FSU brought in a new defensive coordinator, a new defensive line coach and added a safeties coach this off-season. FSU will also be implementing a new defensive scheme. That should not stop them from recruiting the very best talent nationwide. FSU has gotten some traction early this off-season with the commitments of S Darryl Bell (Goleman) and DB Tedarius Hughes (South Dade). Bell is the highest rated prospect to ever come out of Goleman. We saw Hughes play last week and he has both the size and length you covet for defensive backs. Both are good players to add to a defense that is going to roll out a lot of 5 defensive back packages over the next couple of years. We will break down prospects FSU has offered and are close to the top of the list right now.
1) DE Jake Kreul - IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) 6'3-230: Jake is not the biggest defensive end on the board. What he brings is an intensity on every play. He comes hard and will not stop until the whistle is blown. You look at players like Jared Verse and Braden FIske and they both had that same quality. Landing Kreul would be huge for FSU. He is being recruited by all the top programs. He has been on campus and FSU has a solid shot at pulling him.
2) CB Chauncey Kennon - Sarasota Booker HS (Sarasota, FL) 6'2-170: The last time FSU dipped their toe in the recruiting pool in Sarasota they landed Charles Lester. Kennon has been on campus. FSU has been a leader of his for a while now. Can they close the door with the top shut down corner in Florida? If they can this defensive back will be another good one for FSU. He has the size and speed that college coaches covet in corners.
3) S Jett Washington - Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) 6'5 200: Washington has an FSU offer. He is one of the premier safeties in the country. You watch his film and he is a pure difference maker on the defensive side of the football. He has size, range, length ability to close on receivers in space. The last safety prospect like this was Derwin James. FSU needs to get him on campus this spring. He is going to take a visit to Miami who has ties to Gorman. He has the ability to play corner or safety in college.
4) DT Kendall Guervil - Fort Myers HS (Fort Myers, FL) 6'4-270: Fort Myers HC Sammy Siriani has been coaching at Fort Myers HS for a very long time. He told me about Kendall as a freshman and said Fish this is a kid to keep an eye out on. He was not lying as Kendall is one of the top defensive tackles in the nation. Kendall needs to be a priority as last year FSU struck out on most of their top targets at DT. He is a big kid. He plays with power. He is stout against the run. He is a prospect that continues to get better each year.
5) CB Zach Fort - IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) 5'10 -170: Fort is a shutdown corner. You can put him on one side of the defense and let him shut down the opposition’s top receiver. He has very good ball skills. He can open up and run with smaller/quicker receivers. He is very fluid for a defensive back. He has been a priority for a while now. He is a prospect that FSU will try and get an early commitment from.
6) DE Trenton Henderson-Pensacola Catholic (Pensacola, FL) 6'4 225: Henderson is the ideal defensive end for the 3-3-5 defense. He has size and length. He can help set the edge. You will see him play as hybrid DE/OLB. He is a very good pass rusher. You have to like how quick he is off the ball. He has the length to really give tackles problems. He is one of the more complete defensive ends in the state of Florida. FSU needed to focus more in the Panhandle and prospects like this are the reason why.
7) LB Jordan Campbell-Miami Carol City (Miami, FL) 6'2 200: Campbell has been on the radar since his freshman season at American HS. I felt he was the best prospect to come out of American since Oliver Vernon. He is exactly what you want in a linebacker these days. He does not need to come off the field. He has very good athleticism. He can cover the flats. You can put him on a receiver or running back and Campbell won't be a liability. He has not even come close to reaching his potential. He is committed to Miami but is still taking visits.
8) LB Noah LaVelle-Walton HS (Marietta, GA) 6'2-200: FSU just landed the transfer of his brother Caleb. FSU has offered Noah. He is a linebacker they will focus on. He may be better than his brother and considering Caleb is pretty good that is impressive. He has size, range and LaVelle will come up and hit you. He can play the run. The question is with his ability to play in coverage?
9) DE Jarius Rodgers -Fleming Island (Fleming Island, FL) 6'5-200: Rogers is built like Gregory Rousseau coming out of high school. Rousseau was actually a wide receiver early on before converting to a defensive end. Like with Rousseau, Rodgers is on the thin side right now. His 6'5, 200 pound frame has a ton of room to grow. He is a kid with a ton of upside. He also has been on campus. Rodgers has camped at FSU and has since been back for a junior day. FSU has a legit shot at pulling him in.
