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Asante Samuel Jr. first cornerback to live up to ranking since Ramsey

By Kelvin Hunt

TALLAHASSEE, FL - SEPTEMBER 21: Cornerback Asante Samuel, Jr. #26 of the Florida State Seminoles warms up before the the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on September 21, 2019 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - SEPTEMBER 21: Cornerback Asante Samuel, Jr. #26 of the Florida State Seminoles warms up before the the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on September 21, 2019 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
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Asante Samuel Jr. played up to his ranking, unlike other blue-chip talents.

Asante Samuel Jr. joined a lineage of highly-ranked cornerbacks that choose to sign with FSU football when he joined the program in 2018.

Here’s a list of highly touted cornerbacks (Top 100 players are better) that have signed with the Noles in the past few seasons:

  • AJ Lytton (No. 50 overall, No. 7 CB)
  • Stanford Samuels (No. 38 overall, No. 4 CB)
  • Levonta Taylor (No. 7 overall, No. 1 CB)
  • Tarvarus McFadden (No. 15 overall, No. 3 CB)
  • Jalen Ramsey (No. 16 overall, No. 2 CB)

Samuel Jr. was the second-highest ranked cornerback (No. 60 overall) in the class behind AJ Lytton in 2018.

All of these players had “OK” college careers, but Jalen Ramsey is the only player on that list who was drafted by an NFL team. He was drafted No. 5 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Tarvarus McFadden tied for the national lead with eight interceptions in his redshirt freshman season.  He took home, or was a finalist for several awards and was a first-team All-ACC performer. in 2016. He was second-team All-ACC in 2017 but went undrafted after leaving Tallahassee at the end of his junior season.

Levonta Taylor battled injuries and never got close to living up to the hype of being the No. 1 cornerback in his class. He went undrafted after finishing his senior season in 2019.

Stanford Samuels battled injuries and switching between safety and cornerback during his time in Tallahassee. He was an Honorable Mention All-ACC performer in 2019 but went undrafted after leaving Tallahassee after his junior season. He is currently signed to the practice squad roster of the Green Bay Packers and has seen time on the active roster this year.

AJ Lytton is no longer with the team and never made any significant contributions before being dismissed from the program.

Asante Samuel Jr. was Third-Team All-ACC in 2019 and will likely be an All-ACC performer in 2020 once the season is completed.

Unlike the others listed(aside from Ramsey), Samuel Jr. was more consistent and more productive during his time in Tallahassee. There was never a time where fans looked at him and thought he was overrated or terrible.

If he turns in a good 40 time, Samuel Jr. will likely be drafted sometime in the second round which, would be the first time an FSU cornerback was drafted since Marquez White was taken in the sixth round in 2017.

Next. Asante Samuel Jr. Will Enter 2021 NFL Draft. dark

That means he’ll be the first top 100 cornerback out of high school drafted from FSU football since Jalen Ramsey.

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