2025 4-star C Moustapha Thiam commits to UCF

Daytona Beach (Fla.) DME Academy four-star center Moustapha Thiam has committed to UCF.

The 7-foot-1, 200-pounder out of Dakar, Senegal chose the Knights while also holding offers from Oklahoma State and Cal Poly.

Thiam is the No. 20 overall prospect and top-ranked center in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 5 player in Florida. On3 ranks Thiam higher than other recruiting services, placing the center as a five-star and the No. 8 recruit in the On3 150.

Thiam took an official visit to Orlando on Oct. 1, leading to his eventual pledge. He’s now the highest-ranked player in the 2025 cycle to come off the board.

“He moves in a way that is unique for players his size,” On3’s Jamie Shaw wrote of Thiam. “He can slide his feet, open his hips, run, and jump. Thiam is a good defender, and he has a natural touch with the ball in his hands. Still, with a lot of upside, he is one who mixes current production with a high ceiling still to grow into.”

Thiam has an On3 NIL Valuation of $107K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.