Florida International Recruiting Primer 2016

It's no secret that the Florida International University Golden Panthers' recruiting class is less than promising due to multiple decommits from top prospects. Head coach Ron Turner will probably come away wishing he could have reeled in more players three-star cornerback Jadarius Byrd and linebacker Donovan Thompson, who both switched their commitments last month.

But despite the loss of eight signees, the Panthers need to regroup if they want to salvage what's left of their 2016 recruits.

Comparing this class to last year, FIU had 22 players sign in 2015, ranking 98th overall as their best ranked class since joining Conference USA. The current class currently has 20 total recruits, which puts them at 101 in the nation and ninth in the conference.

Included in that 20 are four early enrollers. JUCO defensive end Newton Sailsbury, safety Isaiah Hill as well as offensive lineman Dallas and Doug Connell all joined the Panthers during this semester.

As part of the group preparing to sign during Wednesday, Shakur Cooper may wind up being one of the most important pickups in the class with the graduation of starting defensive ends Denzell Perine and Michael Wakefield. The 6-foot 200 pound defensive end/linebacker out of Coral Gables Senior High runs a 4.56 40-yard dash and has shown the ability to get through the line and thrive in the backfield.

Whether or not he is kept at defensive end or linebacker depends on how Ron Turner wants to develop him, but keeping him at the end spot may be better for his team in the short term.

Also notable will be the potential signing of offensive lineman Shane McGough, they younger brother of Golden Panthers starting quarterback Alex McGough. If the 6-foot-2 257 pound tackle out of Gaither High in Tampa joins with FIU, there could be the potential of two sets of brothers playing on offense.

The Class of 2016 as listed by 247 listed below, stay tuned for more updates Wednesday: