WKU Recruiting: Hilltoppers Land Florida Linebacker
WKU has gotten it’s seventh commitment for it’s 2018 recruiting class and the repercussions go even further than the player.
WKU has gotten it’s seventh commitment for it’s 2018 recruiting class and the repercussions go even further than the player.
Michael McCammon of WKUInsider reports the commitment of Malik Occiur, a linebacker from Orland Park Northeast in Florida.
Scout puts Occiur, a 6'1", 190 pound recruit, as a two-star recruit. He picked the Tops over FAU (who he was a one-time commit to), App State, Idaho, Kentucky and Samford, along with others.
Occiur told McCammon about his commitment, including where he wants to fit in on the field, and McCammon details more about where the Tops stand in the Florida ‘crootin ranks.
Occiur anticipates making an early impact once he arrives on The Hill for the 2018 season.
“It’s either (linebacker) or strong safety,” he said. “I plan on making a big impact actually.”
He becomes the third prospect from the Sunshine State to join the WKU 2018 class, joining offensive lineman Troy Ingle and athlete Maurquel Dillard.
— From Michael McCammon’s WKUInsider article
The commitment of Occiur is a big one, not necessarily in terms of bolstering the Tops’ defense (which isn’t to say it wont happen — we’ve certainly seen our share of two-star recruits come to the Hill and light the world on fire), but in keeping the Florida pipeline that Willie Taggart helped build so strongly.
Especially in this age of FBS-level football in the Sunshine State — with the addition of in-conference coaches such as Butch Davis and Lane Kiffin — Florida will become even more of a battleground recruiting state than it has in the past, and if WKU can keep any sort of footprint in the state and region, they’ll be in good hands.
What do you think about the commitment of Occiur? Where would you like to see him on the field come 2018? Do you think the Tops can continue to find great talent from the Sunshine State? Let us know in a comment below, via twitter at @TheTowelRackWKU or on our Facebook page.