Adonis Jennings Would Be Wise to Join Temple Football

As recruiting surprises go, many happen in the final days of wrapping up classes before National Signing Day.

The surprise for Temple this season could be the addition of rangy Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Adonis Jennings, who could finally fill the void the Owls have been feeling since a magnificent talent in Robbie Anderson flunked out of school exactly one year ago.

Anderson became a mid-year starter in the 2013 season and played five full games, catching nine touchdowns from then freshman quarterback P.J. Walker. Anderson may have been the best wide receiver at Temple since former Denver Broncos‘ star Steve Watson, and he appeared to be on the fast-track to an NFL career. Knowing they would be without him, Temple went out and signed five high school guys with similar size and speed but none of them were able to get on the field in the 2014 season.

None of those guys have Jennings’ skill set, though. Jennings has announced his intention to transfer and both Temple and Rutgers seem to be the leading candidates for his services. Jennings, a four-star recruit, would have no trouble getting on the field for the Owls in the 2015 season if the NCAA grants him a hardship waiver. With Pitt getting a new coaching staff and Jennings wanting to return home, that remains a distinct possibility. Jennings found the field as a true freshman for Pitt in a Power 5 conference, the ACC, and could be just what the doctor ordered for the talented Walker, whose team will host both Notre Dame and Penn State in the fall in addition to making a run for the AAC title.

Without Anderson, Walker had difficulty finding a comfort zone and suffered a sophomore slump after tossing 20 touchdowns with only eight interceptions as a freshman. If Walker can capture the same synergy with Jennings that he had with Anderson, that would be the kind of  connection that might make Anderson finally a distant memory for Owls fans.

Mike Gibson is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @papreps , “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.