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FIU football program adds players, counts down to start of fall practices

From one to 10, the level of excitement new FIU football coach Mike MacIntyre is feeling for his first fall camp with the Panthers breaks the scale.

“It’s way above 10,” MacIntyre said.

The Panthers, who will have their first fall practice on August 1, have added six players since spring practice ended in April. The Panthers also got starting safety Dorian Hall off the injury list.

That leaves FIU with 83 scholarship players. MacIntyre wants to keep two scholarships in his back pocket just in case desirable players become available.

Here’s a look at the six newcomers:

Phillip Houston, a 6-5, 270-pound offensive tackle, arrives from Navarro Community College in Texas.

Jamarrion Solomon, a 5-11, 270-pound defensive tackle, is a freshman from Miami Palmetto. He will rejoin another former Palmetto defensive tackle, Savion Collins, who is an FIU veteran. “(Solomon) is dominant – quick and athletic,” MacIntyre said. “He plays with good leverage and is put together like a 25-year-old.”

Jamarrion Solomon, Palmetto
Jamarrion Solomon, Palmetto

Luke Knox, a 6-3, 240-pound outside linebacker, spent the past four years at Ole Miss, making two starts in 2019. He was switched to tight end last year, but MacIntyre wants him on defense. His older brother is Buffalo Bills starting tight end Dawson Knox.

Alex Nobles, a 6-2, 250-pound outside linebacker, spent the past three years as a lightly-used backup at North Carolina. He made two tackles and blocked one kick.

Khaya Wright, a 6-3, 215-pound outside linebacker at Georgia Tech, is making a homecoming since he played at South Miami High. He was a Florida All-Star and three-year captain at South Miami, but he barely played at Georgia Tech.

CJ Christian, a 6-0, 180-pound safety from Iowa Central Community College, is an “athletic, rangy player with good coverage skills,” MacIntyre said.

MacIntyre said there’s a reason why he brought in three outside linebackers.

“I was looking for long, athletic players,” he said. “I wanted big, physical guys who can run. Those guys are playmakers. We can put them in different spots, and they are good pass-rushers.”

THIS AND THAT

Shannon Sykora said he is “looking for a growth as a coach.” That explains why he recently left his post as Barry University’s women’s golf coach after 11 years. He is now the women’s golf coach for Division I Florida Gulf Coast.

Sykora led Barry to the 2017 NCAA Division II national title. His Bucs also finished second in 2014, third in 2012 and fourth in 2018, and he leaves as the longest-tenured women’s golf coach in Barry history. He also coached two National Players of the Year: Tilda Larsson in 2018 and Alice Gotbring this past season.