10) DT Tahj Overton -Owasso HS (Owasso, OK) 6'3 275: Pot Roast has offered defensive lineman from all over the country. He seems to have ties to this area of the country as offers have gone out to defensive lineman in Missouri and Oklahoma. I feel as Pot Roast will pull a kid not many would have expected the last few years. Overton is the perfect fit to play inside for FSU. He is a kid that is going to push 320 pounds in college. He is on the board for now.
11) DB Cortez Redding - Jonesboro HS (Jonesboro, GA) 6'0-175: FSU has recruited well under this staff in Georgia. I don't see that changing this year. Redding is another defensive back that fits what FSU seems to be looking for. He has size and length in the secondary. He is a kid that can run well.
12) LB Adam Balogoun Ali- Cardinal Newman (Palm Beach, FL) 6'2-220: Ali has been on FSU radar for over two years now. He is another very athletic linebacker. One that can play close to the line of scrimmage and help in run support. You can also play in space. You watch him make his drops and Ali does not get lost in coverage. He is a very good all-around backer. He also has had FSU as one of his leaders for a while. He is someone they need to lock up right away.
13) Jermaine Kinsler -Bergen Catholic (Oradell, NJ) 6'6-260: Some will say NJ, Why. Well Kinsler is from Ocala and his brother who FSU recruited went to Miami. He is the ideal fit for the defensive scheme FSU runs. He has size 6'6. He has length. He is effective against the run. He has the size to hold up against teams who like to run the ball. Your defensive lineman on the edge will need to be bigger because of their responsibilities in this scheme. He is an under the radar prospect that has not been talked about much.
Final Thoughts: I like the prospects FSU has gotten on early. Defense wins championships. Look at Ohio State, ND, Penn State and Texas. All the final four teams have ELITE defenses. You recruit well on that side of the football your fortunes can turn quickly. FSU has a shot at some quality players on this side of the ball. I like the way coach White and his staff have attacked the defensive side of the ball. There are a handful of elite guys. There are a ton of quality players with upside. The more you bring in the faster this turnaround will be on defense. There is no reason why FSU can't be very good on defense. Look at the options above and they have a legit shot at many of them.
1) DE Jake Kreul - IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) 6'3-230: Jake is not the biggest defensive end on the board. What he brings is an intensity on every play. He comes hard and will not stop until the whistle is blown. You look at players like Jared Verse and Braden FIske and they both had that same quality. Landing Kreul would be huge for FSU. He is being recruited by all the top programs. He has been on campus and FSU has a solid shot at pulling him.
2) CB Chauncey Kennon - Sarasota Booker HS (Sarasota, FL) 6'2-170: The last time FSU dipped their toe in the recruiting pool in Sarasota they landed Charles Lester. Kennon has been on campus. FSU has been a leader of his for a while now. Can they close the door with the top shut down corner in Florida? If they can this defensive back will be another good one for FSU. He has the size and speed that college coaches covet in corners.
3) S Jett Washington - Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) 6'5 200: Washington has an FSU offer. He is one of the premier safeties in the country. You watch his film and he is a pure difference maker on the defensive side of the football. He has size, range, length ability to close on receivers in space. The last safety prospect like this was Derwin James. FSU needs to get him on campus this spring. He is going to take a visit to Miami who has ties to Gorman. He has the ability to play corner or safety in college.
4) DT Kendall Guervil - Fort Myers HS (Fort Myers, FL) 6'4-270: Fort Myers HC Sammy Siriani has been coaching at Fort Myers HS for a very long time. He told me about Kendall as a freshman and said Fish this is a kid to keep an eye out on. He was not lying as Kendall is one of the top defensive tackles in the nation. Kendall needs to be a priority as last year FSU struck out on most of their top targets at DT. He is a big kid. He plays with power. He is stout against the run. He is a prospect that continues to get better each year.
