BRANDON WISE/Asst. Sports Director
brandon.wise@fiusm.com
Since its inception, the FIU football program has heavily recruited in its own backyard, Miami-Dade County. South Florida is so rich in talent that much of it is just a few miles up the road in Palm Beach County.
The region, which includes Broward County, all combines to become one of the most talented areas in the entire country for football and athletes according to many experts.
However, FIU has never really taken advantage of the recruits that live just one hour up the turnpike in Palm Beach. But this year is different. A roster that last year had only four players from the largest county in the state will now see that total double and then some.
Davison Colimon, a safety from Riviera Beach, Edens Sineace, an offensive tackle from Palm Beach Gardens and Trenton Saunders, an offensive tackle from Palm Beach will all be a part of the upcoming football roster.
Colimon, a 6-foot-1-inch 190-pound safety, will be joining current Panther freshman walk-on Jeff Fulwood, who played together at Suncoast High school in the secondary. The two are excited to reunite.
“I talked to [Fulwood] and he told me how much he loved the program,” Colimon said. “And after I visited, I knew this was where I wanted to be.”
Fulwood is excited to get his “little brother” back.
“[Colimon] is just an exciting player. He’s going to make the other safeties better because he’s going to bring competition,” Fulwood said. “Davison is like my little brother out there. I use to coach him up sometimes back in high school and it’s going to be like the same thing when he gets here.”
Not only will the defense be getting an upgrade, but the offensive line as well. Trenton Saunders, 6-foot-4-inch 280-pound offensive tackle, will be joining an experienced group up front, where all starters from last season will be returning. That doesn’t phase Saunders though.
“I definitely think that I’m coming in there with a valid chance of taking a job,” Saunders said. “As far as from talking to Coach Mirabal and Coach Cristobal, there is not a doubt that I have a shot. They already told me that they are not going to redshirt me. I’m going to be playing.”
When decision time came for the soon to be Panther, he had his choices down to FIU, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, FAU and one other recognizable school that Panther fans remember from this season, Marshall.
“It was one of the things that a lot of guys were asking me during the all-star game, if I was going to decide based off of who won that bowl game,” Saunders said. “I told them it didn’t matter because looking at the recruiting class and who was returning for next year, if they played again, FIU would dominate them.”
Saunders is also realistic and knows that whatever school he chose, he was going to make sure it was the one that gave him the most benefits.
“We all know it’s 2012 and you have to use the program because when it comes to colleges, they’re all going to use you.”
The two recruits are now joining forces in the attempts to bring one of the most prominent athletes from the area down to FIU with them. Travares Copeland, listed as an athlete, meaning whatever school he chooses will have the choice on what position he will play.
Copeland decided today to attend West Virginia University over FIU.
However, another Treasure Coast player, Patrick Jean, a linebacker, decided to switch his commitment from Louisville to FIU this morning.