FIU receives commitments from top recruits

By Brett Shweky/Sports Director

 

The recruiting trail has been heating up for FIU football team in recent weeks, as the program has received a spurt of commitments from some highly regarded athletes.

Bryn Renner, the Director of Recruiting for FIU, announced through Twitter on Nov. 20 that the 2018 class received yet another commitment from a recruit and expressed how he believes this upcoming class for the Panthers will be one to remember.

“Some good news tonight, another huge commitment from a flat out baller,” tweeted Renner. “This class is going to be something special.”

Renner was referring to high school tight end, Sterling Palmer, who announced his commitment to the Panthers on Twitter.

Palmer is a 6-6, 220 prospect that adds necessary depth to the tight end position. The Richmond, Virginia native also had offers from Virginia Tech and the University of Massachusetts, but chose to take his talents to South Florida.

With this most recent addition, the Panthers now have 12 hard commits and are looking to increase this total.

Some of the biggest names in the 2018 recruiting class for the Panthers are linebacker Donovan Georges and running back DeMarcus Townsend.

Georges is the highest-ranked player in the 2018 recruiting class, according to 247sports.com, and aims to replace some of the departing linebackers from this season.

As a senior at Champagnat Catholic in Hialeah, Georges is assisting his team in making a state playoff run. The high school linebacker checks in at 6-1, 230 lbs, and would give the Panthers an additional edge at the linebacker position. Georges was also receiving offers from the University of Georgia, the University of Alabama, and the University of Miami.

Townsend is a 5-11, 192 lb running back, who will add necessary speed to the Panthers’ offense. With senior running back Alex Gardner about to graduate, Townsend is primed for a contributing role as a freshman.

The Palmetto Ridge High attendee is listed as the 49th-ranked running back in the entire nation for the 2018 recruiting class, according to 247sports.com, and was highly sought after by the Oklahoma Sooners and the UCLA Bruins.

Head Coach Butch Davis discussed that with FIU being located in South Florida, a hub for high school football talent, him and coaching staff will be able to recruit some of the best athletes throughout the nation.

“FIU has unbelievable access to South Florida athletes, from Dade County all the way up to Vero Beach then up the west coast to Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples and throughout the middle part, there are a ton of great athletes,” Coach Davis said. “If we can find 20 to 25 guys (recruits) every single year that we feel are good enough to win, we’re going to have great teams.”

If the Panthers can secure 20 to 25 signees by the end of the recruiting season, the team will see their overall depth increase. Running backs coach, Tim Harris Jr., explained that through recruiting in previous years, the team has been able to establish necessary depth.

“FIU has been able to add depth through recruiting” said Harris Jr. “Beyond the starters, we as a coaching staff believe that those guys have an opportunity to show that they can contribute at a high-level for the team.”

With the team losing a significant amount of their impact players due to graduation however, the 2018 class will be looked upon to make an immediate impact.

One factor to consider when looking at the recent spark in recruiting for FIU is the fact the team is having one of the best seasons in program history. This season, the Panthers had the best start in the history of the school with a 6-2 record and also became bowl-eligible for the third time ever.

Gardner explained earlier in the season, that one of his biggest goals was to bring the Panthers back to a bowl game and also establish FIU as a place where players would want to attend.

“Getting us back to a bowl game and getting this team more recognition is my biggest goal before I graduate”, said Gardner. “I want to have it where more people want to come play here, so that we can establish a tradition within the football program.”