Lucky Number 13 - Deon Simon

The Knights continue their hot streak in the final weeks of summer, landing commit number 13 Thursday evening. The talented defensive player has had his eye on UCF for a while, and decided that he was ready to make the commitment to the school. This versatile player will be big for the Knights down the line.

UCF added its 13th commitment of the 2009 class, as defensive end/tackle Deon Simon ddecided that he wanted to spend his college days in Orlando. The talented defensive end/tackle said in an earlier interview with InsideKnights.com that UCF was his favorite team, and it looks like that didn’t change much.

Simon is a Louisiana native that stands at an impressive 6’4”, 280 lbs. He has been recruited as an end (his high school position) and tackle, but said he will likely play the three-technique at tackle for UCF.

Last season for Glen Oaks H.S., Simon had 71 tackles and 10 sacks despite playing on a sprained ankle for most of the season. This toughness proved to be an important factor for several schools, as Kentucky, Southern Miss and Colorado had also offered the Baton Rouge product.

Simon visited UCF earlier this year and loved the campus, as well as Coach Kelly and Coach O’Leary.

“It’s a pretty good school, it’s a nice campus and I like all of the coaches. I talk to Coach Kelly a lot and we have a real good relationship. He’s a nice guy. (Coach O’Leary) is a real good coach. He’s straight forward, he tells you what he expects from you. He’s just a good coach,” Simon told InsideKnights.com in a previous interview.

Simon is ranked by Scout.com as the 55th best end in the nation, and according to Scout he is UCF’s fourth recruit ranked three-stars or higher. The Knights have a very solid player on their hands in Simon, who offers toughness, strength, speed and an aptitude for doing whatever is needed of him.