Signing Day Hangover

The smoke has cleared and college coaches have announced who will come play for their programs over the next few years.

FAU has managed to finish dead last in most recruiting sites rankings of classes, but recruiting coordinator Kurt Van Valkenburgh explained the reasoning behind that.

Valkenburgh stated that the coaching staff likes to evaluate talent throughout the season then make an overall commitment to a player. That commitment isn't one that will be revoked explains Valkenburgh. Unlike, other big programs such as Tennessee, FAU will not offer a kid and then pull the offer last minute. "We [FAU] don't want to be put in a situation where a high school wont let us come back" stated Valkenburgh. "Florida is our backyard." FAU needs to keep ties to the backyard because so much talent is here.

Defensive line coach Johhny Frost pointed out that he feels confident in the ties to high schools in his recruiting zone such as Pahokee and Belle Glade. Keep good ties to schools like this is key because of the type of players they produce. "Look for us to go more into south Georgia to recruit" Valkenburgh mentioned. Hopefully, FAU's staff will be back in Valdosta next year, as I've already began evaluating some potential prospects showing interest from there.

Frost also mentioned that FAU had lost out on TE Clive Walford to Miami. Walford a 6'6" product would have been a nice addition, but it just shows how far FAU has come to be in a signing day battle with a powerhouse like Miami. With plans in place for a stadium on campus look for FAU to start winning these battles.

Signee FS Cortez Ash could be seen around campus in this car come next fall. Ash pictured on the left, was coached by former Miami TE Randy Bethel at Sebastian River High School.

On to Basketball....

FAU fans could be in trouble for last Saturday's actions in which they chanted "rapist" at Florida international head coach Isiah Thomas. Thomas felt that the actions by the student section where out of line and could threaten legal action.

If you happened to catch any of the Backyard Brawl Pittsburgh vs West Virgina in basketball, you saw a similar actions from a student body. West Virgina students went as far as throwing bottles onto the court and throwing coins at the Pittsburgh bench.

The Owls have hit the road for the Sun Belt west road trip where the will play at North Texas and Denver.... USF has won 4 straight Big East basketball games, when they upset #8 Georgetown last night. FAU's loss where they played competitively throughout the game is looking like a loss to a potential tournament team now...

FAU at North Texas, 8pm- FAU has never beat North Texas and this should be a difficult task for the owls who are ridding a 5-game win streak. A win tonight and Mike Jarvis's squad should start getting some tournament talk nation wide. A Ivins likes FAU by 5

- A Ivins

5 pm Update.. FAU is Done

Recruiting Coordinator Kurt Van Valkenburgh has announced FAU is done with there recruiting class for now. The staff finished with 12, and only missed out on one signing day battle.

However, that battle was over DT Sean Watson, who i had rated as number 1 on my big board for FAU. Baylor came calling last night and the Panama City product made the decision to go play out in Waco, Texas.

Onto this year's class. FAU had limited scholarship numbers to start off with after over signing a big class from last year. With an estimated 14-15 scholarships available Valkenburgh managed to find the talent he could with the numbers he had.

The first thing i like about this class is that they managed to land prospects outside the state of Florida, which i think is extremely important. Head coach Howard Schnellenberger usually doesn't like to go out of the talent rich area of south Florida to find prospects, but he managed to land two in this haul of signees.

Along with recruiting out of state, the staff managed to recruit kids from winning programs which i believe is highly valuable. 3-years ago a head coach by the name of Urban Meyer stated that you have to bring "championship" players into your program that have the mentality of winning. (Florida has went on to win 2 national championships since then) FAU did that in a big way, as many of the prospects come from high schools that compete regularly for state championships. Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga, Lincoln High School in Tallahasse, Sumter High School in Sumter, Sc, and Lakeland Kathleen High School, churn out division-1 prospects every year and most of the time make instant impact at the next level.

Here is how i rank the 12 signees:

1. LB Mike Copeland 6' 211 Lowndes HS Valdosta, GA- Copeland can make plays and hits all over the field. Look for him to have an opportunity much like LB David Hinds had as a freshman this year.

2. DE Cory Henry 6'3" 235 Hines City HS Miami, FL- Henry was a signee from last year but had academic problems and has now enrolled in the spring term for this year. Will participate in spring practice and could instantly find a rotation in a pass rush that struggled last season.

3. DT Jerome McClain 6'1" 280 Pensacola HS Pensacola, FL- McClain was the anchor of a Pensacola High School team that mad a run for the state championship. Has a nice burst up the middle and should have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the rotation.

4. QB Stephen Curtis 6'3" 205 Sumter HS Sumter, FL- Curtis would be the prize of the recruiting class, but he will most likley be redshirted next year. A dual-threat QB that doesn't fit the normal stereo type or size of other QB's Howard recruits, Curtis accounted for 56 TD's (16 rush)his senior season and knows how to find the endzone.

5. WR Marcus Cunningham 6'1" 180 Kathleen Hs Lakeland, FL- Cunningham (pictured above) is a tall lanky receiver that has nice size and adequate speed. Shows nice footwork and has nice downfield blocking which is needed in FAU's system. On film he can make catches and run after the catch.

