Oviedo senior created his own path to UCF football
OVIEDO, Fla. (BVM)- Oviedo senior Sebastian Vargas is determined to reach UCF. He is passionate about the game of football and loves nothing more than going out on the field and showing how his hard work leads to extraordinary opportunities. Some high school seniors dread the hard work that is part of improving, but for Vargas, it’s what excites him most.
“Just improving your game and it finally showing in-game time, that’s what excites me [most] to show what you’ve worked for.”
The Oviedo wide receiver transferred from Winter Park in hopes that he could showcase his talents more and get noticed by Division I football programs. Before transferring from Winter Park, Vargas got to know the Oviedo quarterback Luke Rucker through their shared personal trainer. Rucker noticed Vargas’ talents and work ethic in their training and told Vargas that he would do extremely well on the Oviedo football team.
“I decided to just bet on myself and believe in myself. I got with one of my good friends Luke Rucker,” Vargas said. “He plays quarterback, and he told me that I could come to Oviedo and be the number one receiver.”
Vargas then went and proved that he has the talent to be a number one receiver for the Lions. In his senior season at Oviedo, Vargas was able to total 846 yards receiving on 53 catches with nine touchdowns. He was able to do what he set out to do when transferring to Oviedo. Showcase his talents and make it evident that he is a talented receiver and can compete at the next level.
Vargas puts in the work to be the best receiver he can be and continues to work through obstacles that are put in his way. When the pandemic first hit last year, and all the gyms were closed down, Vargas still found a way to continue working and improving his game.
“It was a constant grind, knowing my season was on the line, and I needed to have a great year to get an opportunity to play at the next level,” Vargas said. “It was just a constant grind. I gained like 15 pounds during the summer, my forty dropped, and I just kept working on my craft.”
The work ethic and ability were never the problems for Vargas; the problem for him was getting college coaches to recognize it. After the season, Vargas attained two offers from Division II schools, Davenport and Northwood, which were located in Michigan. Although, it was Vargas’ dream to play Division I football and remain close enough to his family so that they could continue to watch him play. So, when the season was coming to an end, and he did not receive any Division I offers, he began to take matters into his own hands.
“I just kept sending out my film and tagging UCF, and then the director of player personnel, he followed me, and I thought oh, they must be looking,” Vargas said. “So, I just kept tagging him, and once he added me, I could directly message him, so I kept sending him all my film. Then he got in contact with me and called me, and then told me they wanted to offer me a PWO [preferred walk-on].”
It was always a dream for Vargas to play for UCF. To play close to home and represent his hometown on the field. Determined to make his dream a reality, Vargas was persistent after noticing the director of player personnel followed him.
“I was basically tagging him in everything,” Vargas said. “Because that’s the school I want to go to, it’s like fifteen minutes down the road, I want to play for my hometown, and it’s just something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Playing close to home at UCF was Vargas’ dream because he would be able to play in front of his family and friends. Vargas wanted to stay close to home so that the people who he’s known his whole life would be able to watch him play and succeed at the collegiate level.
“The attraction is playing in front of my family, like my hometown,” Vargas stated. “I just want to see everybody see me play. The people that I’m close with know all the work that I put in and the hours that I’ve been grinding. I just want to play in front of them, showcase for them, and just put my city on the map, and just show everybody I can ball.”
While he understands there will be challenges going in as a preferred walk-on rather than already having a scholarship, Vargas is excited to get there and show his work ethic and ability and why he deserves to be on the field with Division I athletes.
“I feel like it’s going to be a lot more challenging like it’s going to have ups and downs, but I feel like if I just put my mind to it and just grind and just show them that I’m a key player,” Vargas said. “I feel like I’ll have the opportunity to play and get on the field and show them my ability.”
Looking ahead, Vargas is ecstatic that he will soon be playing for his dream school of UCF. There he will have the opportunity to play for Gus Malzahn and also have the possibility of playing for a conference championship. But as he looks ahead, Vargas is ready to get on campus and prove that he has what it takes to be a Division I athlete.
“Really just the exposure, the opportunity to play for Gus, to play for championships, and have the college experience to be a Division I football player, play, and just really put the city on the map.”
