FSU heading into the summer with 8 commitments. They now stand at 20commitments. That number is down one after Xavier Payne decided to decommit over the past few days. FSU has filled the QB spot for the 2026 class. They need at least 1-RB (Check), 2-3 WR (Check), 1 TE (Check) , 3-4 OL, 2 DE, 2 DT, 2-3 LB, 2 S and 2 CB. They probably will sign a class between 22-25 players this year. Once again expect them to bring in over 10 transfer portal players. FSU class they are now ranked 15th overall in the Rivals.com team rankings. In the composite rankings they have the 10th rated class. Their 3.24 average is 22nd overall in the national rankings. When you look at average rankings teams like Missouri (3.75), South Carolina (3.75), Ole Miss (3.67), Auburn (3.7), Colorado (3.5), Washington (3.4), Penn State (3.35), Nebraska (3.33), OU (3.33) and Illinois (3.27) are all teams FSU should be able to compete with. If FSU could average like South Carolina and Missouri at 3.75 star ranking per player and land 20-23 players their class would be in the top ten. It can happen at FSU and you don't need a monster payroll.
So let’s take a look at FSU prospects and where we have them ranked from top to bottom.
1) Jasen Lopez (Chaminade-Madonna) 5'10-170: AKA JROC. FSU just landed the top slot receiver in Florida. He is super competitive. You go to a game, a practice a 7 on 7 event and this kid will try and dominate. He is also a great character prospect. This is a big time get. Miami wanted him and this is the first real big time battle between the two rivals where FSU won head to head. Lopez has great hands, runs very good routes. He reminds me of Rashaad Greene in that you are looking at a player who could play Day 1.
2) Devin Carter (Douglas County HS) WR 6'1-175: Devin reminds me of Kenny Shaw but with a little more speed. He can stretch the field. He has very good hands. You will see him snatch the ball out of the air. He does very well after the catch. This is a big time get for FSU. They have not done well landing legacy recruits. The ones they have landed usually don't work out. Keeping Devin in the fold would be huge.
3) Tico Crittendon (Lithonia HS) DT 6'4-300: Tico is severely underrated by the networks. He is big and physical. Like the way he comes off the ball. He is quick for a big man. Butch Davis when recruiting DL he wanted to see if they were first off the ball. Tico is usually that guy. He has violent hands. He moves well laterally. He plays with an aggressive attitude on defense. One of my favorite gets for this class.
4) S Tedarius Hughes (Miami Northwestern) 6'2-170: Watched Hughes earlier this spring at Northwestern. He plays with bad intentions. He has the size and range you want in a back 7 player. He can fly around the field. He is very aggressive on defense. He will try and lay a guy out. He does not mind playing the run. Hughes was a big time get and someone that FSU will need to hold onto.
5) TE Xavier Tiller (Langston Hughes HS-Fairburn, GA) 6'4-215: Tiller is the new breed of tight end. He is a big receiver who can line up in the tight end spot. He can stretch the field. Tiller has very good speed and quickness. Like his hands. He will go up and snatch the ball out of the air. He does very good job of positioning himself between the defender and the ball. He is a good athlete.
6) WR Brandon Bennett (American Heritage Plantation) 6'0-170: If you can describe Bennett with one word: FAST. He can flat out run. He will make an immediate impact on special teams. He should give FSU a deep threat on the outside. He can run by defenders. He is not a finished product but Bennett has the type of game that can flip the scoreboard quickly.
7) S Darryl Bell (Barbara Goleman) 6'0-190: Bell is Terrance Brooks. He is not going to blow you away with his measurable. What he will do is just make plays. He is a sound football player. Bell is going to be around the football. He is not afraid to come up and make a tackle. He also has played on both sides of the football in his career. He is versatile enough to play all over the defensive side of the football.
8) WR Darryon Williams (Tampa Plant) 5'11 165: Williams was a big get for FSU. He comes from Tampa and FSU needs to make some inroads in SW Florida. He is a kid that gets the ball and creates big plays. He is smooth running in space.
9) QB Jaden O'Neal (Mustang HS-Oklahoma) 6'3-215: FSU needed a QB and landed one. If you recruit a QB and build the offense around his strengths, then I have no problem with this take. You better put a great run game around Jaden, give him some receivers and have some play action passes in your play book. He is not a run first quarterback. I feel he is a poor man’s version of Jacoby Brisett.
10) RB Amari Thomas (Blountstown) 5'11-190: Thomas is a one cut and go back. He should fit right into Gus/Mike Norvell offense. He is someone that just needs a little daylight and Thomas is off to the races. He is one of my favorite backs in this year’s class. He will lightning to Kroham thunder.
