UCF received a verbal commitment from 3-star Mainland High School defensive lineman Christian Hudson.
The 6-foot-1, 280-pound Hudson announced his decision during a ceremony on Saturday, capping off what has been an exciting few days for the Knights on the recruiting trail. Hudson becomes the sixth high school recruit to commit this week.
Hudson totaled 97 tackles with 43 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 24 games with the Buccaneers. Last season, he finished with 69 tackles with 27 TFLs and 9 sacks, helping lead Mainland to the Class 3A-Suburban state championship with a 21-19 win over St. Augustine.
He’s the 22nd-ranked player in the Sentinel’s 2025 Central Florida Super60.
The Daytona Beach native had 21 offers but narrowed his final pool to four schools: Iowa, Iowa State, Maryland and UCF, before eventually choosing the Knights.
Hudson becomes the fifth defensive lineman to commit to UCF’s 2025 class, joining Tylon Lee (Milton), Darryll and Mandrell Desir (Miami) and RyShawn Perry (Covington, Ga.).
With Hudson’s pledge, the Knights have 17 commitments in this recruiting cycle. According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, their class ranks in the top 25, and UCF trails only TCU in the Big 12’s recruiting rankings.
All verbal commitments are non-binding but can become official during the early signing period in December.
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com
