The commitment last week of junior college receiver Jacob McCrary spared Marshall from a recruiting upset.
Should he follow through with his commitment on Feb. 3, McCrary could be the only signee from the Thundering Herd's south Florida wheelhouse.
McCrary, who played the last two years at Northwest Mississippi Community College, signed with West Virginia in 2014. He is listed as 6-foot, 170 pounds, slot receiver size.
The Herd needs a JUCO receiver, maybe another, who can contribute immediately. This combination is made to order - a Miami native groomed at a Mississippi junior college.
McCrary is one of six Floridians among the reported commitments, but he is the first from the three-county corridor of Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade. The rest hail from elsewhere in the Sunshine State.
Linebacker Omari Cobb hails from just up the coast in Port St. Lucie. Two are from Jacksonville (tight end Anthony Watley and cornerback Jaylon Sapp), and two inland from the Tampa Bay region (guard Sean Behrens, running back Tyler King).
The south Florida pipeline has developed a clog. As you may recall, that area produced 18 members of the 2014 Herd, the program's best in more than a decade. When the Herd traveled to new conference rivals Florida Atlantic and Florida International, coach Doc Holliday set aside a time Friday evening for players to reunite with friends and family.
From that 2014 team, Sandley Jean-Felix is the only starter still around. Defensive back Michael Johnson and linebacker Aaron Plantt are still around, but Johnson has had trouble breaking into the two-deep and Plantt is a scout-teamer.
Corey Tindal was another starter, but he earned his degree and bolted for the pros. I say "pros" instead of the NFL, because I think he has as much chance of playing in "The League" as I do.
Tindal has signed with an agent, sealing his decision.
Seven fulfilled their eligibility with the 52-23 pasting of Northern Illinois in the Boca Raton Bowl. Receiver Demetrius Evans was not with the team for that game for undisclosed reasons.
Receiver Angelo-Jean Louis "parted ways" before the 2015 season started, and safety A.J. Leggett was gone before October. Jean-Louis transferred to Shepherd, where he caught 17 passes for 246 yards and six touchdowns. He even blocked three kicks.
(Alas, Jean-Louis played just one game during the Rams' Division II playoff run, registering no stats.)
Promising linebacker Kent Turene didn't stand a chance with all his injuries. That ballyhooed Virginia Tech transfer, cornerback Donaldven Manning, disappeared. Third-string quarterback Gunnar Holcombe, who earned his degree, has left in search of playing time.
Five players from the three-county area came on board last year, but one is already out - cornerback Antonio "Speedy" Howard, who could have played if not for injury. Howard withdrew from school, MU officials recently confirmed.
Receiver Simino Walden, Howard's brother, is expected to participate in spring drills as a "grayshirt."
So will anybody join them from the three-county area when recruits sign on Feb. 3? Pending late developments, maybe just McCrary.
Is that a worrisome development for MU recruiting, or just something that runs in cycles?
nnn
The upcoming signees are starting their college career. Those who have ended it are trying to make a buck in the game, and this is proving time.
You probably know that running back Devon Johnson, whose senior season was interrupted by injury, is participating this week in the East-West Shrine Game and has been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, Feb. 23-29.
There are several other games such as the most prestigious one, the Senior Bowl. But there are a growing number of events, combines, etc.
Ex-Herd linebackers Evan McKelvey and D.J. Hunter participated last week in the College Gridiron Showcase in Bedford, Texas. Also listed on the rosters were punter Tyler Williams and wide receiver Deandre Reaves.
Keith Baxter has been at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for NFL combine training. Not sure about his prospects, but you can stock a good all-star team with the academy's past trainees.
And the pro days have become an event. Being tested in familiar surroundings, some MU stars boosted their NFL stock considerably in recent years.
Pre-NFL events are a growing industry, but the theme hasn't changed: The minute your last college game ends, football stops being a game and becomes a profession.
nnn
A few words, too few, about the Marshall men's basketball team's jaw-dropping 5-0 start to the Conference USA season. The degree of difficulty ratchets up in the next four games, but I'm sure you all had the Herd tied for first at this point.
And had the Herd two full games ahead of the fourth-place team.
Yeah, right.
Of all the crazy milestones this team has set, two stand out. One, the Herd has won two road games in a row for the first time in four years.
Yep. Between those streaks, the Herd was 5-47 in true road games. If you care, the wins came over Southern Methodist, Central Florida, Rice, Charlotte and Southern Mississippi. The UCF win was a bona fide upset, but three of the vanquished foes lost 19 or more games.
The other milestone of special notice is the 90 points scored in the last five games - a first since the great 1971-72 season. Ninety points in today's Division I game is 105, maybe 110, in coach Dan D'Antoni's playing days.
Consider this: If Marshall's 94.8 average of five games was a season average, it would lead the nation by FIVE points. Yes, The Citadel led after Saturday's play at 89.7, with Duke next at 89.6.
nnn
And finally, I will voice my friendly opposition to Sen. Mike Woelfel's bill to mandate a West Virginia-Marshall basketball game. Friendly, because Woelfel's heart is in the right place and the precedent has been (rightly) set in other states.
But I have voiced opposition to Marshall playing the game in the first place. I did so on Aug. 29, 2011, citing WVU's general treatment of Marshall off the field. I said MU should sever all athletic ties.
I stand by that.
And I stand by this: I expect WVU's nonconference opponents to be better than Marshall - all of them.
If Western Carolina indeed is coming to Charleston, Mountaineer fans in the Kanawha Valley should revolt. I've got your back, folks.