Florida State lost a defensive back commit earlier on Sunday, but gained a commitment from a position of great importance a few hours later when 3-star defensive end Jaxon Holly announced his commitment to FSU.
Holly took his official visit to Florida State this weekend after taking official visits to Auburn and Virginia Tech. The Georgia native ranks as the No. 627 player and No. 53 edge nationally. He lists 6’4” and 225 pounds.
UPDATE: BOOM! Class of 2027 three-star defensive end Jaxon Holly has committed to Florida State. 🍢 #GoNoles #Tribe27 #fsurecruiting pic.twitter.com/tgiH7Nyhk3
— Norvell Central (@CentralNorvell) June 14, 2026
Three-star Jaxon Holly is a player who can rush the pass and set the edge in the run game
Holly is the second defensive end commit in the 2027 recruiting class, joining 4-star Anthony Cavallaro. Holly received his Florida State offer in December of 2025 and took an unofficial visit to Tallahassee in April.
One thing I like about Holly is that it seems like he wants to be a Nole. His commitment isn't a surprise, as he came to Tallahassee looking for the coaches to close the deal. It sounds like his recruitment is shut down after his commitment announcement (take that with a grain of salt if FSU bombs during the season).
Holly doesn’t have crazy production in high school, but has the potential to be a good fit in Tony White’s 3-3-5 multiple defense. He has a good frame, but will need to continue developing and maturing physically. The coaching staff has been telling these young defensive linemen that they expect them to play sooner rather than later, and one key component is rushing the passer and setting the edge in the run game.
Those are two areas Florida State has struggled mightily over the past two years. Florida State coaches seem to be putting a priority on defense in this recruiting cycle, as six of the 10 commits are on that side of the ball. Florida State is trending with two more defensive linemen who could commit over the next week or so.
Florida State defensive end coach Nick Williams has shown some real juice on the recruiting trail, and a big credit goes to him since he was recruiting Holly while at Syracuse before joining Florida State’s staff in the offseason. Williams has done a great job putting Florida State in a position to have a chance with some high-caliber players, and they have a big target set to visit next weekend in Abraham Sesay.
That recruitment is probably a long-shot for the Noles, but it bodes well for Florida State if they can have some success on the field in 2026. That's one of the biggest things hindering Florida State.
The perception of Florida State with Mike Norvell on the hot seat and only going 7-17 over the past two years has been hard to overcome. Not to mention, Florida State seems not to be playing with the same resources as teams that have been winning 10+ games over the past two years.
Florida State has to start winning on the field again to have any shot at consistently gaining commitments from top recruits. Stay tuned to Chopchat for more recruiting news and analysis.
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