Despite not currently having a head coach or athletics director, UCF landed its No. 7 highest commit in the program’s history.
Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound wide receiver from Hawaii announced his commitment to UCF on Instagram live on Jan. 30.
This commitment came following the departures of former head coach Josh Heupel and Director of Athletics Danny White, who both accepted positions at the University of Tennessee in January.
Mokiao-Atimalala is currently rated as a four-star player by recruiting site 247Sports and ranks as the No. 324 overall player in the nation and the No. 3 player in the state of Hawaii.
The Hawaii native split time as a wide receiver and defensive back during his high school career where he recorded 1,136 yards and 18 touchdowns as a receiver his junior year.
As a defensive back, Mokiao-Atimalala produced 23 tackles, five interceptions and two forced fumbles.
The departures of UCF’s former head coach and athletics director have left the Knights with a current void while UCF defensive coordinator Randy Shannon serves as the team’s interim head coach while the university undergoes a national search.
The four-star recruit told Rivals that Heupel continued to recruit him, attempting to convince him to play at Tennessee.
Mokiao-Atimalala ultimately turned that offer down, because he had committed to UCF — not Heupel.
“I really had to evaluate with my family because right after that happened we were surprised and shocked and then coach called us a day after it happened and asked if I wanted to come over to Tennessee,” Mokiao-Atimalala said. “We really had to think it through and my dad said that we committed to UCF for a reason so let’s not change that. I agree with him. That’s my dad and so we’re rolling. UCF it is.”
One of the reasons Mokiao-Atimalala decided to stay committed to UCF was because of the connection he has with UCF sophomore quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Mokiao-Atimalala told Rivals he and Gabriel played together in the LA Adidas tournament and that he looks forward to getting the connection back with the fellow Hawaiian Knight.
“I know he’s going to give me the opportunity to make a play and our bond off the field is only going to help our bond on the field so we’re excited,” he said.
Mokiao-Atimalala became the second player to commit to UCF following the departures of Heupel and White.
The Knights also received a January commitment from Zyin Thomas, a 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive tackle from Delray Beach, Florida.
With his commitment, Mokiao-Atimalala became just the 14th 4-star in UCF football history.
The 4-star wide receiver would have been Heupel’s highest-rated to come to campus, as the former Knight head coach was never able to secure a commitment from a four or five-star recruit during his tenure with UCF.
Mokiao-Atimalala’s commitment finalizes a UCF 2021 recruit class, which ranks No. 55 in the nation and No. 4 in the American Athletic Conference.
This is a significant jump from last year’s class, which ranked No. 75 in the nation and No. 7 in the AAC.
This class additionally ranks higher than Heupel’s 2018 recruit class, which ranked No. 62 in the nation, per 247 sports.