11) LB Karon Maycock (Miami Central) 6'1-200: Maycock has played some secondary in high school. In this day and age of where linebackers need to be able to cover, Maycock is the ideal player. He has the size and range to play in space. He is someone that will come up and get physical in the run game. We like his versatility and feel Maycock is going to be a very good player at the next level.
12) DE James Carrington (Cean Lutheran) 6'2-260: Carrington is a sawed off kid. He is not real long. He is someone that can play outside but it would not shock us to see him kick inside on certain downs. He has some ability to break through and make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He has decent burst but you would like for him to be more explosive.
13) CB Jay Timmons (Pine Richland) 5'11-190: Timmons father Lawrence played for Bobby Bowden and FSU. Timmons has good ball skills. He can shut down his side of the field. He is a sound football player. You have to like the pedigree. Timmons could end up a slot corner in college.
14) OL Michael Ionata (Calvary Christian) 6'6 300: I really like Ionata. He gives FSU a bigger bodied lineman. He can play tackle or guard at the next level. In pass pro, Michael can more than hold his own. He has decent footwork. He can come off the ball and get into a defenders body. He finishes on plays. He is well coached for a lineman.
15) LB Noah LaValle (Walton HS) 6'2-220: Instincts. He flows to where the ball is going before the snap. He is able to diagnose plays very well. He has the ability to play the run. He will shoot the gaps and get into the backfield. He is also athletic enough to play in space.
16) OL Jakobe Green (Gadsden County HS) 6'3-330: Green is a big, physical lineman. You will see him come off the ball and try and knock a defender to the ground. is strength is run blocking. He is physic al at the pine of attack. You will see him use his hands well. He is strong kid.
17)WR Efrem White (Vero Beach) 6'1-155: White is a prospect that is going to have to find a position in college. I feel he is better off playing corner at the next level. As a receiver he does not have the explosiveness to play on that side of the football. He is a good enough athlete that if he learns to play corner could end up a productive player at the next level.
18) S-Sean Johnson (Archbishop Spalding) 6'1-175: FSU has done a good job of identifying defensive backs. It is the one area of the team that seems to recruit at a high level. Johnson gives you some size and length in the secondary. We project him as a safety at the next level.
19) DT Wihtlley Cadeau (Booker T Washington-Atlanta, GA) 6'5-290: Here is a prospect I feel could get moved to OT in college. He is not a bad athlete. You turn on the film and he can move for a big guy. He just lacks that great initial burst off the ball to play on defense. I have no issues with taking some beef up front. He is raw but I am of the belief you can never take enough lineman each year.
20) OT Luke Francis (Coral Gables HS) 6'5-330: Just came from England. He is someone that the coaches saw at camp and offered.
So let’s take a look at FSU prospects and where we have them ranked from top to bottom.
1) Jasen Lopez (Chaminade-Madonna) 5'10-170: AKA JROC. FSU just landed the top slot receiver in Florida. He is super competitive. You go to a game, a practice a 7 on 7 event and this kid will try and dominate. He is also a great character prospect. This is a big time get. Miami wanted him and this is the first real big time battle between the two rivals where FSU won head to head. Lopez has great hands, runs very good routes. He reminds me of Rashaad Greene in that you are looking at a player who could play Day 1.
2) Devin Carter (Douglas County HS) WR 6'1-175: Devin reminds me of Kenny Shaw but with a little more speed. He can stretch the field. He has very good hands. You will see him snatch the ball out of the air. He does very well after the catch. This is a big time get for FSU. They have not done well landing legacy recruits. The ones they have landed usually don't work out. Keeping Devin in the fold would be huge.
3) Tico Crittendon (Lithonia HS) DT 6'4-300: Tico is severely underrated by the networks. He is big and physical. Like the way he comes off the ball. He is quick for a big man. Butch Davis when recruiting DL he wanted to see if they were first off the ball. Tico is usually that guy. He has violent hands. He moves well laterally. He plays with an aggressive attitude on defense. One of my favorite gets for this class.
4) S Tedarius Hughes (Miami Northwestern) 6'2-170: Watched Hughes earlier this spring at Northwestern. He plays with bad intentions. He has the size and range you want in a back 7 player. He can fly around the field. He is very aggressive on defense. He will try and lay a guy out. He does not mind playing the run. Hughes was a big time get and someone that FSU will need to hold onto.
