Gus Malzahn and UCF made headlines this week with the commitment of Jordan Johnson, a former five-star wide receiver in the 2020 class who recently entered the NCAA Transfer Portal following his freshman year Notre Dame.
The St. Louis native was just as highly recruited this time around, ultimately choosing UCF over Florida, Missouri, Texas A&M, Auburn and many others.
For insight into his decision, UCFSports.com caught up with
Jerry Stanfield, an assistant coach at Johnson's high school, De Smet Jesuit, who also has been training him during the offseason as owner of Excel 360 Academy.
Entering college in 2020 wasn't optimal for anyone. Football players missed the bulk of summer workouts while most early meetings were held virtually. The same went for academic classes. It was an adjustment for returning players, but an even bigger challenge for those just leaving high school.