Roster uncertainty didn’t hamstring recruiting for FAU

The FAU Owls wrapped up the Early Signing Period by adding 16 players to their 2021 recruiting class.

Those players’ status for next season could depend on how many of Florida Atlantic’s upperclassmen decide to take advantage of the NCAA’s eligibility waiver for the 2020 season.

As FAU wrapped up Early Signing Period, Owls Willie Taggart said about 95% of the seniors, redshirt seniors and graduate students currently on the team’s roster expressed interest in returning to the program for the 2021 season.

The NCAA Division I board of directors voted in August to give all fall sport athletes “an additional year of eligibility and an additional year in which to complete it,” with FAU having 21 players listed on its roster as seniors, redshirt seniors or graduate students.

Despite the uncertainty of many of the upperclassmen’s status for next year, Taggart said that didn’t have an affect on how the program recruited its 2021 class.

“You recruit as if those guys are leaving,” Taggart said. “The NCAA gave us a bonus by not letting it affect guys’ eligibility. For us, what it allowed us to do this season was finding out about our football team. We didn’t have spring ball to find out what we have and what we need to go get. Going through the season we were able to evaluate what we have and add guys in our recruiting class that’ll help us move forward knowing that these guys will come back but after next year they’ll be gone.”

Over 10 players who didn’t sign with the Owls during the Early Signing Period remain committed to the program’s 2021 recruiting class, including Former Penn State and Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver John Dunmore who announced he intends to transfer to FAU.

But there are still the possibility recruits signed during National Signing Day (Feb. 3) greyshirt the 2021 fall semester, players currently on FAU’s roster transfer to another program or ultimately decide to end their collegiate playing career.

Adding the upcoming recruiting class while retaining several upperclassmen will create depth at a lot of positions, something Taggart is hopeful for.

“For us to take our program where we want to take it, it’s going to be key that we have competitive depth at every position,” he said. “We have to make this a very competitive football team where guys understand they can’t come to practice one day and not have a good practice because that guy behind him will take his job.”

Veingrad on scholarship

Taggart told reporters on Saturday that Ryan Veingrad has been placed on scholarship.

After beating cancer during high school at Spanish River and joining FAU as a walk-on after transferring from Michigan in June 2019, the senior defensive lineman has settled into a role as one of the Owls’ starting defensive ends.

Veingrad has 11 tackles (3 for loss) on the year and recorded the first sack of his collegiate career in FAU’s win against UMass on Nov. 20.

Davidson and Emmons out

Taggart said running backs Malcolm Davidson and BJ Emmons won’t be available for the Owls’ matchup in the Montgomery Bowl due to injuries.

Davidson didn’t play in the FAU’s loss to Southern Miss on Dec. 10 and had limited playing time against Georgia Southern on Dec. 5.

He’ll finish the season with 298 rushing yards, two touchdowns and 7.1 yards per carry.