5) TE Xavier Tiller (Langston Hughes HS-Fairburn, GA) 6'4-215: Tiller is the new breed of tight end. He is a big receiver who can line up in the tight end spot. He can stretch the field. Tiller has very good speed and quickness. Like his hands. He will go up and snatch the ball out of the air. He does very good job of positioning himself between the defender and the ball. He is a good athlete.
6) WR Brandon Bennett (American Heritage Plantation) 6'0-170: If you can describe Bennett with one word: FAST. He can flat out run. He will make an immediate impact on special teams. He should give FSU a deep threat on the outside. He can run by defenders. He is not a finished product but Bennett has the type of game that can flip the scoreboard quickly.
7) S Darryl Bell (Barbara Goleman) 6'0-190: Bell is Terrance Brooks. He is not going to blow you away with his measurable. What he will do is just make plays. He is a sound football player. Bell is going to be around the football. He is not afraid to come up and make a tackle. He also has played on both sides of the football in his career. He is versatile enough to play all over the defensive side of the football.
8) WR Darryon Williams (Tampa Plant) 5'11 165: Williams was a big get for FSU. He comes from Tampa and FSU needs to make some inroads in SW Florida. He is a kid that gets the ball and creates big plays. He is smooth running in space.
9) QB Jaden O'Neal (Mustang HS-Oklahoma) 6'3-215: FSU needed a QB and landed one. If you recruit a QB and build the offense around his strengths, then I have no problem with this take. You better put a great run game around Jaden, give him some receivers and have some play action passes in your play book. He is not a run first quarterback. I feel he is a poor man’s version of Jacoby Brisett.
10) RB Amari Thomas (Blountstown) 5'11-190: Thomas is a one cut and go back. He should fit right into Gus/Mike Norvell offense. He is someone that just needs a little daylight and Thomas is off to the races. He is one of my favorite backs in this year’s class. He will lightning to Kroham thunder.
11) LB Karon Maycock (Miami Central) 6'1-200: Maycock has played some secondary in high school. In this day and age of where linebackers need to be able to cover, Maycock is the ideal player. He has the size and range to play in space. He is someone that will come up and get physical in the run game. We like his versatility and feel Maycock is going to be a very good player at the next level.
12) DE James Carrington (Cean Lutheran) 6'2-260: Carrington is a sawed off kid. He is not real long. He is someone that can play outside but it would not shock us to see him kick inside on certain downs. He has some ability to break through and make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He has decent burst but you would like for him to be more explosive.
13) CB Jay Timmons (Pine Richland) 5'11-190: Timmons father Lawrence played for Bobby Bowden and FSU. Timmons has good ball skills. He can shut down his side of the field. He is a sound football player. You have to like the pedigree. Timmons could end up a slot corner in college.
14) OL Michael Ionata (Calvary Christian) 6'6 300: I really like Ionata. He gives FSU a bigger bodied lineman. He can play tackle or guard at the next level. In pass pro, Michael can more than hold his own. He has decent footwork. He can come off the ball and get into a defenders body. He finishes on plays. He is well coached for a lineman.
15) LB Noah LaValle (Walton HS) 6'2-220: Instincts. He flows to where the ball is going before the snap. He is able to diagnose plays very well. He has the ability to play the run. He will shoot the gaps and get into the backfield. He is also athletic enough to play in space.
16) OL Jakobe Green (Gadsden County HS) 6'3-330: Green is a big, physical lineman. You will see him come off the ball and try and knock a defender to the ground. is strength is run blocking. He is physic al at the pine of attack. You will see him use his hands well. He is strong kid.
17)WR Efrem White (Vero Beach) 6'1-155: White is a prospect that is going to have to find a position in college. I feel he is better off playing corner at the next level. As a receiver he does not have the explosiveness to play on that side of the football. He is a good enough athlete that if he learns to play corner could end up a productive player at the next level.
18) S-Sean Johnson (Archbishop Spalding) 6'1-175: FSU has done a good job of identifying defensive backs. It is the one area of the team that seems to recruit at a high level. Johnson gives you some size and length in the secondary. We project him as a safety at the next level.
19) DT Wihtlley Cadeau (Booker T Washington-Atlanta, GA) 6'5-290: Here is a prospect I feel could get moved to OT in college. He is not a bad athlete. You turn on the film and he can move for a big guy. He just lacks that great initial burst off the ball to play on defense. I have no issues with taking some beef up front. He is raw but I am of the belief you can never take enough lineman each year.
20) OT Luke Francis (Coral Gables HS) 6'5-330: Just came from England. He is someone that the coaches saw at camp and offered.
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