Owls in line for Patridge’s top class

IN THE BAG: The Owls have pretty strong pledges from quarterback Steven Frank, defensive tackle Kevin

McCrary and cornerback Korel Smith. All of the players are three-star recruits and ended the recruiting process once they announced their commitments. The other three-stars in the class — defensive tackle Will Davis, tackle Brandon Walton, receiver John Mitchell and cornerback Davon Brown — are also good bets to sign letters of intent with the Owls. South Florida standouts Bradley Clement (American Heritage), Chanler Ferguson (Atlantic) and James Charles (St. Thomas Aquinas) bolster the recruiting haul.

UP FOR GRABS: Even though South Dade running back Jawon Hamilton has committed to UCF, the Owls are still in the mix. Hamilton listed UCF and FAU as his finalists after he de-committed from the Miami Hurricanes. He was originally committed to FIU, so there’s always a chance he changes his mind again. If they can lure Hamilton, it would be a huge get for the Owls. A three-star recruit, he rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns last year.

OVERALL OUTLOOK: The Owls are expecting the land the best recruiting class of the Charlie Partridge era. Recruiting analysts suggest the class could rank anywhere 50th to 75th. Astrong emphasis on in-state recruiting, especially South Florida, has FAU in position to build on last year’s disappointing season. “We want to make sure the focus is I-4 and down. We take pride in going after the southern half of the state,” Patridge said recently.