5) CB Zach Fort - IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) 5'10 -170: Fort is a shutdown corner. You can put him on one side of the defense and let him shut down the opposition’s top receiver. He has very good ball skills. He can open up and run with smaller/quicker receivers. He is very fluid for a defensive back. He has been a priority for a while now. He is a prospect that FSU will try and get an early commitment from.
6) DE Trenton Henderson-Pensacola Catholic (Pensacola, FL) 6'4 225: Henderson is the ideal defensive end for the 3-3-5 defense. He has size and length. He can help set the edge. You will see him play as hybrid DE/OLB. He is a very good pass rusher. You have to like how quick he is off the ball. He has the length to really give tackles problems. He is one of the more complete defensive ends in the state of Florida. FSU needed to focus more in the Panhandle and prospects like this are the reason why.
7) LB Jordan Campbell-Miami Carol City (Miami, FL) 6'2 200: Campbell has been on the radar since his freshman season at American HS. I felt he was the best prospect to come out of American since Oliver Vernon. He is exactly what you want in a linebacker these days. He does not need to come off the field. He has very good athleticism. He can cover the flats. You can put him on a receiver or running back and Campbell won't be a liability. He has not even come close to reaching his potential. He is committed to Miami but is still taking visits.
8) LB Noah LaVelle-Walton HS (Marietta, GA) 6'2-200: FSU just landed the transfer of his brother Caleb. FSU has offered Noah. He is a linebacker they will focus on. He may be better than his brother and considering Caleb is pretty good that is impressive. He has size, range and LaVelle will come up and hit you. He can play the run. The question is with his ability to play in coverage?
9) DE Jarius Rodgers -Fleming Island (Fleming Island, FL) 6'5-200: Rogers is built like Gregory Rousseau coming out of high school. Rousseau was actually a wide receiver early on before converting to a defensive end. Like with Rousseau, Rodgers is on the thin side right now. His 6'5, 200 pound frame has a ton of room to grow. He is a kid with a ton of upside. He also has been on campus. Rodgers has camped at FSU and has since been back for a junior day. FSU has a legit shot at pulling him in.
10) DT Tahj Overton -Owasso HS (Owasso, OK) 6'3 275: Pot Roast has offered defensive lineman from all over the country. He seems to have ties to this area of the country as offers have gone out to defensive lineman in Missouri and Oklahoma. I feel as Pot Roast will pull a kid not many would have expected the last few years. Overton is the perfect fit to play inside for FSU. He is a kid that is going to push 320 pounds in college. He is on the board for now.
11) DB Cortez Redding - Jonesboro HS (Jonesboro, GA) 6'0-175: FSU has recruited well under this staff in Georgia. I don't see that changing this year. Redding is another defensive back that fits what FSU seems to be looking for. He has size and length in the secondary. He is a kid that can run well.
12) LB Adam Balogoun Ali- Cardinal Newman (Palm Beach, FL) 6'2-220: Ali has been on FSU radar for over two years now. He is another very athletic linebacker. One that can play close to the line of scrimmage and help in run support. You can also play in space. You watch him make his drops and Ali does not get lost in coverage. He is a very good all-around backer. He also has had FSU as one of his leaders for a while. He is someone they need to lock up right away.
13) Jermaine Kinsler -Bergen Catholic (Oradell, NJ) 6'6-260: Some will say NJ, Why. Well Kinsler is from Ocala and his brother who FSU recruited went to Miami. He is the ideal fit for the defensive scheme FSU runs. He has size 6'6. He has length. He is effective against the run. He has the size to hold up against teams who like to run the ball. Your defensive lineman on the edge will need to be bigger because of their responsibilities in this scheme. He is an under the radar prospect that has not been talked about much.
Final Thoughts: I like the prospects FSU has gotten on early. Defense wins championships. Look at Ohio State, ND, Penn State and Texas. All the final four teams have ELITE defenses. You recruit well on that side of the football your fortunes can turn quickly. FSU has a shot at some quality players on this side of the ball. I like the way coach White and his staff have attacked the defensive side of the ball. There are a handful of elite guys. There are a ton of quality players with upside. The more you bring in the faster this turnaround will be on defense. There is no reason why FSU can't be very good on defense. Look at the options above and they have a legit shot at many of them.
