FSU football: Noles are in battle with rivals to sign 5-star
FSU football has constructed a legendary recruiting class, which ranks No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite rankings. The coaching staff has done a tremendous job in locating highly touted prospects in the state of Florida.
Class of 2024 five-star defensive end Armondo Blount has been committed to Florida State since October 22. The Seminoles were able to lure Blount away from his verbal commitment with the arch-rival Miami Hurricanes.
As expected, the battle is not over yet as Miami has continued to get back into the recruitment for the South Florida native. Head football coach Mario Cristobal will not go away lightly as the Hurricanes look to rebound from their 2023 season.
Florida State was fortunate to have the talented defender reclassified from the 2025 recruiting cycle to 2024. The Seminoles already have three defensive linemen in their recruiting class with Blount, four-star defensive end DD Holmes, and three-star defensive tackle Jamorie Flagg. However, the football team will be losing a ton of defensive linemen such as Fabien Lovett Sr., Jared Verse (possibly NFL Draft), Braden Fiske, Dennis Briggs Jr., and even Patrick Payton (if he does decide to transfer).
Even with the three defensive linemen committed, that has not stopped the coaching staff from recruiting other options though as five-star defensive lineman LJ McCray is visiting campus today (Friday, December 8th), and three-star defensive tackle D’Nas White will be officially visiting for the entire weekend.
Florida State has had some bad luck in the past few recruiting cycles when it has involved defensive linemen as we approach the Early Signing Period with prospects such as Rueben Bain Jr., Keldric Faulk, etc. However, the Seminoles still have a chance to finish strong in the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Assistant coaches such as Odell Haggins and John Papuchis will have to continue to apply the pressure on Blount’s recruitment and ensure him that staying committed to Florida State is the best option.
Five-Star Gators DL Pledge Set to Visit Florida State, Auburn
Highly touted defensive line prospect LJ McCray, who aligned himself in Florida’s 2024 class in October, will take trips to two other prospective schools on Friday and Saturday after aiding Mainland (Daytona Beach, Fla.) High to a state title on Thursday. McCray will start by remaining in Tallahassee, Fla., the location of the state title contest, for an extra day to visit with Mike Norvell, John Papuchis and the Florida State Seminoles freshly removed from an undefeated, ACC Championship-winning campaign. He’ll then trek to Auburn — arguably the hottest team on the trail in college football — on Saturday to take a better look at what Hugh Freeze and the Tigers have to offer with Early Signing Day quickly approaching. On3 Sports was the first to report McCray’s intentions to take the visits.
As the Gators experience some drastic turbulence in the Billy Napier era, current and prospective players have begun to evaluate options elsewhere. Thirteen players from Florida’s roster have entered the transfer portal since the end of the 5-7 2023 campaign, including key cogs on offense and defense in running back Trevor Etienne and edge rusher Princely Umanmielen. On the high school recruiting front, the story is the same as several top commits eyes have wandered of late. Edge rusher Jamonta Waller, cornerback Wardell Mack, and defensive linemen Nasir Johnson and Kendall Jackson have decommitted from the school since Nov. 11. Five-star safety pledge Xavier Filsaime is scheduled to officially visit Texas just days before early signing day. Defensive end prospect Amaris Williams continues to be sought after by programs like Auburn, Georgia, Ohio State and Tennessee.
Florida’s slow play in hiring replacement assistants — following the release of Corey Raymond and Sean Spencer on Nov. 27 — to coach the defensive line and defensive backs could also play into talent jumping ship due to the uncertainty regarding whose command they’ll operate under. Both Auburn and FSU have maintained frequent contact with the uber-talented 6-foot-6, 260-pound defensive line prospect after his pledge to Florida as a result. They’ll continue to pursue McCray until he puts pen to paper on Dec. 20 in an effort to flip him from a possibly sinking ship in Gainesville. Meanwhile, the Gators aim to hold on to a core piece of the nation’s No. 6 recruiting class.
If he is to arrive on campus at UF, McCray is expected to provide an immediate plug-in rotation at the team’s F-end spot, where he can showcase his explosive skillset encompassing a promising mix of burst and power off the edge. His prowess as a run-stopper, aided by his size and limb length, suggests an early down usage to begin his collegiate career while he grows into his own as a pass rusher. He’s the type of disruptive athlete the Gators have missed along their defensive front over the past few seasons, making it a paramount focus for Napier and Co. to maintain his pledge through signing day.
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