UCF trending for elite 4-star safety Tony Williams

UCF currently stands atop the Big 12 in the 2025 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, as of the middle of February.

Gus Malzahn and the Knights are looking to make their presence felt on the recruiting trail as one of the new Power Five kids on the block. Earlier this month, the Sunshine State program made a splash — at the expense of Malzahn’s former school.

Thomasville (Ga.) Thomas County Central four-star safety Kendarius Reddick announced a surprise flip of his commitment from Auburn to UCF on Feb. 3. The 6-foot, 165-pounder is a top-40 prospect in the 2025 On300 and could provide a major jolt on the recruiting front for the Knights.

“The way everyone looked at me as family as soon as I stepped foot in the facility. It just made me feel more at home,” Reddick told On3’s Hayes Fawcett upon flipping his commitment.

Soon enough, Reddick may not be the only elite defensive back in UCF’s recruiting class. Last weekend, On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons logged a pick in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) for Palm Beach (Fla.) Central four-star safety Tony Williams to land at the in-state school.

The Knights have pushed hard for Williams and now appear to be the frontrunner in his recruitment. He was back in Orlando for a Junior Day visit in January and could be the next to join a rising 2025 recruiting class for Malzahn and Co.

“UCF had Tony Williams back on campus in January and he is already looking to return next month. The staff in Orlando is recruiting him hardest than anyone else and that, combined with the chance to stay home and make and early impact have the Knights trending. West Virginia is another school to watch. He is set to visit Morgantown on April 6,” Simmons wrote.

UCF’s 2025 class currently features four commitments and ranks No. 15 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Reddick is flanked by Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola four-star running back Taevion Swint, Tampa Bay Tech three-star wide receiver Santonyo Isaac and Cocoa (Fla.) three-star offensive lineman Jaquez Joiner.

Tony Williams Recruiting Profile

Williams is the No. 154 overall prospect and No. 14 safety in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 23 player in Florida.

On3 ranks Williams higher than other recruiting services. He checks in as the No. 73 recruit, No. 7 safety and No. 12 player in The Sunshine State in the updated 2025 On300.

He has an On3 NIL Valuation of $86K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.