 |
| North Marion's Jamie Gilmore could have gone anywhere. He chose Temple. |
This year's eventYou can have the Super Bowl, World Series and the NBA finals but, to me, National Signing Day rates right up there with the first day of the NCAA Tournament as the most exciting sports day of the year.
NOT open to public
PHILADELPHIA – Wednesday, Feb. 1 is National Signing Day for football.
Temple head coach Steve Addazio will discuss the 2012 recruiting class in a 4 p.m. media conference. This year's event is not open to the public.
Fans will be able to watch the press conference LIVE on OwlSports.com.
Biographies and videos of the signees will be posted on OwlSports.com.
Temple football opens spring drills in March, concluding with the annual Cherry & White Game on April 14.
(Heck, I won the Inquirer's NCAA pool last year so I have a personal stake in why the first day of the tournament will be extra special this year.)
For Temple football fans, though, it's '][' Day today, Feb. 1.
It might have something to do with my teams not (like almost never) being in the Super Bowl rarely in the World Series and that I'm not a big fan of the NBA but National Signing Day has a special appeal.
First, it's an example of the circle of life.
As sad as I am to see Bernard Pierce leave the household dinner table (although he did leave before desert), that's how happy I am to welcome guys like Brandon Peoples, Jamie Gilmore, Khalif Herbin and Montrell Dobbs into the Temple family.
I hope they work out as well as Bernard and, say, a lot better than Daryl Robinson, Tony "Soul Train" Cornelius or Eric Reynolds did.
Only time will tell.
 |
| Nate Smith decommited from West Virginia for TU. |
When the fax machine in the Edberg-Olsen Complex starts rolling today, the first 25 sheets of signed names will have Temple University football scholarships.
Later that night, at the Liacouras Center, head coach Steve Addazio will be hosting a press conference to talk about the recruits. It will not be open to the public, but can be watched online.
In the past, fans got to see the recruits on film and they looked like Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus on the big not-yet-HDTV screen.
Gilmore is the No. 7-ranked all-purpose running back in the nation. (Thank you, Daz. That is just what this doctored ordered after Bernard Pierce left.)
It's a beautiful night that way.
It might not be a rite of spring, but it's certainly a rite of Groundhog's Day Eve.
On the average, no more than five of the signees provide immediate help to the next varsity team but I can see at least this much help in the current class.
Gilmore and Herbin I see as helping right away.
Once Daz gets over this notion of using Harrisburg's Jalen Fitzpatrick as a running back and moves him into his more natural slot receiver role (picture a more explosive Joey Jones), it'll be up to guys like Herbin, Gilmore and Peoples to fight for that coveted backup tailback spot to Matty Brown. (The way I read the NCAA partial qualifier rule is that Dobbs won't be eligible to play for the 2012 Owls.)
If there is an area of need in this class, that's it _ a reliable and explosive Brown backup.
Although I would like to see the Owls move Kenny Harper over to safety to bolster that side of the ball, I think they are pretty much OK in other areas. Deon Miller should be a big-time wide receiver. If Fitzpatrick has any hands at all, he should complement him on the other side with a reliable "Wes Welker-like" type in Ryan Alderman as a probable starter.
Daz's final three days produced a harvest (West Virginia DB de-commit Nate Smith has joined the fold) that should push this group to the top the MAC-rated classes.
That's not as important now as it will be five years from now but help, to quote John Kerry, is on the way.
