Gore Jr. decommits from FAU, signs with Southern Mississippi

The son of the NFL’s active rushing leader has decommitted from Florida Atlantic’s 2020 recruiting class.

Frank Gore’s son, Frank Gore Jr., announced on Thursday that he signed his letter of intent with Southern Miss. Gore committed to FAU in June 2019. His father was a star at the University of Miami.

He took an official visit to Southern Miss on Dec. 6 — one day before Lane Kiffin stepped down as FAU’s football coach — before switching course and deciding to continue his playing career with the Owls’ Conference USA rival.

Gore Jr. is ranked as the No. 65 running back and No. 129 Florida high school prospect by 247 Sports. He rushed for 1,111 yards and 13 touchdowns on 113 carries during his senior season at Miami Killian.

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 for FAU on 247 Sports.

Gore Jr. told the South Florida Sun Sentinel when he committed to FAU in June: “Coach Smith has bigger goals [for me] than I have for myself. I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity of being coached by him. Major love for him.”

Running back is expected to be one of the Owls’ deepest positions in the 2020 season. FAU eclipsed 2,000 yards as a unit for just the fifth time in school history during the 2019 season despite injuries to multiple running backs throughout the year.

Five different running backs, Malcolm Davidson (711) James Charles (359),

Larry McCammon III (324), Chauncey Mason (186) and BJ Emmons (165), rushed for more than 100 yards this season.

Four of those five running backs (Mason is a redshirt senior) are eligible to return next season, in addition to freshman Kelvin Dean Jr., redshirt sophomore Tyrek Tisdale, freshman Glover Cook, redshirt sophomore Daniel Leconte and freshman Rayquan Berry.

The Owls signed nine players on Wednesday, the first day of the Early Signing Period, to kick off Willie Taggart’s first official recruiting class as Florida Atlantic’s coach. FAU was also on the receiving end of the transfer portal on Wednesday.

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.

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