Cordarrian Richardson Flips Commitment to UCF from Maryland

Central Florida scored an elite running back recruit for the 2017 season Thursday, as Cordarrian Richardson flipped his commitment from Maryland to UCF. 

Knights head coach Scott Frost made the move official with the following tweet:

"

Welcome to the family, Cordarrian. #OTownBound17 pic.twitter.com/bf2emrQGBK

— Scott Frost (@coach_frost) February 2, 2017"

The switch came one day after Richardson surprised many by committing to play for the Terrapins, according to Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun.

Per Scout.com, Richardson is a 4-star recruit who ranks as the No. 101 overall player, No. 8 running back and No. 2 player at his position from the state of Tennessee.

Richardson originally committed to Clemson but decommitted in December before seemingly settling on Maryland on Wednesday.

He even partook in the following video with Bleacher Report to announce his intention to play for the Terps:

The Memphis, Tennessee, native had another change of heart, however, which is a major coup for up-and-coming UCF.

According to Brandon Helwig of Rivals, Richardson's commitment to the Knights helped shoot their 2017 recruiting class to the top of the American Athletic Conference:

Richardson has yet to provide the reasoning behind his late switch, but he now figures to be in a situation that will provide more opportunities for early playing time.

Prior to Richardson's commitment Wednesday, Maryland had already landed a commitment from Anthony McFarland Jr., who Scout.com ranks as the No. 6 running back in the 2017 class.

Conversely, UCF's leading rusher (Jawon Hamilton) had just 495 yards in 2016, which suggests Richardson could be an immediate starter.

The Knights went 6-7 in their first year under Frost after going 0-12 in 2015, and they appear to be trending toward becoming an AAC power.

Frost led Oregon's high-octane offense for three seasons, and with Richardson now in the fold, he is starting to accrue the talent needed to make UCF an elite offensive team as well.