Down Two

THE LIST: FAU 2017 commitments

BOCA RATON – At a time when schools are usually fortifying their recruiting classes, FAU has lost a couple of commitments.

On Monday afternoon former FAU commits Preston Mixon, an offensive lineman, and Roger Carter, tight end, announced they were re-opening their recruitment.

Mixon’s announcement was particularly unexpected. He committed to FAU during an official visit two weekends ago – the first major recruiting weekend for new head coach Lane Kiffin.

Kiffin came to FAU following three seasons as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. Mixon, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 290 pounds, played at Jefferson Davis in Montgomery, Ala.

Mixon visited Purdue this past weekend and has another visit scheduled with Western Kentucky for the upcoming weekend. He said FAU is still in the picture.

“My family and I just feel as if we should evaluate a little more before national signing day,” Mixon wrote to OwlAccess.com.

The de-commitment of Carter, out of Blythewood, S. C., isn’t as much of a surprise. He committed to FAU under former coach Charlie Partridge and, with only one weekend remaining until signing day, still hadn’t set a visit to FAU.

Georgia St., the new home of former FAU offensive coordinator Travis Trickett, has been showing interest in Carter.

He made the de-commitment announcement via Twitter.

Carter may not be the last of the players who committed to FAU under the Partridge regime to reconsider that decision.

Tallahasee-Leon defensive tackle Jalon Sheffield also hasn’t made his official visit to FAU and said on Sunday that he does not have one scheduled. Sheffield visited Tennessee-Martin this past weekend and is in discussions with Tulane to possibly head to New Orleans next weekend.

Sheffield said he still considers himself an FAU commit.

Fort Lauderdale-St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Jordan Merrell also remains an FAU commit, but in the past two weeks he’s reportedly taken official visits to USF, where former FAU assistant Corey Bell now coaches, and Cincinnati.

Not all of FAU’s Partridge-era commits are looking elsewhere. Merrell’s high school teammate, offensive lineman B.J. Etienne, said his weekend visit to FAU solidified the decision to become an Owl.

“I shut it down,” Etienne said of his recruitment.

He had been receiving late interest from FIU, Marshall and Georgia St.

West Palm Beach-Oxbridge Academy offensive lineman Robert Holmes, a Partridge-era commit, is expected to visit FAU this weekend, as is fellow Partridge-era commit Jacob White, a running back from Punta Gorda-Charlotte.

FAU earned at least one commitment during this past weekend, Contra Costa College cornerback Rodney Washington. FAU also seemed to make a positive impact on several of this weekend’s visitors, including Narbonne (Calif.) wide receiver Tre Walker.

Reportedly pursued by Boise St. and Idaho, Walker told OwlAccess.com that the visit “went well. Very excited for the future.”

Did he commit to the Owls?

“That’s classified. Sorry,” he wrote.