FSU football: Noles make top 8 for 2023 four-star Zavion Hardy

FSU football still has some spots to fill in its 2022 recruiting class, but attention towards the 2023 recruiting cycle has been underway for some time.

FSU coaches have already offered 279 players, with 45 percent of the offers towards players in Florida and Georgia.

One of those offers is to blue-chip defensive end Zavion Hardy, the No. 94 player overall and No. 15 defensive lineman nationally.

FSU offered Hardy in early March 2021 and got him on campus to unofficially visit in June. Hardy announced the Noles as part of his top eight list of schools Tuesday afternoon.

Hardy lists at 6’5″ and 262 pounds as the weakside defensive end that attends Tattnall Square Academy in Macon, Georgia. He lists offers from FSU, Georgia, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Arizona State, Ole Miss, USC, Boston College, UCF, Jackson State, and Auburn. Georgia offered first, but Miami and Florida have only recently offered in the past two months with their new staff. I know the Jackson State offer gives FSU football fans ill vibes, but Deion pulls him over all of these schools? We already know what it is.

I’ve talked about the importance of FSU locking down difference-makers in the trenches, especially on the defensive side of the ball, and Hardy would fit the bill. He’s also only about a three-hour drive away from Tallahassee, and fits into the geographical area FSU needs to win some recruiting battles in if they want to become elite again.

Hardy reports he plans to visit Florida next month, and it’ll be important for the FSU staff to get him back on campus as soon as possible. I’d anticipate that, given they are in his top eight. However, they’ll need to get him back on campus this summer and for an official visit at some point.