National Signing Day has arrived and for Florida State, all indications are that the Seminoles are on the verge of yet another stellar recruiting class. Florida State has more 5-star prospects committed than any other team and four are already on campus including safety Derwin James, who is almost unanimously regarded as one of the five best recruits in the country.
This year’s class is sure to rank in the top 10 nationally as have each of the previous five under head coach Jimbo Fisher. While FSU will land yet another stellar class, the last week has not been particularly kind to the 3-time reigning ACC champions.
Composite recruiting class ranks for #FSU under Jimbo Fisher:
2010: 7th
2011: 2nd
2012: 3rd
2013: 10th
2014: 4th
2015: Currently 3rd— The Daily Nole (@TheDailyNole) February 4, 2015
Earlier this week, Florida State lost 4-star quarterback prospect Kai Locksley, who flipped his commitment from the Seminoles to Texas. 5-star defensive end Byron Cowart recently eliminated FSU from his top three, 4-star running back Jordan Scarlett picked Florida over FSU and on Tuesday, it was learned that 5-star cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick would honor his commitment to Alabama when some suggested that he may flip to the Seminoles.
Also on Tuesday, Tomahawk Nation reported that 3-star linebacker Brian Bell would not sign with Florida State on National Signing Day. Bell is one of 38 defendants named in a $100 million lawsuit for the wrongful death of Kendrick Johnson, a 17-year-old who was found dead in the Lowndes High School gymnasium in 2013.
The current Florida State commitment that looks to be the biggest question mark as National Signing Day unfolds is quarterback Deondre Francois. Last week, Francois announced via Twitter that he had “decommitted from the University of Florida State”, but later said his phone had been hacked and he is 100 percent committed to the Seminoles. Still, some speculate that Francois could announce a flip to rival Florida on Wednesday.
Florida State once had three high school All-American quarterback prospects for this class. With Locksley headed to Austin and Francois looking at Florida, 2014 Florida Mr. Football, De’Andre Johnson could be the last man standing. Johnson, a 4-star prospect, is among the seven members of this recruiting class already enrolled.
While holding on to Francois may be Florida State’s top priority for National Signing Day, there is a possibility that the Seminoles could make at least one big splash. 5-star cornerback Iman “Biggie” Marshall, from California, is set to choose between FSU and USC, but most feel he’ll pick the Trojans. It wasn’t that long ago however, that big-time Tallahassee cornerback T.J. Bryant spurned the Seminoles for the west coast and bright lights of the L.A. Coliseum. FSU is hopeful Marshall does just the opposite.
4-star defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. has likely narrowed his choices down to the ‘Noles and the hometown Missouri Tigers. Beckner could help provide depth at a position where Florida State was very thin this past season.
The Seminoles have come on late for 4-star cornerback Marcus Lewis. It had been a two-team race between Miami and Kentucky for Lewis’ services, but some now believe that Fisher and the Seminoles are the likeliest of contenders to keep Lewis away from the Bluegrass State.
Dating back to the Bobby Bowden years, Florida State has always been known for its ability to finish strong on National Signing Day. But even if the Seminoles do nothing else, Fisher and FSU will be bringing in yet another recruiting class to feel very good about.
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