FAU, Kiffin Find The Right Recruiting Formula

There is no getting around the fact that when August rolls around in South Florida, college football fans will certainly have plenty to cheer about.

With all three schools making a post season bowl game, the University of Miami, Florida International and Lane Kiffin and his Florida Atlantic Owls have certainly established themselves as programs everyone is starting to watch.

In Boca Raton, Kiffin hit the ground running in his very first year and had this program in a position where they were embarrassing opponents.

Remember, this is a football program that has just two winning seasons at the FBS level before this past season.

By signing a 10-year extension with the school, he gets the chance to build a power in a conference that has quality teams. While many never expect him to make it a third of that contract, while he is here, they need to drink in everything and pay attention to everything he does.

The one thing that it would be wise to watch Kiffin do is recruit. What he did in just one short season shows that you can win, but you have to be creative to do it.

In his first season Kiffin and his staff brought in a junior college-heavy group that at least ignited the team. By adding those two-year players, you eliminate a lot of the growing pains, and that is what is happening once again this year.

In the early signing period, the Owls tapped into the junior colleges again with Nero Nelson (WR, 6-0, 180, Copiah Lincoln, Ms.), Charles Cameron (DT, 6-2, 250, Copiah Lincoln, Ms.) and Desean Holmes (WR, 5-10, 175, College of the Canyons, Ca.).

Orlando high school players Devin Hayes (DE, 6-6, 250, Jones) and Franklin Jackson (DE, 6-2, 217) also took advantage of the early signing period.

Coming into the Feb. 7th National Signing Day, Jaylen Joyner (DE, 6-3, 255, Orlando Jones) and Teja Young (Athlete, 5-11, 170, Palm Beach Lakes) committed. So did junior college players Meiko Dotson (CB, 5-10, 188, Garden City, Ks.), O'Shea Jackson (DT, 6-1, 300. Trinity Valley, Tx.) and Zack Bennett (Arizona Western).

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