Karamo Dioubate to Temple: Owls Land 4-Star DT Prospect

After a lengthy recruiting process, defensive tackle Karamo Dioubate made his collegiate decision on Wednesday by committing to Temple. Rick O'Brien of the Philadelphia Inquirer provided a picture of Dioubate's announcement: 

According to 247Sports, the Philadelphia native is a 4-star prospect and the No. 18 defensive tackle in the 2016 class, and he had no shortage of options when it came to choosing his landing spot.

Although he initially committed to the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Preparatory Charter School standout reopened his recruitment in early January, per Ryan Snyder of Rivals.com.

While the Nittany Lions remained in the mix, O'Brien reported that three strong candidates had emerged:

The top-flight talent decided to go outside the box, however, in favor of staying close to home.

Dioubate is a rare athlete at 6'3" and 279 pounds, which is why it came as no surprise when several high-profile schools attempted to pounce on the opportunity that his decommitment presented.

Prep Charter head coach David Hand explained the interest by pointing toward Dioubate's greatest strength, per O'Brien. "No one has a first step like him," Hand said. "He really explodes off the ball. It's freakish for a guy his size to have that speed."

Dioubate's skill set is special, which is why he figures to have a chance to earn significant playing time as a freshman.

There is no question the talented lineman has the size to go up against older players, and his quickness promises to be a great equalizer when he matches up against bigger guards.

Even if Temple decides to deploy him sparingly or redshirt him in his debut season, Dioubate will likely be a difference-making player in the near future.

He has proved to be capable of rushing the passer and stuffing the run, and if he can bring that do-everything attitude to the collegiate ranks, he'll be a star in short order.

Temple won 10 games in 2015 and ranked 18th in the nation in points allowed, which is a standing that could improve even more with Dioubate in the fold.

The Owls scored a major victory by stealing Dioubate away from several major programs, and doing so could be the first step toward proving that they can truly compete with the big boys in college football.

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