FSU football: 5-star DB Charles Lester receives crystal ball prediction

FSU football already has one five-star player committed for the 2024 recruiting cycle and is heavily pursuing others.

One of those targets is a five-star defensive back, Charles Lester. FSU football coaches have emphasized getting top in-state talent.

Lester hails from Sarasota, Florida, and ranks as the No. 17 player nationally and No. 4 cornerback. Lester checks in at 6’1″ and 171 pounds with offers from every major P5 team.

However, FSU seems to stand out as he’s visited FSU more than any other college. Lester grew up an FSU fan and spoke about how he feels when he visits the Noles while on campus for FSU’s Legacy Weekend below:

I take what recruits say nowadays with a grain of salt after the Travis Hunter debacle. However, Lester continues to show up on campus, and the way he spoke about FSU in the interview makes it seem like he’s already a commit, though he’s careful with his words, he makes no bones about how much he loves coming to Tallahassee.

That interview, among other sources, likely was enough for well-respected recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong to drop a crystal ball prediction favoring the Noles Sunday afternoon.

The prediction was with a confidence of six, which is standard for Wilffong, who’s 67 for 67 in 2024 recruiting predictions and a 91 percent hit rate overall(over 4,100 predictions). Lester said he was “close” to committing on his visit over the weekend, but plans to take his official visits this summer.

He’s already locked in his official visit with FSU on June 23rd. He also has an official visit scheduled for Ohio State on June 16th.

FSU brought in several talented defensive backs in the 2023 recruiting cycle, but a commitment from Lester would signal FSU getting back to signing elite defensive backs like they used to when they were at the top of college football.

It’s not a commitment, but it’s a great sign Wiltfong feels confident the Noles are in the driver’s seat.