On Sunday, UCF received its 19th commitment for the class of 2019. And it was a big one.

Keenan Hester, a 6-foot-5 280-pound defensive lineman from St. Petersburg Catholic, announced his commitment to the Knights on Sunday.

"I love their program and how they have developed their players," Hester told Knights247 following his announcement.

Hester informed the UCF staff of his commitment earlier in the weekend. Knights247 learned of his commitment from a team source on Saturday prior to the Knights game with the SMU Mustangs.

Hester's primary recruiter was UCF defensive line coach Shane Burnham, but he was a good relationship with head coach Josh Heupel as well.

"Coach Burnham, Heupel and I have a good relationship," Hester told Knights247. "They are two good coaches and both good guys."

Hester's commitment is a big victory for the Knights as the 2019 Class nears the top 50 of 247Sports Class Rankings in the country.

Hester picked UCF over schools like Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Nebraska among other Power Five programs.

According to 247Sports composite, Keenan Hester is the 32nd rated defensive tackle in the country and the 64th rated recruit in the state of Florida.

Hester told Knights247 that the "factor of (UCF) being close to my kin" was one that greatly impacted his decision.

The current 2019 class for the Knights has 19 verbal commits and is ranked 2nd in the American Athletic Conference according to 247Sports Composite.