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BOCA RATON – FAU managed to keep the bulk of its recruiting efforts sequestered in the offices of the Oxley Center for much of the year, but in the days immediately preceding National Signing Day Lane Kiffin and the Owls once again exploded into national relevance.
One day after OwlAccess.com broke the news that Warren Sapp II, son of NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, would be playing for the Owls, we added that Terique Owens, son of Hall of Famer Terrell Owens, was also Boca Bound.
The Owls signed eight players during December’s early signing period. On signing day more two dozen additional players announced their intention to play football at FAU – many of them considered sure-fire Power 5 recruits. Most recruiting services ranked FAU’s class the best in Conference USA.
FAU understood that several of these players would likely be academic casualties and never qualify, but the risk on a few of them is proving worth the reward.
With the start of fall camp less than two months away, the true makeup of FAU’s 2019 Signing Class
is nearly set. Below is a quick breakdown of the 2019 FAU signing class. For more information on each player, visit our Signing Day Live page.
ALREADY ARRIVED ON CAMPUS (11)
- RB Kelvin Dean (Tallahassee-Rickards)
- LB Diamonte Howard (Miami-Southridge)
- RB BJ Emmons (Hutchinson C. C.)
- OL Lavante Epson (Northwest Miss C.C.)
- RB Larry McCammon (Hoover, Ala.)
- OL Federico Meranges (Miami-Columbus)
- TE Rahmod Smith (Homestead)
- OT Adarius Tolliver (Autauga Academy-Ala.)
- DB Dwight Toombs (St. Lucie-Centennial)
- LB Joe Williams (Miami-Palmetto)
- WR Adrian Bryant (Has since left the team, but counts toward the class)
EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN A COUPLE WEEKS (11)
- DE Marlon Bradley (Deltona)
- LB Caliph Brice (Hutchinson C.C.)
- WR Eyin Cole (Niceville)
- CB La’Darius Henry (St. Petersburg-Gibbs)
- DT Latrell Jean (Lakeland)
- DE Dorien Josey (Rockledge)
- ATH Romain Mungin (Tampa-Plant)
- WR Deante Nelson (Pahokee)
- QB Javion Posey (Greenville, Ala.)
- OL Deshawn Richardson (Pahokee)
- DE/LB Travon Thomas (Miami-Edison)
NOT QUITE FINISHED BUT EXPECTED FOR FALL CAMP (3)
- WR/RB Glover Cook (Ocala-Vanguard) – Finishing final class.
- LB Antarrius Moultrie (West Florida Tech) – Might arrive late.
- WR Xavier Roberts-Donaldson (Rome, Ga,) – Finishing online class.
ACADEMIC WORK TO DO
- DB Jeremiah Ashe (Tampa-Freedom) – Could be late arrival.
- WR Anthony Colonel (Miami-Central) – Needs test score.
- LB Joe Lewis (Tampa Tech) – Likely to arrive in January as a grayshirt.
- RB James Meeks (PB Gardens-Dwyer) – Coming off surgery. Will arrive in January as grayshirt.
- WR Cam Wynn (Notre Dame, Tenn) – Taking classes, might be January.
All other players who announced on signing day their intention to play for FAU are not expected to make it Boca Raton.
Former Florida St. quarterback Diondre Francois is not part of this class. A couple weeks ago Francois announced his plans to transfer to FAU, but sources continue to tell OwlAccess.com that Francois has not been admitted to FAU and he will not join the Owls. Should officials change their minds, Francois would be a walk-on and would not count across the 2019 scholarship limit of 25.
Auburn offensive line transfer Calvin Ashley, who the Owls expect to successfully petition the NCAA for immediate eligibility, will count toward the 2020 signing class.
WHAT WE WROTE ABOUT FAU FOOTBALL RECRUITING:
- Early Birds
- Warren Sapp II Coming To FAU
- Terique Owens Committed to FAU
- Signing Day Live!
- Trending Signing Recap
WHY THE FAU FOOTBALL RECRUITING STORY IS IMPORTANT
Kiffin and his staff took some chances when crafting this class. Four months removed from National Signing Day the strategy appears to have paid off. The Owls signed players oveted by SEC, ACC and Big 12 teams, then were rewarded when several of those players qualified academically.
With each successive recruiting class Kiffin raises the Owls’ profile nationally, and the biggest key to building a strong program is a constant influx of quality players.
This class also marked a bit of a change in philosophy for Kiffin. Only four members of the class come from the junior college ranks, so the depth built within this class is sustainable.
And the buzz of the 2019 signing class is clearly carrying over into the 2020 class. Last week Miami-Killian running back Frank Gore Jr. committed to FAU, foreshadowing what could be coming with the current recruiting class.
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