FSU football coaches are trying to thread the needle in the recruiting space after a 2-10 season. The new coaches are trying to communicate what the vision will be like in 2025, but at the same time can't show anything regarding that vision until the games get played this fall.
Nevertheless, they have positioned themselves well with a few blue-chip recruits who plan to officially visit in June, with FSU receiving the final official visit.
The latest to fit that bill is blue-chip defensive end Zavion Griffin-Hayes. The Rolesville, North Carolina, product listed FSU among his final four schools on Thursday, and FSU will receive the final visit before he announces his commitment decision on July 1st.
Griffin-Hayes is a former North Carolina commit who ranks as the No. 256 player and No. 24 EDGE nationally. He is 6'6" and 235 pounds. Some folks might question why the coaching staff isn't recruiting someone like Cam Brooks as hard, even though he's ranked higher than Griffin-Hayes.
The reason is simple. The recruiting rankings are just that, but not indicative of where players may be on the recruiting boards of the actual schools. It would be a no-brainer to take someone like Griffin-Hayes over Brooks.
The frame and length, plus he's already 235 pounds with room to add another 20 screams high-upside and the ability to contribute earlier than someone 6'2" and 225 pounds.
There's no guarantee FSU will and Griffin-Haynes, but getting the last official visit a few days before he announces his decision should be a positive. It would be a great sign if FSU could beat Clemson in this recruiting battle, considering they are much closer in proximity than FSU. Clemson only offered recently, and FSU offered early in the process.
The Tigers will get the first official visit on May 30, so maybe that visit high will wear off when he makes it to Tallahassee on June 20. Michigan and Nebraska are in the mix, but I'd say this is a Clemson/FSU battle.