FSU football: JUCO DE Jaden Jones finally receives composite ranking

FSU football recruiting for the 2023 class has caught some flack because of its national ranking. At one point, the 2023 class ranked in the upper 40s nationally before gradually improving into the upper 20s with several commitments over the past six weeks.

However, that ranking has never been accurate because one of the 13 commits had not received an official composite ranking. That’s no longer the case as JUCO defensive end Jaden Jones received a three-star composite ranking (.8739) Friday.

That’s usually the standard for JUCO players with only a few offers. However, most people consider Jones to be at least a low four-star player.

He lists at 6’6″ and 240 pounds with one other Power 5 offer from Missouri. He ranks No. 3 nationally and the No. 1 defensive lineman (JUCO). Jones visited the Noles in May and committed in June. He’ll graduate in December and join the program in the spring 2023 semester.

He’s one of three defensive ends in the recruiting class, one of the better defensive end hauls nationally, especially for a team with a losing record over the past four years.

The new ranking pushes the Noles into the No. 25 position nationally, with the opportunity to land at least 1-2 more targets within the next couple of weeks.

If those two players joined the Noles today, it would place FSU football at No. 16 nationally. If the Noles have a strong season, there’s a decent shot they’ll finish with a top 15 recruiting class, which would be even more impressive since a large portion of it consists of defensive and offensive linemen.

However, I expect this class to have a decent share of transfer portal players regardless. I’ve said it time and time again, I trust this staff’s ability to evaluate and develop players. They could have a top 10-15 recruiting class with a ton of dead weight on the staff.

If they can win some games and upgrade a couple of spots on the staff with better recruiters? It won’t be long before FSU is back among the top 10 classes nationally. That’s the power of the FSU football brand and its location in the southeast.