Kiffin continues to lure talent to Owls
Boca Raton Bowl blowout puts grin on recruits’ faces.
Watching the Florida Atlantic Owls dismantle the Akron Zips by a 50-3 final score in Tuesday’s Boca Raton Bowl, Copiah-Lincoln Community College (Miss.) defensive tackle Charles Cameron felt a surge of pride.
“Feels good to be committed to FAU right now,” tweeted Cameron, a threestar defensive tackle who committed to the Owls earlier this month.
After signing his letter of intent Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA’s new threeday early signing period, Cameron is one of six players — four from the junior college level — who have officially announced intentions to play for Lane Kiffin’s Owls next year. Cameron will be joined by teammate and wide receiver Nero Nelson as well as in-state defensive ends Devin Hayes (Orlando) and Franklin Jackson (Winter Garden).
JUCO defensive tackle O’Shea Jackson (Trinity Valley, Texas) and wide receiver DeSean Holmes (College of the Canyons, Calif.) also signed with FAU on Wednesday.
A year after posting what many called the best recruiting class in Conference USA, Kiffin landed three three-star recruits less than 12 hours after his team completed a stunning turnaround for a program that won a total of nine games from 201416. Cameron is one of those three, having finally earned a chance to play at the Division I level after not receiving any offers in high school.
Cameron (6-2, 290) had 31 tackles and four sacks this season. FAU’s defense had five sacks and 11 tackles for a loss in Tuesday night’s win over Akron.
“Glad (I get) to play with them and not against them,” Cameron wrote about FAU’s pass rush in a text to The Palm Beach Post.
Cameron wasn’t the only new Owl to enjoy FAU’s blowout win on Tuesday night. Holmes said he loved watching FAU’s offense in action against Akron because of how many players were getting touches, specifically praising Kiffin and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles.
Holmes led the Cougars with 52 catches for 912 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
“That’s the outcome you get when you have great minds coming together and game planning as one,” Holmes said. “Probably don’t get any better than that.”
FAU fans will potentially have a chance to see Cameron and Holmes in action sooner rather than later, as both are working toward joining the team as mid-year transfers and being eligible for spring camp.
Al-Shaair staying for senior year: For one more season, junior linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is planning to remain the heart and soul of the Owls’ defense.
Al-Shaair and Kiffin confirmed the decision Tuesday night.
“If you start something, you’ve got to finish it,” said Al-Shaair, now the program’s all-time leader in tackles (353) after totaling 13 stops against the Zips. “That’s what my mom taught me, you never start anything without finishing it.”
Had Al-Shaair declared for April’s NFL draft, the junior would have been the first Florida Atlantic player to leave school early to turn professional. Al-Shaair would likely have been a late-round pick or gone undrafted if he were to enter the draft, even after another impressive season.
Had Al-Shaair landed even on a team’s practice squad, that would have been a start for his family. Off the field, Al-Shaair provides for his three younger brothers, two of whom live with him in an off-campus apartment.
“I know some people were trying to get him to come out but he’s going to come back,” Kiffin said. “So that’s good. We got a great team coming back.”
Al-Shaair finishes his junior season with career highs in tackles (147), sacks (2.5), and his second straight season with double-digit tackles for a loss (10).
With a strong senior season, Al-Shaair could become the eighth Owls player drafted — unless an NFL team takes one of his senior teammates this spring.
“For me, everything that I’ve been able to do here over the last three years, and all the opportunities that I’ve had here, it’s only right that I finish what I started,” Al-Shaair said.
While the Owls will retain Al-Shaair for 2017, Kiffin will have to do without the only holdover from former Owls coach Charlie Partridge’s coaching staff. Offensive line coach Garin Justice will take the same position under Rich Rodriguez at Arizona, his former coach at West Virginia.
A year after having to start a different offensive line unit nearly every game and still paving the way for 2,258 rushing yards and 31 rushing TDs, Justice’s offensive line produced three firstteam All-Conference USA players this season in Reggie Bain, Antonyo Woods, and Roman Fernandez.
“Garin Justice has done a great job for us,” Kiffin said. “We wish him well . ... That’s gonna happen when you start winning, people are gonna come to take your coaches. That’s a good problem to have.”