FSU football: Coaches taking smarter approach to linebacker recruiting?

Is it worth using resources on high-ranked high school linebackers when they rarely contribute as freshmen? Here’s a list of blue-chip linebackers FSU signed over the past 12 years:

• Jeff Luc-No. 26 overall, No. 2 ILB
• Telvin Smith-No. 156, No. 11O OLB
• Nigel Terrell-No. 261, No. 18, OLB
• Terrance Smith-No. 278, No. 18 OLB
• Ukeme Eligwe-No. 68, No. 5 ILB
• Reggie Northrup-No. 335, No. 34 OLB
• Matthew Thomas-No. 8, No. 2 OLB
• E.J. Levenberry-No. 182, No. 7 ILB
• Tyrell Lyons-No. 337, No. 22 OLB
• Jacob Pugh-No. 69, No. 5 OLB
• Kain Daub-No. 74, No. ILB
• Delvin Purifoy-No. 193, No. 8 ILB
• Sh’Mar Kilby Lane-No. 285, No. 21 OLB
• Dontavious Jackson-No. 90, No. 4 ILB
• Leonard Warner-No. 178, No. 8 ILB
• Amari Gainer-No. 239, No. 18 OLB
• Jaleel McRae-No. 209, No. 12 OLB
• Kalen DeLoach-No. 224, No. 13 OLB
• Stephen Dix Jr.-No. 240, No. 15 OLB

None of these guys contributed much at all as freshmen, and Telvin Smith, Terrance Smith, Reggie Northrup, Matthew Thomas, and Kalen DeLoach were the only listed players with any consistent production at a high level. A few had a decent year here and there, but that’s a lot of high ranked guys not having much of an impact.

I think the coaching staff is taking a different approach with linebacker recruiting, and will supplement whatever they need from a production standpoint from the transfer portal. They can find a guy with experience, production, and multiple years of eligibility left like Tatum Bethune (a former three-star) fairly easily, and he’ll outperform a blue-chip high school player over their first two years nearly every time. It likely takes less resources to get him and he can make an impact quicker while you guys like Omar Graham Jr. develop and eventually become starters. The only gamble is finding those players in the portal, but it can be done if they want it to happen, wink, wink.