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Wood's Russo commits to play at Temple

Archbishop Wood senior Anthony Russo, a strong-armed quarterback who drew serious recruiting interest from Louisiana State, announced his commitment to play at Temple on Saturday.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder made his decision to play on North Broad Street a day after receiving a visit at school from LSU head coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.

"I want to stay close to home and represent my city, and I'm going to recruit the best talent in Philly to do the same," Russo said. "I have a strong relationship with the Temple coaches. They're great guys."

Temple named Glenn Thomas, who was the quarterbacks coach last year, as its new offensive coordinator last week. Before joining the Owls last year, the 1998 Texas Tech graduate spent the previous seven seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, including the final three as the quarterbacks coach.

"He's a guy that coached Matt Ryan and knows how to mold a professional quarterback," Russo said.

A three-star prospect, according to Scout.com, Russo first committed to Rutgers in May. After the Scarlet Knights fired Kyle Flood and hired Chris Ash as their new boss, Wood reopened his recruitment last week.

Temple was one of the first schools to offer Russo a scholarship. Owls boss Matt Rhule was at the family's Doylestown home on Thursday.

"I think Anthony has always liked Temple," Archbishop Wood coach Steve Devlin said. "And they have a plan for him. They see him as a big part of their future."

P.J. Walker, who threw for 2,973 yards and 19 touchdowns while leading the Owls to a 10-4 record and the Boca Raton Bowl last season, has one year of eligibility remaining.

"I'm not sure if I'll redshirt or not next season," Russo said. "I'm sure that's something that will be evaluated by Coach Rhule and his staff over the summer."

Russo's stock rose considerably after he advanced to the Elite 11 finals at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., last summer.

Last season, he completed 134 of 200 passes for 2,452 yards and 35 touchdowns while directing the Vikings to an 11-1 record and their eighth straight Catholic League Class AAA championship.

"He's got a huge upside," Devlin said. "What he does on the field is infectious. His leadership, his desire to be great. When he walks into the huddle, he commands it."

As a junior, Russo connected on 86 of 159 passes for 1,551 yards and 22 scores as Wood went 14-1 and earned its second consecutive Class AAA state crown and third in four years.

LSU did not offer Russo a scholarship on Friday, according to Devlin. Miles wanted the quarterback to first make an official visit to Baton Rouge.

robrien@phillynews.com

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