Recruiting Kickstart

BOCA RATON – The relatively low number of commitments to FAU football’s 2018 recruiting class isn’t a concern, coach Lane Kiffin said.

“It doesn’t mean a whole lot, as you guys see following recruiting,” Kiffin said. “We’re not worried about guys committing right now because, shoot, half the time they commit they don’t know where they’re committing.”

None of the major recruiting services list FAU with more than three commitments. In all likelihood, the correct number is lower than that. But as a conference, C-USA doesn’t make a living on early recruits. Only one C-USA member is credited as having a half-dozen commitments. With one good weekend, FAU could jump into the Top 3.

FAU’s commitment total could receive a boost in the coming weeks beginning on Monday, when the Owls hold their first high school camp of the summer. Recent changes in NCAA regulations now allow coaches to openly hold recruiting discussions with camp attendees.

With as many as 500 potential recruits expected on campus on Monday and again on Thursday, those conversations could yield results.

“Our assistant coaches have done a great job out all over the country to find the best players that we can, and offer guys, and recruiting interest in our program,” Kiffin said. “And we’ll see who we end up getting.”

There doesn’t appear to be much, if any, reason to question Kiffin’s approach. After less than two months on the job Kiffin and his staff delivered what many believe to the the best recruiting class in program history – a class frequently listed at the top of Conference USA.

The Owls, like every other FBS program, will be navigating a new wrinkle this year after the NCAA created an early signing period for football players. Kiffin said the Owls are still developing a strategy for that change.

“I think we’re all trying to figure it out,” said Kiffin, referring to FBS programs nationally. “We’re not doing anything different right now but eventually we’ll have to deal with earlier visits and all the stuff.”

The new early signing period hasn’t changed the way the Owls are assessing players.

“You’ve still got to get the right guys for your program,” Kiffin said.

Coaches from at least seven different college programs are expected to take part in Monday’s camp, including Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and his staff, Bret Bielema and the Arkansas staff and Butch Jones’ staff from Tennessee. Monday’s single day camp begins at 4:30 p.m. and costs $40.