Florida Atlantic football head coach Tom Herman and his staff didn't need to steer far from Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike to ink Wednesday's signing class.

Fourteen of the Owls' 15 high school signees hail from the Sunshine State, the lone exception Keon Rohe, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound offensive line prospect from Germany.

"If they're from the United States, they're from the state of Florida," Herman said of his freshmen signees. "There always will be [an emphasis on homegrown players]. There are so many talented high school football players that are really well coached within 100 miles of our campus.

"That's a real plus for our program, because we're not just going to be able to go buy all these transfers."

FAU also welcomed two signees from the junior college ranks.

Notable state signees included Palm Beach Gardens defensive back Mike Wright III, Chaminade-Madonna safety Curtis Janvier and North Florida Christian athlete Leon Washington Jr., the son of former NFL All-Pro and Florida State running back Leon Washington.

The Owls are in their second offseason under Herman. The former Houston and Texas Longhorns head coach posted a 4-8 record this fall in his first regular season.

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Who are potential instant impact players in FAU's recruiting class?

Herman said he currently expects seven members of the signing class to be on campus for spring football, an important step in acclimating the young players to college football as quickly as possible.

Outside of the quarterback and offensive line positions, Herman said his coaching staff targets high school prospects with the expectation they can contribute quickly and won't need to redshirt.

"In this portal-era age, it's harder and harder for true freshmen to play," Herman said. "... We do need more freshmen to step up and contribute. At the end of the day, we don't recruit guys to be backups."

"This was the class that we really got to dive in and build relationships with. With the way college football is trending, you really build your culture and foundation with your freshmen. ... It was imperative for us to dive in and learn about the makeup and DNA of this freshmen class."

What does FAU football still need to improve?

Herman expects a "second wave" of recruits from the transfer portal in January and February as the Owls target experienced options to supplement the secondary and running back room.

The Owls' backfield is particularly in need of reinforcements. Last season's leading rushers were senior Larry McCammon III (710 yards, five touchdowns) and graduate student Kobe Lewis (451 yards, three touchdowns) with quarterbacks Michael Johnson Jr. and Daniel Richardson the next-most productive.

Redshirt junior Zuberi Mobley (65 rushing yards) is the most productive returner in an inexperienced running back room of mostly underclassmen.

Does Tom Herman have his quarterback for 2024?

The Owls notably did not sign a quarterback prospect Wednesday though Herman wasn't shy to admit the Owls will be watching the transfer market for signal callers.

FAU entered last season with a transfer at starting quarterback as Casey Thompson, who played under Herman at Texas before transferring to Nebraska in 2021, reunited with Herman in Boca Raton.

Thompson tore his ACL in a September loss at Clemson. The Owls started Daniel Richardson, of Miami Carol City, for much of the rest of the season.

"I certainly think we could have that [starting] guy on campus right now but I think in the best interest and health of our roster we need to go get a guy with some experience to compete," Herman said.

View all of FAU football's December signings below:

FAU football's December signings

• Kyle Boylston, S, Trinity Christian

• Braden Cunningham, OL, Fleming Island

• Cameron Goggins, DB, Georgia Military College

• Mauricio Hinds, OT, Clearwater International Academy

• Curtis Janvier, S, Chaminade-Madonna

• Jarvis Johnson, LB, Westminster Christian

• Lawrence Johnson, DB, Palmetto

• Char'quez Lee, LB, Palmetto

• Gavench Marcelin, Edge, Belen Jesuit

• Jaheim Miller, DB, Norland

• Ethan Proffitt, OL, Bishop Kenny

• Keon Rohe, OL, Germany

• Kaden Shields-Dutton, RB, Edgewater

• Leon Washington Jr., ATH, North Florida Christian

• Loren Ward, DL, Cocoa

• Mike Wright III, DB, Palm Beach Gardens

• Joseph Young, WR, Coffeyville C.C.

Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tom Herman stocks up on Florida high school prospects at FAU football