6. RB Tony Moore 5'11" 225 Lincoln HS Tallahassee, FL- Moore comes from a program that had produced 19 D-1 products since 2005. Has nice size and can catch out of the back field. Same body type as current FAU RB Alfred Morris. Moore could be special when his time comes.

7. DT Willie Huggins 6'2" 285 Clewiston HS Clewiston FL - Huggins is another monster defensive tackle that the Owls are bringing in. Like stated with McClain, Huggins should have the ability to come in and fight for a spot in the rotation just based off of his size.

8. LB David Lozinador 5'10" 185 Miami North HS Miami, FL- Lozinador is my sleeper in the class. Before his junior year Lozinador was named linebacker MVP for a National Underclassmen Combine in South Florida. There Lozinador ran a sub 4.4 40 yard dash and runs the 100, 200 and 4x4 100 relay in high school. His speed should instantly help him make plays at the next level.

9. QB Nick Bracewell 6'3" 210 Lafayette HS Mayo, FL- Braceweel is the typical FAU type QB that they recruit. Nice size and make most of the throws, but needs to speed up his delivery. Should redshirt and compete with Curtis in the years to come.

10. FS Cortez Ash 6'2" 180 Sebastian River HS Sebastian, FL-Ash comes into a defensive backfield that was staring only 1 scholarship player in the secondary by the last game of last season. Ash was productive in high school and made a lot of special teams plays. He has an opportunity to make a special teams unit and play his freshman year.

11. OL Blake Parrish 6'4" 285 Bartram Trail HS Jacksonville, FL- Parrish moved down to Florida in hopes of gaining a scholarship and FAU gave him one with an opportunity to play. Has nice size and looks to be a solid run blocker. Should take time to develop.

12. TE/WR Alex Deleon 6'4" 195 Belleview HS, Belleview FL- Deleon was the Owls first commit back in the fall and comes into a program that likes to throw the ball to its TE's. For a TE he appears a bit undersized and will need to add bulk to at least get to a size similar to former FAU TE Jamari Grant.

Overall i think the class has a chance to be productive.

Be back later with more..

- A Ivins

11 AM Update

Some Letter of Intents are in...

Two QBs so far in QB Stephen Curtis and QB Nick Bracewell. Interesting enough that FAU would take one QB, but taking two was unexpected. My guess is FAU and the staff had really like Stephen Curtis, and offered him during his visit even though another QB Brandon Doughtey was already committed. However, Doughtey then de committed and committed to Western Kentucky. Bracewell then entered the picture.

Bracewell (pictured left) is an interesting product. Out of Lafayette high school in Mayo, Florida, Bracewell has nice size and a good release. The staff obviously wanted a second QB prospect by offering Bracewell the day after Dougthey de committed. Bracewell also held an offer from Tulane.

TE/WR Alex Deleon out of Bellview, Florida has also sent in his letter. Deleon has been committed to FAU since the fall.

Lakeland Kathleen WR Marcus Cunningham has also faxed in his letter

-A Ivins

Signing Day is Here

Today, at 7 a.m recruits are officially allowed to send in there letter of intents to the colleges they choose. Not too many big names left for FAU but it is worth watching who will fill up the final 2-3 spots in the class, and make sure everyone committed signs.

Things to Watch:

Commit DT Sean Watson is worth keep your eye on. My number 1 rated prospect in the class thus far, could easily end up signing else wear today. Hopefully the coaching staff has done all it can to convince him to sign with FAU

All signs point to QB Stephen Curtis (pictured above) to sign with FAU this morning. Curtis, who after his visit to Boca Raton, seems to feel that the atmosphere and environment is a perfect fit. Expect his letter to be in early this morning.

The remaining 2-3 spots could really end up going to anyone. Number 1 on my board still left is DE/TE Trevaughn Faircloth out of Hollywood Hills. According to his Facebook, "....my brada (teamate DE Dwaja Mera) signing 2marro...smash braz on deck!" I'm not too sure if Trevaughn is a candidate to qualify. Mera is set to sign with Rutgers, but no word on the 3-star product Faircloth.


Some other names to look out for to round out the class include, Booker T. Washington WR Jelanie Rouland or Jacksonville Bolles WR Jay Herndon.


- A. Ivins

Recruiting Update..

