Schiavone Picks Temple

Temple picked up its second verbal commitment of the 2009 recruiting season on Tuesday night when 6-6, 225-pound tight end Anthony Schiavone of New London (Conn.) High School made his pledge to the Owls.

Schiavone bypassed a scholarship offer from MAC rival Buffalo and early interest from a number of BCS schools in choosing Coach Al Golden’s squad. He follows Jerry Watters on Temple’s commitment list.

Schiavone was an All-State pick as a junior in 2007. He caught seven touchdown passes for an 11-1 squad that finished as the Connecticut state runner-up. Schiavone received an offer from the Owls after attending “Junior Day” on North Broad Street almost three weeks ago.

According to New London head coach Jack Cochran, the Temple coaches are projecting Schiavone to play the H-back position. The Owls did not utilize a true H-back during George DeLeone’s tenure as offensive coordinator, though they did use multiple tight end sets. Spring practice offered little in terms of figuring out what kind of changes new offensive coordinator Matt Rhule will bring to the table. Apparently, the H-back is one of them.

It’s been reported that Schiavone runs the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds. That’s plenty fast for an H-back or a true tight end. Standing 6-6, Schiavone could grow into a real beast, regardless of what position he plays.