Gus Malzahn and the UCF Knights added a new name to the Class of 2025 with the commitment of three-star defensive back Rukeem Stroud.
Stroud, a 5-foot-11 defensive back from Florida, flipped his commitment to the Knights after originally committing to Wisconsin.
Coming out of Tampa Bay Tech High School in the Class of 2025, Stroud is listed as a three-star prospect by the 247Sports index and the nation’s 441st-ranked prospect. He also checks in as the 37th-ranked cornerback in his class as well as the 50th-ranker player in the state of Florida.
247Sports’ Director of Scouting, Andrew Ivins, spoke on the Florida native, saying, “A tightly-wound cover corner with some verified speed and ball production. Size hasn’t been third-party verified, but in-person evaluation suggests that he’s thin and roughly 5-foot-11. He’s pretty effective in press-man situations at this stage, but a year or two in a college weight room will likely do wonders. He is a tad on the younger side for his class, which signals that the body could undergo a huge physical transformation in the coming years. Projects best as a field corner that can run with game-breakers into the deeper third and help eliminate vertical threats. Must keep evolving as a player, but has multi-year Power Five starter upside.”
With his commitment, Stroud joins nine other prospects heading to Orlando in the Class of 2025, a group headlined by four-star ATH Kendarius Reddick, four-star RB Taevion Swint, and four-star safety Tony Williams.
