5 things to know about Kaj Baker, UCF RB commit and speedy South Florida sprinter

Yahoo

4 days ago

ORLANDO — Kaj Baker checked out of The Celeste Hotel on UCF's campus to a round of applause.
Moments after exiting a June 8 face-to-face meeting with Knights head coach Scott Frost, the 5-foot-7, 165-pound South Florida speedster informed the team's staff of his verbal commitment in the lobby.
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"It was an amazing experience," Baker said at the conclusion of his UCF official visit. "Getting to know all the coaches and the staff, feeling the love and the energy. Genuine love. And awesome food."
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Baker is the lone running back prospect in the Knights' 2026 recruiting class; Jayvian Tanelus, from the Community School of Naples, chose Duke a weekend after visiting UCF. He is the third-highest ranked prospect in the group, per 247Sports, and the No. 38 multi-purpose athlete among rising seniors in the nation.
Here are five things to know about the potential game-breaker from Somerset Academy in Pembroke Pines.
1. Kaj Baker twice finished top-4 in Florida's Class 3A 100-meter dash
Kaj Baker finished fourth in the Class 3A 100-meter dash at the Florida High School Athletic Association's track and field championships in May, posting a time of 10.76 seconds.
Baker twice finished among Florida's fastest sprinters in Class 3A, placing runner-up in the 100-meter dash (wind-aided 10.38 seconds) and the 200 (personal-best 20.89) as a freshman at Somerset Academy. He returned to Jacksonville in May and took fourth with a time of 10.76, crossing the line ahead of Miami Northwestern four-star cornerback J'Vari Flowers (Florida signee) and American Heritage four-star wide receiver Brandon Bennett (Florida State commit).
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According to Milesplit, Baker consistently ran within the 10.7-second range in the 100 throughout the 2025 track and field season. The lone outlier occurred at the Region 4-3A meet in Satellite Beach, where he posted a wind-aided 10.53.
Speed tops the list of traits that first-year UCF running backs coach Jimmy Beal is seeking at the position, making Baker a potentially exciting complementary piece for the team's future backfield alongside Stacy Gage and Taevion Swint.
"I'm already the fastest on the track, so when I get on the (football) field, nobody can catch me," Baker said. "I'm just running away from everybody."
2. Kaj Baker has played Florida high school football since 7th grade
Kaj Baker had 520 rushing yards, 756 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns during his junior year at Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy.
This fall marks Baker's sixth high school season, debuting for Somerset Acacemy as a seventh-grader in 2020. According to MaxPreps, he has totaled 3,924 all-purpose yards and 43 touchdowns, including a one-year spell at Miami Central (2023).
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Baker set a career high with 19 touchdowns during his junior campaign, topping the 100-yard receiving mark on four separate occasions. The Panthers posted a 7-4 record and advanced to the Florida High School Athletic Association's Class 3A playoffs, losing to Cypress Lake in the regional quarterfinals.
3. Kaj Baker inherited 'Nitro' nickname from his father
Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy running back/receiver Kaj Baker committed to UCF on June 8, following his official visit.
With all that speed to burn, it was only fitting that Baker inherited the same nickname his father had on the track at Florida State — "Nitro," not to be confused with the moniker of UCF's athletics mascot, Knightro.
Miami native Derrick Baker helped the Seminoles win back-to-back ACC indoor championships in the 4x400-meter relay in 2003-04. He later transferred to Norfolk State and produced a pair of productive campaigns at wide receiver, catching 37 balls for 666 yards and five touchdowns during the 2005-06 seasons.
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Asked if his dad can keep pace with him out of the blocks, Baker replied, "He has no chance."
4. Kaj Baker said his college recruitment is 'shut down'
Kaj Baker shut down his recruitment following his official visit to UCF in June, canceling scheduled trips to Pittsburgh and Virginia.
Baker's official visit to UCF will be his only one, saying afterward, "I shut (any future visits) down. I'm committed." He loves the fit in Frost's scheme, and the relationship forged with the head coach, Beal and offensive coordinator Steve Cooper.
"They were just showing me love, and I feel it's genuine," Baker said. "I'm ready to lock in, and I don't want to waste no time."
UCF reoffered Baker on Jan. 18, following the upheaval of the coaching staff. He holds 18 Division I offers according to 247Sports, a list that includes Duke, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, Pittsburgh, Virginia and Wake Forest.
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Baker told The News-Journal he canceled planned June trips for Pittsburgh and Virginia. UCF will face Pitt in a home-and-home series in 2026 and '29.
5. Former UCF RB Adrian Killins approves of Kaj Baker's commitment
Baker's commitment caught the eye, and has the approval, of a similarly undersized speedster who thrived under Frost at UCF — Daytona Beach native Adrian Killins Jr.
Killins chose the Knights in 2016 shortly after Frost accepted the job, and he went on to enjoy a highly productive four-year career with 4,361 all-purpose yards and 34 touchdowns. Like Baker, Killins garnered a reputation as one of Florida's fastest prepsters after winning consecutive Class 3A 200-meter titles.
"I love this commitment here," Killins posted onto an Instagram story in all caps, accompanied by a pair of fire emojis.
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Killins can easily be seen as a comparable player to Baker's skill set and measurables. Same with former Oregon standout De'Anthony Thomas. Baker said he watched side-by-side clips of his film and the highlights Thomas produced for the Ducks and felt confident he could replicate them at the college level.
"The type of offense they've had in the past — super fast guys, super quick guys that can score in one play like De'Anthony Thomas. They were showing me plays, and I feel like I can do a lot of the same stuff they were doing," Baker said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF Knights football recruiting: Meet Somerset Academy RB Kaj Baker