FSU Recruiting: Missed opportunity highlights what’s needed

FSU recruiting didn’t land the top five class most were predicting prior to the season. However, a missed opportunity sheds light on what needs to happen to do so.

FSU recruiting is doing well considering how the 2018 season went on the field. The Noles have a higher ranked recruiting class than both Miami and Florida despite them having more success on the field.

FSU recruiting has signed some solid 2019 players that will have significant roles during their time in the garnet and gold However, most of their highest rated players remain unsigned although they are committed.

FSU must keep all five of those players in the fold and have a good shot to do so. However, they did miss on a couple of key recruits in Sam Howell and William Putnam.

The latter being the most important of the two because of the offensive line deficit. Putnam’s decision to choose Clemson over FSU has shed light on the perception of some players regarding FSU’s program.

Some of this perception is likely ammunition used by competing programs, but they aren’t necessarily wrong either.

Check out an excerpt from Putnam’s decision as told to Clemson247:

"Again, it was a really tough process. Coming down to it, these past few days, it was really tough. I was kind of flipping almost ever hour. ‘I’m gonna go to Clemson, I’m gonna go to Florida State.’ It was flipping like that every hour. But it really came down to who I was as a person and what my goals are. When you think about Clemson, there’s no speculation with Clemson, no guessing, you know know exactly what you’re getting into with their system that’s proven and it works every time. I really wanted to be part of something great like that, and I felt like I could be a major contributor even to something that’s been that good so far.“I think the clarity came when I realized there is no better place for someone like me to be. A wise man once told me, ‘If you want to be a millionaire, you’ve got to hang out with millionaires.’"

Putnam’s father weighed in too:

"“I tell you what, top-notch. The results at Clemson speak for themselves. Stability of the program, success over the recent years, the way things are run. You talk with the players and the amount of former Clemson players that are on that staff, the message is on point no matter who you talk to — the message is always the same. The players are happy. It’s just a slam-dunk place as far as I’m concerned. And then we were really impressed with Clemson’s strength and conditioning staff. Will’s going to spend 85 percent of his time with them so that was important to me, too. I’m just super happy with the decision.”"

The Difference

A couple of key words stand out from these quotes from Putnam and his father. The words “proven” and “stability” stood out more than anything else.

They both viewed FSU as equal to Clemson for the most part, but Clemson’s results on the field the past few years have painted their program in a much different light than the Noles.

The uncertainty of wondering if FSU will rise back to prominence coupled with questions of if Willie Taggart would be the head coach in three years were worth entertaining. If Taggart isn’t there, then Putnam would likely have a new offensive line coach, etc.

He decided to go with the sure thing and that’s not something I can blame him for.

What Needs To Happen

FSU football has to win in 2019 and they have to be competitive in the games they don’t win. Some sort of progress has to be shown similar to what happened with FSU when Jimbo Fisher took over after the 2009 season.

Progression will equal momentum that can be sold on the recruiting trails. Those same messages Jimbo Fisher used after his Peach Bowl win over South Carolina.

It gives recruits a sense of joining something going in the right direction. There would be stability at that point and the belief the program will get back to being elite.

That’s what it’s going to take to land a top 5 class in 2020. The type of class that can help get FSU back to contending for the ACC and a College Football Playoff spot again.

The results on the field are going to have to change the perception of the program moving forward.

If Willie Taggart can get FSU to eight wins in the regular season and a bowl win or better in 2019, it’ll go a long way to changing the current perceptions of the program.

I think we’ll see that progression beginning in 2019.