National Signing Day
In the end, John Walker says UCF felt most like home and that was deciding factor.
Despite a full-court press that the University of Florida put on in the final month in an attempt to “flip” him, Walker kept his commitment and inked scholarship papers with Gus Malzahn and the Knights during National Signing Day on Wednesday.
He was one of four Osceola players to sign during a ceremony on campus, joining Derrick Leblanc (Oklahoma), Ja’Keem Jackson (Florida) and Bo Mascoe (Rutgers) as “Power 5” conference signees.
Walker, a three-year starter at defensive tackle, really took all the mystery out of the day when he filled out the paper work to become a spring early enrollee at UCF, which made him immediately eligible to practice with the Knights as they prepare for the Military Bowl game with Duke next week.
“The attention (from Florida) was flattering but I really bonded with the UCF players and coaches during my visits,” the 4-star recruit said. “I’m really excited to continue my career at the next level.”
Walker finishes his Osceola career with 254 tackles, 57 tackles-for-loss and 40 sacks. One of the most consistent defensive players in school history, he totaled 16, 17 and 16 tackles-for-losses in his final three years.
Leblanc played alongside Walker for four seasons, including the last three as starters. A fellow consensus 4-star recruit, Leblanc and Walker formed one of the top defensive lines and best run defenses in the state. He finished his career with 136 tackles, 32 TFL and 28 sacks.
Offered by almost every D-I school in the country, LeBlanc said Oklahoma coach Brent Venables swayed him to sign with the Sooners.
“Coach V was the deciding factor, he did a great job of relating to me. I loved the campus and the school and became pretty close with the coaches and players,” said Leblanc, who noted that although he started three years at defensive tackle, Leblanc said offensive line may be his ultimate destination.
“The coaches have suggested that I may get on the field quicker as an offensive lineman and I am not opposed to that,” Leblanc said. “My goal is to get on the field and excel as a freshman and if that can happen on offense, I’m all in.”
A three-year starter at wide receiver and a two-year starter at defensive back for the Kowboys, Ja’Keem Jackson is taking the next step in fulfilling his life-long dream of playing for the Florida Gators.
“It was my favorite team of my family and me growing up,” Jackson said. “The school just feels like home to me.”
As a Kowboy, Jackson caught 67 passes for 1,123 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also had 59 tackles and eight interceptions. He was recruited as a defensive back, but Jackson said Florida coaches told him “special teams and possibly wide receiver were on the table.” Like Leblanc and Walker, Jackson was also listed as a 4-star recruit by most services.
Those three players all have one more high school game to play as they have been selected to appear in the prestigious Under Armour All-American All-Star Game in Orlando on Jan. 3.
Joining the group in signing on Wednesday was defensive back Bo Mascoe, a three-star recruit who selected Rutgers to continue his education. Mascoe finished with 121 tackles, 12 interceptions and 28 passes defensed. Three of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns. He thanked “God, his family and coaches” for getting him to the next level.
Mascoe’s athleticism resulted in the coaches also playing him at wide receiver late in the 2022 season. He responded with 12 catches for 268 yards and four touchdowns – averaging more than 20 yards a reception.
“These players certainly leave a legacy of success behind them,” Coach Eric Pinellas said. “There’s no questioning about the on-field credentials of any of these athletes, they all had great seasons and great careers at Osceola. But that is only part of the reason that these guys are special. They are also great students, great classmates and great role models. You never had to worry about them being where they were supposed to be in the classroom, on the practice field and or during games. Moving on to the next level is the culmination of a lot of hard work these players have put in.”
Pinellas added that all four players graduated early from high school and are early enrollees at their respective schools. “It’s part of the character of these guys. It took a lot of discipline to complete on-line courses in order to graduate early and they had to do a lot of work during the season.”
The group played a vital role in the overall success of the Kowboys. Despite losing four games to the pandemic in 2020 and playing one of the toughest schedules year-in and year-out, Osceola went 38-12 won two regional championships, advanced to a state championship game and made it to the state semifinals this year.