Kiffin likes 2nd crop of recruits
Lane Kiffin’s first recruiting class at Florida Atlantic proved to be a hit, helping the Owls win 11 games and a Conference USA title.
Kiffin and FAU enjoyed another strong signing day Wednesday. With the early signing period and the traditional national signing day complete, Kiffin added nearly 20 players who will be expected to help FAU defend its title this fall.
“Our thought was, ‘Let’s make sure that we keep ourselves available and spots open to be able to sign the best players that we can,’” Kiffin said. “I think that model worked; we battled a lot of Power Five schools on a lot of these kids, and our coaches did a really good job.”
Five takeaways from signing day:
1. Kiffin has his quarterback(s): Jason Driskel and Daniel Parr (Dwyer) may be gone, but Kiffin now has two quarterbacks for the future in Chris Robison and Cordell Littlejohn. Robison still figures to be the favorite in spring camp, but the addition of Littlejohn — especially after redshirt junior De’Andre Johnson was cleared for action — adds an unexpected layer to the quarterback battle. Last year proved that the least-expected candidate (Parr won the job out of camp, only to lose it early in the season to Driskel) will have a chance to start under Kiffin so long as he performs to expectations.
2. No major flips: Signing day had plenty of last-minute choices and flips across the country, but nearly every recruit who had announced a prior commitment to FAU or narrowed the Owls to his top three schools signed with the school Wednesday. FAU did get a surprise signing in Austin (Ala.) offensive lineman Marquice Robinson, who
FAU’S SIGNING CLASS OF 2018 Armani Adams Charles Cameron Malcolm Davidson Devin Hayes Desean Holmes Franklin Jackson Doug Johnson Jaylen Joyner Cordel LittleJohn Nero Nelson
Marcel Southall Teja Young Marquice Robinson Dalton Hustad Zack Bennett S DT RB DE WR DE OT DE QB WR DT ATH OT DE C had interest from Auburn and Mississippi State before they shied away for academic reasons. Robinson could be an option to earn playing time in 2018 if he qualifies academically. St. Petersburg Wesson, Miss. Kissimmee
Orlando Valencia, Calif. Winter Garden Fort White
Orlando Roswell, Georgia Wesson, Miss.
Tyler, Texas West Palm Beach Decatur, Alabama Palm Beach Gardens
Yuma, Arizona STARS 3
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2 N/A N/A “I want a shot at playing in the NFL, and coach Kiffin and his staff have a lot of experience at getting guys to that level,” Robinson told The Decatur Daily at his signing day ceremony.
3. Defensive line surprisingly earns heavy focus: Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised Kiffin prioritized the defensive line (Hunter Snyder, Ernest Bagner and Steven Leggett all graduate after this season), but FAU added two junior college defensive linemen, Charles Cameron (Copiah-Lincoln, Miss.) and Marcel Southall (Tyler Junior College, Texas). Given how Jeremiah Taleni — a proven starter at Pittsburgh who arrived as a graduate transfer — was the only transfer lineman to make a significant contribution last season, Kiffin’s decision to stockpile talent with shortened eligibility in the trenches is a curious choice.
4. FAU quietly upgrades wide receivers: No wide receivers signed with FAU on Wednesday, but former West Virginia wideout Jovan Durante and ex-Auburn Tiger Kyle Davis are among the official signing class after transferring in the past six months. FAU also added junior college wideout Nero Nelson (Copiah-Lincoln) and DeSean Homes (College of the Canyons) during the early signing period.
Kalib Woods and Kamrin Solomon may be gone, but Kiffin and new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. will have plenty of tools at wide receiver — and don’t forget: catch/yards/touchdown leader Willie Wright is only entering his sophomore season.
5. Linebackers, secondary among positions left out: The failure to add another linebacker was notable. Threeyear starter Azeez Al-Shaair is entering his senior season, and Rashad Smith is a rising junior. The same arguably goes for the secondary, where Armani Adams, Meiko Dotson and athlete-turned-cornerback Teja Young (Palm Beach Lakes) were the Owls’ only signings this year.