felt different. UCF stayed on my mind, UCF kept coming. I truly loved it there.”

Relationship with Gus Malzahn helped Richardson

Knights head coach Gus Malzahn is entering his third season in Orlando, just as UCF is making the jump to the Big 12.

“UCF has Gus Malzahn and he is one of the best head coaches in college football,” Richardson said. “You look at what he has done, and he is one of the best. With him, the relationships I have there, the direction of the program and how it is close to home — UCF is the best place for me.”

“I love coach Gus,” Richardson continued about Malzahn. “I love his personality, the dude he is and how close he is to his guys. He has real relationships, he always called one to two times a week even when I may not have had them at the top of my list. I know he is real, too. I played on Cam Newton’s 7-on-7 team, so I heard a lot from him and the same message he gave Cam at Auburn, he is giving his guys at UCF. Coach Gus is real.”

The recruitment process was not easy for Richardson. Parsing through what different schools have to offer and how those differences affect him made for a difficult process. In the end, UCF had everything that Richardson wanted.

“This was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life,” Richardson said. “I liked different things about different schools. I drove myself crazy because it was hard to get every box checked off. There was always one thing missing or one thing different. UCF checked every box. They have everything I truly wanted. I wanted to be somewhere to play early and make an impact as a freshman, I wanted to compete from the get-go. I wanted strong relationships with the staff, I wanted to fit the scheme. UCF has it all.”

UCF class rising in the rankings

The Knights continue to rise in the recruiting rankings, putting together what is sure to compete for the title of best Big 12 class come December. The quality of that class played a part in Richardson’s decision.

“This recruiting class was another factor and there is still more to come,” Richardson said. “Everyone is on the same page and now going to the Big 12, UCF can make that run like TCU did last season. Good things are coming.”