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UCF football: Gus Malzahn poaches 4-star Auburn running back from transfer portal

By Braulio Perez

COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 17: Head coach Gus Malzahn of the Auburn Tigers talks to an official in the second quarter of the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on October 17, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 17: Head coach Gus Malzahn of the Auburn Tigers talks to an official in the second quarter of the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on October 17, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Gus Malzahn is already making an impact for UCF, poaching former Auburn running back Mark-Anthony Richards via the transfer portal.

It’s been a little over a week since Central Florida announced the hiring of Gus Malzahn as head coach and he’s already showcasing the kind of impact he can make in the transfer market for the team. On Tuesday, Malzahn and his coaches added one of his former players at Auburn.

Former Auburn running back Mark-Antony Richards has informed the Knights that he’ll be transferring to UCF. A class of 2019 prospect, Richards signed with Auburn as the No. 4 athlete and No. 90 overall recruit in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite. Now, he’ll be resuming his college career in Orlando.

“Great school and a great fit for me,” Richards said, via Chris Hummer of 247Sports. “Program is on the rise and I want to be part of that.”

Mark-Antony Richards reunites with Gus Malzahn at UCF

Richards is a tremendous addition for the Knights. Coming out of Wellington High in West Palm Beach, Fla., he had offers from Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Penn State, among others. He ended up signing with Malzahn and Auburn.

Now, the two will be reunited at UCF. Richards faced some early adversity in his Auburn career, suffering a knee injury early on in fall camp his freshman season. He ended up redshirting that year and rehabbed to try and get himself back to 100 percent.

Last season, the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder ended up appearing in three games, rushing for 76 yards on 20 carries. Now, he’ll look to have a much bigger role in the Knights’ offense from the moment he gets on campus. For Malzahn, this latest addition just goes to show the kind of impact he can make while recruiting. Look for more touted players to make their way to Orlando down the road.

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