Despite SEC interest, 4-star TE Kylan Fox was 'too locked-in' with UCF

Many schools went after Loganville (Ga.) Grayson four-star tight end Kylan Fox throughout his recruiting process — before and after his commitment to UCF on July 4.

The 6-foot-4.5, 202-pounder now checks in as the No. 24 TE in the 2024 cycle, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s one of the three highest-ranked signees for Gus Malzahn and Co., but easily could have taken his pledge elsewhere down the stretch.

Before taking part in the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 3 in Orlando, Fox discussed the latter half of his recruitment and who pushed hard to try and flip him from the Golden Knights. Chances to play in the SEC were abundant.

“I was locked in with UCF all the way, Colorado came and made a push mid-season and Auburn made a push toward the end of the season. Then after the football season, Mississippi State made a push,” Fox told reporters on Friday.

Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes attempted to strike while the iron was hot in Boulder. Auburn and Hugh Freeze were consistently mentioned in the rumor mill as a potential landing spot for Fox, while Mississippi State tried to get in late with the new staff in Starkville, led by Jeff Lebby. Fox didn’t dish out the cold shoulder to other programs, but his pledge to UCF was simply too strong.

“I did hear on Auburn, I went and visited when they played Ole Miss. It was a pretty good experience,” Fox said. “Mississippi State made a home visit with me, we chopped it up, they wanted to get me on campus but unfortunately I just couldn’t, I was too locked-in with UCF.”

UCF’s family feel won Fox over

The connection to Malzahn and the Knights harkens back to the beginning of Fox’s recruitment, as UCF was his third offer on a list that now features over 60 schools. Florida State and the likes of Ole Miss and Florida were also around in the lead-up to his commitment in the summer, but after a trio of visits to Orlando, all signs pointed to UCF.

Now, Fox gets the chance to play in Orlando in a high-profile showcase before spending the next few years catching passes and throwing blocks in The Bounce House.

“They had always just been loyal to me since the beginning. It was my third offer and I ended up having 60-something, so they’ve just always been locked in with me, and then when I committed, it just felt like a family…nobody else made me feel like family,” Fox said.