UCF hosts, offers legacy recruit in QB Joaquin Kavouklis
Nick Lucero/Rivals.com
The spring football window has included plenty of new elements for freshman quarterback recruit Joaquin Kavouklis, including a high school transfer to Tarpon Springs (Fla.) High School following a breakout campaign at Clearwater (Fla.) Academy International last fall.
One of the comforting elements for the class of 2027 arm at THS is that it's long been considered home, and also where his father played ball back in the day.
On Monday, another familiar school became involved with Kavouklis, with a scholarship offer coming in from UCF. The in-state program jumped in some 30 years after Emmanuel Kavouklis suited up for the Knights. The young passer's father blocked for the likes of Daunte Culpepper and Darin Hinshaw as an offensive lineman while in college, and the latter extended the offer to a potential future UCF QB.
"Really like the vibe there and Coach Hinshaw is my type of coach," Kavouklis told Rivals.
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The family spent time at UCF earlier this spring and the first impression of campus -- as a recruit -- was a strong one for the young arm.
"It was amazing!" he said. "The facilities were amazing and the whole vibe there was just perfect. They're definitely on a upcoming rise with the program and the coaching staff.
"Something to definitely look into."
UCF joins Arkansas on the early offer list for Kavouklis, though many other programs are showing increased interest.
For Emmanuel, it's a full-circle moment the family won't soon forget.
"Very cool considering it came from the same guy I protected 30 years ago," he said. "Hinshaw is still the same, competitive and brutally honest. Definitley a coach that will develop and push his QBs.
"Many things have changed there, and it's super impressive with the direction they are headed."
As a freshman in 2023, facing a national schedule, the younger Kavouklis threw for nearly 1,600 yards and double-digit touchdowns. He was also a standout performer at the Rivals Camp Series stop in Miami in April.
