Panthers add four transfers with potential
FIU’s football program officially added four transfer student-athletes last week, and recruiting expert Larry Blustein applauds the moves.
Before he could be asked about a specific player, Blustein immediately began raving about 6-5, 320-pound offensive guard Logan Gunderson, who spent the past two years at ASA College in Miami.
“Logan is a freak,” Blustein said. “He’s a manchild and one of the top offensive linemen in the state.”
Gunderson, who is from Jacksonville, was a fouryear varsity letter-winner at Trinity Christian, helping his alma mater win four consecutive state championships in Class 3A.
“This is a big-time kid,” Blustein said. “I’m sure junior college has matured him, and it looks like he has gotten even bigger. I think he’ll start right away.”
The other three transfers FIU signed last week are all from Power Five conferences: running back Maleek Williams and linebacker Alexy Jean-Baptiste, both from Arkansas, and defensive back Josh Turner (Iowa).
Williams, who will arrive at FIU as a redshirt sophomore, rushed for 144 yards, a 5.3 average and two touchdowns this past season.
It’s interesting that Williams is joining a Conference USA team. That’s because his biggest college highlight so far was a 68yard touchdown run against a C-USA opponent, North Texas, and it happened with 53 seconds left in a 44-17 Arkansas win.
Williams will join an FIU running backs room that— as of now—includes Anthony Jones, Napoleon Maxwell and D’Vonte Price. But as a transfer from an NCAA program, Williams will sit out the 2019 season. By then, Jones and Maxwell will be out of collegiate eligibility.
As a high school senior, Williams (5-11, 225 pounds) was ranked the No. 33 running back in the nation by ESPN, rushing for 1,294 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also registered some of the fastest times in the state in the 100 meters and 200 meters.
Meanwhile, because of family illnesses, JeanBaptiste and Turner are applying for hardship waivers that would make them eligible immediately. The basis for their transfers was to return home to be with their families while still going to school.
Turner, who joins FIU as a 5-11, 190-pound redshirt sophomore, didn’t play his first year at Iowa and got into 11 games in 2018.
As a high school senior at Delray Beach American Heritage, he had 17 passbreakups, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumble and one kickoff returned for a score.
“He’s a talented kid,” Blustein said. “I’ve seen him in 7-on-7, and he’s athletic, which means a lot. Maybe he got caught in a numbers game at Iowa.”
Jean-Baptiste, a 6-2, 235-pounder who will join FIU as a redshirt junior, was ranked by ESPN as the No. 35 linebacker in the nation coming out of Coconut Creek High. He totaled 18 sacks in his final two years at Coconut Creek, where coach Kareem Reid also used him at safety.
It was at Coconut Creek where Jean-Baptiste was joined in the secondary by Trayvon Mullen, who just led Clemson to the national title with a big interception against Alabama; and Malek Young, who was a rising star at the University of Miami until his career was ended because of a serious injury.
“[Jean-Baptiste] was a tweener coming out of high school,” Blustein said. “But he’s a baller.”
THIS AND THAT
Blustein said FIU coach Butch Davis is “crushing it” in recruiting. “He’s hitting on almost every guy,” Blustein said. “He’s invaluable to FIU. He’s the best hire South Florida has had in a long time.”
FIU is looking for two new assistant coaches to replace Kenny Holmes (defensive line) and Eric Thatcher (cornerbacks).