FSU football: Two 2022 recruiting targets trending elsewhere?

FSU football is in the mix for several uncommitted blue-chip recruits in the 2022 class. The Noles have the No. 4 recruiting class nationally, with 15 commitments and 10-11 more spots available.

I wrote about how the 2022 recruiting class is different than the 2019 class on Monday and listed over 10 players the Noles have as targets.

It looks as though two of those targets, four-star running back Kaytron Allen, and four-star linebacker DeMario Tolan could be trending in another direction.

A 247 Crystal Ball prediction for Penn State has been cast for Kaytron Allen by Steve Wiltfong, who is usually accurate. Two 247 Crystal Ball predictions for LSU have been cast for Tolan, and one of those predictions is also by Wiltfong. The other one is from Noles247 Josh Newberg.

Allen dropped a list of top schools in January: Alabama, Maryland, Tennesee, Penn State, USC, Ohio State, Georgia, Florida, Miami, and Texas.

Allen is high school teammates with FSU commits AJ Duffy and Aliou Bah, but originally hails from Norfolk, Virginia. That’s why it was a big deal when he unofficially visited the Noles last month.

It’s not uncommon to see recruits that attend IMG Academy enroll at schools closer to their home state. Kaytron Allen has used official visits at Florida, Penn State, Georgia, and Michigan State. There’s one more left, so we’ll see if he decided to visit anywhere else between now and when he signs.

DeMario Tolan originally hails from Orlando, Florida, and attends the same high school as FSU linebacker Stephan Dix Jr. It’s also the home of former FSU wide receiver Kenny Shaw.

Tolan visited FSU in mid-June and mentioned he may use FSU for one of his two official visits remaining. He’s expected to announce his commitment Thursday.

Parting Thoughts

The running back and the linebacker positions are positions the Noles need quality players. They don’t have any running backs committed, and Allen was one of the top targets on their board. However, they have few quality options remaining.

I don’t think Tolan was at the top of linebacker board for the Noles, especially since he attends the same high school as Dix Jr. They are in the mix with several other quality targets and have three-star linebacker Omar Graham Jr. committed.

I know FSU football fans want the coaches to land every blue-chip player possible, but this is the type of news that helps clear up the probability of a player joining the class or not. It doesn’t seem like FSU was ever in it for Allen and it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Tolan as recruits come off the board.

If they can get him in for an official visit, then that’ll something to keep an eye on.