National Signing Day is hours away and FAU shouldn't be in for many surprises. As of this morning (Tuesday morning) FAU's coaching staff has locked up 13 verbal commitments. Stated before there is only room for 15-16 in the 2010 class so expect 3 more names to surface. Here is listed my top-3 prospects interested in FAU-

1. 3-star Trevaughn Faircloth DE Hollywood, Florida- Trevaughn (pictured above) is a physical specimen that is built to play both DE or TE. He could very well fit into FAU's offense and mold into the next Jason Harmon. Faircloth recently eliminated Illinois but has since remained silent regarding where he is going. A Ivins Forecast- 60 % for FAU declining

2. Jelanie Rouland WR Miami, Florida-Jelanie is a 6'5" wide receiver out of the storied Booker T. Washington program. I like his intangibles, but FAU already reloaded with current commit Marcus Cunningham. FAU could add some WR receiver help as there has been some speculation of academic troubles with some current receivers. If FAU offers hes most likely an Owl. A Ivins Forecast- 30 % for FAU steady

3. Mike Smith CB Titusville, Florida- going way out in left field here. After the owls have lost out on two CB prospects, Edward St. Vital and Normondo Harris, its obvious the staff is looking for someone and according to rivals.com Smith has an offer. A Ivins Forecast- 15% rising if the staff finds him

Other Recruiting Notes-

Watch out for current FAU commit DT Sean Watson to possibly waver if a better offer comes to the table... You have to wonder if previous FAU commit QB Brandon Doughty is rethinking his decision about switching his pledge to Western Kentucky, who just received a oral commitment from 4-star QB Brion Carnes... Looking over the visit lists, FAU brought in some impressive talent over the past month, RB Jawan Jamison (Rutgers), OL Joe McNarmara (Wisconsin), CB Normondo Harris (Purdue) and OL Chris Acosta (Louisville) were all seen in Boca...


Check out my article on Mike Jarvis's young basketball team at http://bleacherreport.com/articles/337768-faus-mike-jarvis-has-another-shot-at-march-madness

Predictions-
Super Tuesday: 7pm ESPN
Ole Miss at #3 Kentucky- Kentucky is having drama with John Wall and needs to rebound against a quality opponent after last Super Tuesday's upset. UK by 7

Christian Jones LB Lake Howell, Florida- Down to a good ole Florida - Florida State battle, Jones has deep ties to the Noles. However Urban Meyer is Urban Meyer. In a shocker Florida


- A Ivins

FAU lands a Sleeper

LB David Lozandier has made up his mind. After his High School team Miami North finished 3-7 in Florida's 6A- District 12, arguable one of the most gifted and talent rich districts in Florida, David Lozandier shifted his focus to recruiting and made his commitment to the Owls.

Lozandier i believe is a sleeper for the owls. With initial reports Lozandier reported verbal offers from Colorado State and Central Michigan after his Junior season where he totaled had 103 tackles, two interceptions, four sacks and nine TFLs. He was named NUC MVP for Linebackers at the Boca Raton combine. Shortly after big time programs such as Miami, Ole Miss, Duke, Cincinnati and Florida all started showing interest.


After a so-so season Lozandier has ended up in the lap of FAU's coaching staff. The best aspect Lozandier brings is athletic ability. His 40 time was clocked at 4.49 at the combine with a 31.5" vertical jump. Running track for Miami North he ran a 11.42 100 and a 23.32 200 at a meet last spring. The speed will be unique to FAU's linebacking corp, as long as he can bulk up and keep that movement.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/football/recruiting/player-David-Lozandier-68027

Mondays Thoughts 2/1..

Pitt to the Big 10 is the right move for the Pitt athletic department. Pittsburg opens itself up to a whole new market, as programs like Ohio St. and Penn St. will have the opportunity to play in a large city with an NFL stadium. From a basketball standpoint it will give Pittsburgh and opportunity to dominate the Big 10 which is up and down recently with this season looking more down than up. The Big 10 needs this and should be all for it, where as the Big East should be in panic mood. If Pitt should bolt for the Big 10 athletic departments like UCF, Memphis, ECU and Temple need to be ready.

To all of the people wanting to see Tim Tebow fail I guess everyone got what they wanted last week at the Pro Bowl. I have never seen so many people root against someone who is so successful at what he does. If I am an NFL GM, when looking at Tebow I realize I’m getting 3-things, a national championship QB, a Heisman winner, and the most competitive face in college football.

Prospects I love in the draft- (round I would draft them)

Anthony Davis OT Rutgers (1st)
Kyle Wilson CB Boise St (2nd)
Tim Tebow QB/ATH Florida (3rd)
Colin Peek TE Alabama (4th)
Chris Marinelli OG Stanford (5th)
Joe Webb WR/QB UAB (6th)
Darius Marshall RB Marshall (7th)
LeRoy Van RS FAMU (FA)

Around the Belt:

Western Kentucky landed a commitment from 4-star dual threat QB Brian Carnes. Carnes was once committed to USF then backed out and was heavily pursued by Nebraska before WKU landed his services. Apparently he has childhood ties to WKU’s new head coach Willie Taggart.

North Texas brought in ex-USF offensive coordinator Mike Canales. Canales had a top 35 offense his first two years as offense coordinator at USF but new head coach Skip Holtz choose not to retain him. Canales was also QB coach/ passing game coordinator at NC State when NFL QB Phillip Rivers was there.

Troy had the only pro-bowl Sun-Belt player in last night’s NFL Pro Bowl, DE DeMarcus Ware.

Western Kentucky and Hawaii will play in 2012 at Aloha Stadium.

-A. Ivins