Randy Charlton is a three-star defensive lineman from Miami’s Southridge High. The following events happened during the class of 2018’s three-day Early Signing Period:
Recruit announces commitment to FIU during Signing Period, announces commitment to Indiana during Signing Period, and signs with UCF during Signing Period
Even better: this is the second time this happened in UCF’s favor this calendar year.
Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Morning of Dec. 20
Charlton announced his decision with this [deleted] post on his Twitter page.
“I love everything about Indiana,” Charlton said. “I love the coaches, and the players that are there, and the ones that will coming in with me.”
Charlton also told Peegs.com that IU defensive line coach Mark Hagen believes he can come in and be an impact player for the Hoosiers.
“Coach Hagen said they are looking for D-linemen that are game changers and he sees that in me,” Charlton said. “He also said that he believes I would be a good fit for their system.”
(It’s perhaps worth noting one of Charlton’s teammates, James Head Jr., signed with Indiana right before Charlton’s FIU announcement.)
Morning of Dec. 22
Things moved so quickly, his 247Sports timeline doesn’t include the FIU commitment.
This wasn’t the first time this year that someone announced elsewhere and then signed with UCF.
On the class of 2017’s National Signing Day in February, four-star running back Cordarrian Richardson announced to Maryland via an elaborate and since-removed Bleacher Report video involving a weather balloon being flown into space, then signed with the Knights one day later. As a freshman, Richardson had 45 carries for 161 yards for the Peach Bowl-bound Knights.
These things happen.
What happened? I don’t know. Recruiting is strange.
Charlton ended up upgrading his deal, moving from a middle tier-ish Group of 5 program to one of its elites (with a brief Indiana commit in the middle), all while staying in his home state.
”It’s closer to home,” Charlton told 247, “and it’s a great program.”
