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UH lands slew of verbal JUCO, international commitments

UH's defense scored two verbal commitments Monday ahead of the early signing period on Dec. 18. | Katrina Martinez/The Cougar

UH’s defense scored two verbal commitments Monday ahead of the early signing period on Dec. 18. | Katrina Martinez/The Cougar

Houston’s 2020 recruiting class is beginning to take shape.

With early signing day on Dec. 18, the Cougars landed five verbal commitments Monday from an array of places outside of high schools.

Two international recruits will call Houston home in 2020 and beyond. UH picked up offensive tackle James Faminu, hailing from London, and punter Laine Wilkins from Australia. 

Faminu has the prototypical offensive tackle size, measuring in at 6’6″ and 343 pounds. 247 Sports graded him as a two-star recruit. He chose Houston over UMass, Southwest Minnesota State and others. 

“This is just another step to achieving my goals and the work starts now,” Faminu said on Twitter

Wilkins continues UH’s Australian punter pipeline. He will walk in the footsteps of Dane Roy, a graduating senior and Ray Guy Award finalist. He trained with Prokick Australia, a program recognized for its ability to churn out college- and pro-ready specialists. 

“This has made me so happy and very proud!” Roy said on Twitter about Wilkins committing to Houston. 

Two JUCO defensive players will also join the Cougars: defensive tackle Sedrick Williams and defensive back Jayce Rogers. 

Coming out of Kilgore College, the 6’2″, 305 pound-freshman Williams fielded offers from North Texas, Florida Atlantic and Ohio before opting for UH. 247 Sports pegs him as a three-star JUCO recruit. 

Rogers, a fellow three-star JUCO recruit by 247 Sports, originally committed to play under UH head coach Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia before transferring to Northwest Mississippi Community College. The 5’8″, 165-pound cornerback tallied two interceptions and eight pass breakups in 2019. 

To wrap up their five-man haul, UH received a commitment from wide receiver Nathaniel Dell. In 10 games at Independence Community College in Kansas in 2019, the 5’10”, 150-pound receiver tallied 52 receptions for 766 yards and eight touchdowns. He chose Houston over Southern Florida and Akron. 

“Thank you all for providing the needed support,” Dell said on Twitter. “Let’s ball all season for last season!”

While Houston received verbal commits from all five recruits, they are non-binding.

The first day they can officially become a Cougar is Dec. 18.

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