4 days ago
New dad Sincere Edwards brings intensity, high motor to talented UCF football pass rush
ORLANDO — So much has changed for Sincere Edwards since the day he committed to UCF's football program — nearly three years ago, ahead of his junior season at Wekiva High School.
For starters, Edwards switched his verbal pledge as a senior and chose instead to sign with Pittsburgh. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive end participated in all 13 games in 2024 — as a freshman — and he tallied 17 tackles, three sacks and two pass breakups.
UCF, meanwhile, cleaned house after posting a dismal 4-8 record. Gus Malzahn stepped down as head coach, Scott Frost returned as his successor and the Knights' roster turned over more than 60 players due to graduation and transfers.
Most importantly, especially pertaining to his choice to transfer to UCF, Edwards welcomed a son into the world — 9-month-old Sincere Jr.
"Being far from home wasn't really sitting right with me, especially having my son back at home," Edwards said. "It's been such a blessing so far. … That's my little rock."
Edwards received a phone call from Frost shortly after entering the transfer portal Dec. 30. He signed with the Knights three days later, citing the coaching change as another major factor in why he reconsidered UCF the second time around.
"Scott Frost, he's got that juice," Edwards said. "When he came back home and he called me, it was kind of like a no-brainer."
By adding Edwards, Frost further fortified what was expected to be his strongest position group on paper. Returning pass-rushers Nyjalik Kelly, Malachi Lawrence and Isaiah Nixon combined for 11½ of UCF's 22 sacks last season.
All three of Edwards' sacks for Pitt came against Power Four opponents (Cincinnati, Syracuse and Clemson). According to Pro Football Focus, Edwards posted the third-highest grade (71.7) among true freshman, Power Four edge rushers in the nation — trailing only Texas' Colin Simmons and South Carolina's Dylan Stewart, a pair of consensus five-star, top-20 national recruits out of high school.
Asked during UCF's local media day Aug. 4, Nixon tabbed Edwards as his choice for a tag-team wrestling partner. Edwards, Nixon said, brings an intensity that could raise the group's level for 2025.
"Since he came here, he's been really locked in," said Nixon, a redshirt sophomore from St. Petersburg. "He's been teaching me a few things, and I really feel like he's going to be a big impact (player) for us."
Mike Dawson, UCF's defensive run game coordinator and edge rushers coach, praised Edwards' "high motor" during spring camp. Edwards, in turn, notices a "night-and-day" difference in his abilities since working under Dawson, previously an assistant with the NFL's New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles among other stops.
Reaching the pros remains Edwards' career goal, driven to represent the Knights in a few years' time. But football is no longer all that matters to him. Fatherhood has given him a fresh perspective on life and a source of motivation to succeed.
It's a challenge he believes he is built for.
"It's being able to think big, if that makes sense," Edwards said. "A lot of kids, nowadays, want to go to party and stuff like that. Can't do it. There's no time for that. You've got to sacrifice the fun and being a child. It's time to raise a child. You've got to put the big-boy pants on."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football: Pitt transfer Sincere Edwards improves pass rush
