Owls sign nine, acquire first transfer
BOCA RATON — Willie Taggart has his first official recruiting class as Florida Atlantic’s coach.
The Owls signed nine players on Wednesday, the first day of the Early Signing Period and the first day high school seniors and junior college players can sign their national letters of intent.
The Early Signing Period runs through Friday, with the traditional National Signing Day on Feb. 5. Seven of the Owls’ nine signees committed to FAU when Lane Kiffin, who’s now at Ole Miss, was the team’s coach. Taggart was named FAU coach on Dec. 13.
The Owls were also on the receiving end of the transfer portal on Wednesday.
“It says a lot about them that with all of the changes going on — and me just getting the job this past Wednesday — and they wanted to be here,” Taggart said. “You try to build that relationship as much as you can within a week. You only get to know them only so much. Looking forward to
getting to know them a lot more as they get here.”
Here are the players who will join FAU for the 2020 season:
■ Alvin Dempsey, DT, East Central (Miss.) C.C.
■ Sebastien Dolcine , G, Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) C.C.
■ Decarius Hawthorne,
DL, Center Point (Ala.)
■ Marlon Krakue, LEO, Marietta-Sprayberry (Ga.)
■ Andre Lamas, OL, Miami-Christopher Columbus
■ Joe Lewis, LB, Tampa Bay Tech
■ Travis Lockhart, DE, Carrollton (Ga.)
■ Justin McKithen, WR,
New Hempstead (Ga.)
■ Yanez Rogers, WR, Cincinnati (transfer)
■ Charles Toombs , S, Immokalee
Dolcine was ranked as the No. 20 junior college player, No. 2 junior college guard and No. 3 overall Florida junior college prospect by 247 Sports. He started his career at Kentucky in 2018 and played one season at Copiah-Lincoln after playing at Miramar High School.
Dempsey, a defensive lineman out of East Central (Miss.) Community College,
was the first player to commit to FAU after Taggart took over the head coaching reigns.
He’s ranked as the No. 82 overall junior college player, No. 9 junior college guard and No. 18 overall Florida junior college prospect by 247 Sports. Dempsey recorded seven sacks in the past two seasons.
He should compete for snaps in spring camp with every defensive tackle on FAU’s current roster in their final or second to final year of eligibility.
McKithen is a speedster, who was named to the AllRegion 3A as a return specialist during his final season at New Hampstead. He averaged 23.8 yards per reception and totaled eight touchdowns this year.
McKithen figures to be an important piece of FAU’s wide receiver future, with slot receivers Deangelo Antoine and Dante Cousart in their final season of eligibility.
Lewis was FAU’s first official signing and committed to the Owls in December 2018. He recorded 63 tackles, with 14 tackles for loss and four sacks during his senior year at Tampa
Bay Tech.
Lewis was expected to join the football program over the summer, but he suffered a gunshot wound to his back in May and didn’t enroll at FAU.
“I’m from that area — recruited that area a lot,” Taggart said. “I heard about that incident that happened when it did happen. He’s been blessed and I’m glad he’s got an opportunity to play the game of football. He’s a really good football player and I’m looking forward to him coming and joining our football team.”
Lamas is expected to play center for FAU, which is a position of need, with Junior Diaz in his final season of eligibility. Krakue was ranked as the No. 89 player in Georgia and No. 41 defensive end by 247 Sports.
Lockhart had 24 tackles with and 7.5 tackles during his senior year. Toombs, who played multiple positions on defense, recorded five interceptions his senior year.
Hawthorne was ranked at the No. 95 among players in Alabama by 247 Sports.
Rogers entered the transfer portal in October after enrolling at Cincinnati in June 2018. He redshirted the 2018 season, recording one reception for four yards, and didn’t see game action during the 2019 season.
Rogers, whose status for the 2020 season isn’t known, is a Pompano Beach native and played for Blanche Ely.
Commits to keep an eye on: Kendrick Simpkins reopened his recruitment on Dec. 9, two days after Kiffin left for Ole Miss, after committing in November.
Simpkins, a defensive back out of Robert E. Lee (Ala.), also has offers from Alabama A&M, Akron, Central Michigan, and Chattanooga.
Frank Gore Jr. committed to FAU in June, but took an official visit to Southern Miss on Dec. 6. Kevin Smith, who’s on Kiffin’s staff at Ole Miss after being FAU’s running backs coach for the past three seasons, is listed as Gore’s primary recruiter on 247 Sports.
Gore, a Miami Killian running back, will sign his letter of intent Thursday.