UCF football recruiting: Sam Robinson flips to Rutgers, Sincere Edwards decommits
UCF lost its two longest tenured 2024 football commits in the space of an hour Wednesday afternoon.
Lincoln linebacker Sam Robinson flipped his commitment to Rutgers during the middle of an official visit, and Wekiva defensive lineman Sincere Edwards reopened his recruitment but listed the Knights among his top five choices ahead of trip to Pittsburgh beginning Friday.
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UCF plummeted to 65th in 247Sports' team composite rankings as a result, with five remaining verbal commits —three of whom joined the class on consecutive days earlier this month: St. Thomas Aquinas running back Stacy Gage, Rockledge linebacker DJ McCormick and Germantown (Tenn.) edge rusher DJ Allen.
Bartram Trail quarterback Riley Trujillo and Armwood wide receiver Kason Stokes round out the group.
Edwards, a 6-foot-2, 245-pounder who tallied 27 tackles for loss and 16 sacks during the 2022 high school season, said his decision "doesn't take away the love I have for UCF at all."
"I am an Orlando kid," added Edwards, whose other top choices include Pitt, Maryland, Penn State and South Florida. "And it will be hard for any school to get me out of state."
Pittsburgh, however, might just present such an opportunity. Edwards has a strong relationship with Charlie Partridge, the Panthers' assistant head coach and defensive line coach, and the school has a track record with developing undersized defensive tackles into pro prospects — with Aaron Donald and Calijah Kancey serving as the two most prominent examples.
UCF fortified its defensive line with a bonus add to its 2023 class out of the transfer portal. Kissimmee Osceola grad Derrick Leblanc, who signed with Oklahoma in December, decided to return closer to home and enrolled at UCF on Wednesday.
Leblanc (6-5, 278) was a consensus four-star recruit, and a teammate of UCF defensive lineman John Walker, the school's highest-ranked signee in history.
Robinson emerged as a priority target of new UCF linebackers coach Ernie Sims, a fellow Tallahassee native, and initially committed back in February. He collected 93 tackles with two fumble recoveries for Lincoln during his junior season.
Within the last week, UCF missed out on several other targets it brought in for official visits. Gaither two-way athlete Andrew Brinson locked in a commitment with Oregon State, and both Wakulla defensive back Nehemiah Chandler and Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview offensive tackle Jordan Floyd chose Georgia Tech.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF football: Sincere Edwards decommits, Sam Robinson flips to Rutgers
