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(Unofficial) Preview of Lehigh Signing Day, 2014

The forecast in Eastern Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley tonight may call for snow and ice, but that's unlikely to keep a lot of happy families heading to high school libraries and gyms in this area.

That's because tomorrow is National Signing Day, the college football equivalent of Christmas.

Across the country, in some of those high school libraries and gyms, some of those students will be posing with a Lehigh hat next to them, or on their heads, to indicate that they've chosen Lehigh as the place they will be attending college.  (Like rising junior WR Derek Knott, above, a few years ago at his signing day.)

Anticipating an announcement tomorrow, we look back.  What do we know?  How are we doing?  Is the next LB Nigel Muhammad, RB Keith Sherman, FS Tyler Ward or WR Lee Kurfis in this class?

Everything we know thus far will be revealed below the flip.

It's been an unusual offseason for Lehigh.

Offensive coordinator Dave Cecchini left to become the head coach at Valparaiso, kicking off head coach Andy Coen's national search for the next great offensive wizard.

Taking his time with the selection, Coen finally announced that Drew Folmar, former head coach at Kutztown University, would be Cecchini's successor.

Coaching changes can affect Signing Day, if only due to the fact that there are fewer people making fewer trips to visit recruits in the critical two-month window.

Adding to the coaching change is the "brave new world" for recruiting for every school in the Patriot League - the presence of conventional football scholarships.

Since switching from only offering need-based aid in 2012, Lehigh now can offer athletic scholarships regardless of need, which has expanded the pool of potential athletes heading to South Mountain.

As long as they have the academic credentials, they have a chance to come to Lehigh.

It has made for an adjustment for six of the seven Patriot League football schools, now in their second recruiting seasons with the ability to offer these scholarships.

In December, I made a recruiting wish list for Santa.

In my annual recruiting wish list, I asked for:

1. One, or more, running backs of the future.
2. A "shutdown corner" - the next CB Bryan Andrews.
3. Two more great wide receivers.

With a giant assist to the guru of all things Lehigh recruiting, Rich Heelan, we have a list of unofficial recruits that will be officially a part of the Lehigh football family after tomorrow.

Keep coming back as I update my list with more profiles and more information!

Unofficial Commit List:

QB Mike Baur, 6'4, 207, Wyoming Valley West HS, PA
WR Gatlin Casey, 6'3, 185,  Navarre HS, FL (Twitter)
OL/DL Tyler Cavenas, 6'4, 266, Mahanoy Area HS, PA
LB Cal Coffman, 6'2, 220, Detroit Country Day HS, MI (On List of Commits)
DE/TE Justin Gille, 6'5, 245    St .John Vianney HS, NJ (Commit announcement)
DE Harrison Johnson, 6'4, 255, Frostproof HS, FL (Commit announcement)
DB Quentin Jones, 5'10, 175, Collins Hills HS, GA (Commit announcement)
WR Sasha Kelsey, 6'0, 170, Columbus HS, FL (Twitter) (Also kicked a FG in a high school game)
RB Chris Leigh, 6'0, 200, Lake Orion HS, MI
LB Hobson McCain, 6'2, 220,  Brookwood HS, GA (Commit announcement)
WR/DB Nico Munley, 5'10, 175,  Riverside HS, PA (Commit announcement)
OL Tim O'Hara, 6'5, 270, Red Bank Catholic HS, NJ (Commit announcement)
TE Drew Paulsen, 6'3, 233, Jesuit HS, FL (Commit announcement)
WR Troy Pelletier, 6'3, 185, Bridgton Academy/Manchester Central HS, NH (Twitter)
ATH Joe Siegenthaler, 6'0, 190,    New Albany HS, OH (Twitter)
QB Matt Timochenko, 6'3, 212, Wilson HS, PA

Transfer:

RB Brandon Yosha, 6'0, 190, Cathedral Prep, IN (U. of Miami)

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