Former Auburn football HC Gus Malzahn lands second 5-star transfer with UCF

Former Auburn football HC Gus Malzahn landed the top two highest-rated recruits in the history of the Tigers program. He is continuing that recruiting dominance with UCF, having just earned that same distinction with the Knights.

Malzahn landed Demarkcus Bowman, a former 5-star recruit, who began his career with Clemson and ranked among the highest-rated transfers in college football ahead of the 2021 season as a Florida Gator. Bowman was the No. 7 overall transfer in 247Sports’ College Football Transfer Portal Top 150 last summer. In 247Sports Composite Player Rankings, Bowman was a top-five 2020 running back.

Last year, Malzahn the highest-rated recruit in UCF history in Jordan Johnson, a five-star prospect and the No. 5 nationally-ranked wide receiver from the 2020 recruiting class. Johnson had spent his freshman season at Notre Dame, playing in two games but recording no stats for the Fighting Irish.

Bowman’s commitment announcement featured the caption ‘Orlando vs. everybody’:

Former Auburn football HC Gus Malzahn is killing it in Orlando

It’s been tough watching the media have their way with another Auburn football HC (Bryan Harsin) — especially as the last one (that was fired unceremoniously) dominates on the recruiting trail and is actively pushing his team to the top of the totem pole in the ‘Sunshine State’.

So far, Malzahn has mostly done his damage in the transfer portal–both Cincinnati and Houston of the AAC ranked higher in Class of 2022 recruitment–with his second 5-star transfer making way to Central Florida. It’s only a matter of time before he does the same with high school students throughout the south before and during the Knights’ transition to becoming a Big 12 program in 2023.

We’re already seeing that now, but it’s only going to amplify as UCF makes the Power Five conference jump.