FSU Football: The allure of recruiting at Florida State
By Kelvin Hunt
FSU football has storied recruiting tradition and will need to lean on it for the 2018 recruiting class.
FSU football has always recruited well and routinely brings in one of the most talented classes year in and year out. However, recruiting took a massive hit in the last week.
The 2018 class went from No. 10 in the nation to No. 31 in just a few days due to the unstable atmosphere surrounding FSU’s coaching change after the departure of Jimbo Fisher.
They lost seven commitments in less than a week, three four-stars and four three-stars. Honestly, the class was likely losing a four-star and one of the three-stars anyway.
The class stands at 11 commitments (6 four-stars and 5 three-stars) with room for another 13 or 14 commitments. The key to salvaging this class will be quality over quantity though.
If FSU doesn’t waste scholarships on bodies that have no chance of ever contributing it can use those scholarships for a massive 2019 class full of quality.
READ: Perspective On Willie Taggart Negotiations
The 2018 class will hopefully look eerily similar to the 2010 class. Those that have been around since then remember what that class looked like when Bobby Bowden retired.
It wasn’t close to top 15, and just over a month Jimbo Fisher had one of the best closes ever with FSU finishing at No. 8 in the nation. It took the commitment of five-star safety Lamarcus Joyner and others to turn momentum in favor of the ‘Noles and it was all she wrote after that.
The same will need to take place with the new hire for FSU football this recruiting cycle. IF currrent Oregon coach Willie Taggart is the hire the ‘Noles make, he could make a huge splash recruiting wise.
How It Could Happen
There are four Oregon commits that hail from Florida, two of them are familiar with the Noles.
Four-star WR Warren Thompson is thought to be the best receiver in the state of Florida was thought to be a FSU lean before committing to Taggart earlier this year. Four-star defensive back Isaiah Bolden was once a FSU commit.
There’s also four-star defensive end Malcolm Lamar who hails from Florida and the ‘Noles need defensive ends in this class something serious.
IF those three players flipped to the ‘Noles, the FSU class would jump from No. 31 to No. 10 and still have room for about 10 more commitments.
Then there’s the possibility of former commits like four-star running back Jashaun Corbin(who has a relationship with Taggart), and four-star receiver Marquez Ezzard(who has a relationship with Taggart) coming back into the fold.
That would give the ‘Noles 11 four-star and 5 three-star recruits for a blue chip ratio of 68.75 percent. It’s certainly not impossible if the ‘Noles get their man like many predict in Willie Taggart.
Next: Why FSU Should Hire Willie Taggart As Its Next Football Coach
A great recruiter coupled with the allure of FSU football could create 2010 all over again.