Cory Crawford committed to Temple in late November. Better yet, the 5-foot-11 Palmetto athlete pledged to head coach Steve Addazio and his coaching staff, so when Addazio left to take the job at Boston College just weeks later, it sent Crawford back to square one.

"That really wasn't a solid commitment because he committed to Coach Adazzio," Palmetto head football coach Dave Marino said. "When Coach Adazzio got the (Boston College) job, he basically had to go through the whole process again."

It didn't take long for the Owls to find a replacement in Matt Rhule, and it also helped there was some familiarity between Crawford's soon-to-be head coach, and the one he's grown to trust and love at Palmetto. Marino and Rhule are connected through the coaching ranks.

"The new head coach (Rhule) was my old coaches' assistant line coach with the Giants," Marino said. "It was sort of like I could give Corey some insight into his background, the type of guy he is and the type of coach he'll be."

Crawford was a star on the field for the Tigers this season, making play after play, and helping lead his team to a 9-4 record. He was heavily sought after by schools like Cincinnati, UCF and Marshall. The coaching familiarity helped Crawford feel at ease with his choice, and prompted him to take an official visit to Philadelphia. 

"He took a trip up there to meet the new coaching staff and after he met them, he felt more comfortable with his commitment," Marino said. "You know as well as I do, you're not just committing to the colors, the mascot and the school, but you're committing to the staff as well."

Looks like his family will extend past the Temple football team, and he can thank Marino for that.

"I still have a lot of friends and family in that area in Philadelphia," Marino said. "That was another selling point for Corey, knowing he would have some security there of people he knows."

Will Burston join Harris at UMass?

Wide receiver Shaq Harris is a UMass commit, and it looks like he's trying to lure his teammate to join him in Amherst. 

Harris and E.J. Burston visited campus for an official visit on Friday, and Burston will be making his decision between the Minutemen and FIU.

"I think he likes the opportunity of being with Shaq and the facilities and everything UMass has to offer, but I think he also likes the fact of being closer to home at FIU," Marino said. "In terms of the scheme, if UMass was 60 or 180 miles away, it would be a done deal. He likes the close proximity of FIU but he likes everything else that UMass has to offer."

Other Palmetto recruiting notes:

  • ATH Spencer Adkins has been offered, and has accepted, a preferred walk-on spot at UCLA.
  • OT Joe Bundridge will sign with Coffeyville JC in Kansas.

Ryan Bass is a reporter for Bright House Sports Network. Find him on twitter, @Ry_Bass.