It was a busy summer for 4-star athlete Za’Kari Johnson from Miami Carol City High School, reclassifying to the 2027 class, then committing to Florida State just two weeks later in July. Upon his commitment, Johnson announced that his recruitment was shut down, but now, a little over three months away from the early signing period, it appears to be open again.
Texas A&M has reportedly turned up the heat on its pursuit of Johnson, a wide receiver and defensive back, and those efforts have yielded some early results, with Johnson heading to College Station for a Week 1 game-day visit as Mike Elko’s Aggies host Missouri State.
Johnson is the fifth-highest-ranked commit in Florida State’s 34th-ranked 2027 class. It’s a class that wasn’t easy for Mike Norvell and first-year general manager John Garrett to construct this summer, and one that could fall apart at the seams if Norvell is unable to right the ship after back-to-back losing seasons.
Za’Kari Johnson won’t be the only FSU commit who will be considering other options
Nothing is certain in Tallahassee right now, but it appears likely that Garrett’s future as GM isn’t necessarily tied to Norvell’s. That’s likely how FSU was able to build its class, assuring recruits that they’re Garrett’s guys and won’t be lost in the shuffle of a coaching change.
Still, how many 17- and 18-year-olds are going to have the wherewithal to withstand the uncertainty of the head coach they’ve tied their future to being replaced? The answer, even with lucrative NIL and revenue-sharing deals, is not many.
So, whether they’re Garrett’s guys or they’ve pledged themselves to Norvell’s vision, it won’t be a surprise to see other FSU commits with a wandering eye this season. Johnson seemingly reopening his recruitment for this visit is bad news for Florida State, and it may only be the start.
Texas A&M won’t be easy for Florida State to hold off
Landing a commitment is always just the start. The real trick is holding onto the player through signing day. That’s three months to hold off the hard-changing Aggies and their deep pockets. Texas A&M is spending like a top college football contender, and for multiple reasons, Florida State can’t match those resources.
First is the conference disparity. The SEC has the bigger television deal than the ACC, so even with the ACC altering its revenue distribution in the wake of FSU and Clemson’s 2023 lawsuit, Florida State isn’t bringing in the money that SEC programs are.
Then, there’s the boosters. Florida State athletic director Michael Alford has miscalculated the NIL era with every new development. Most recently, Alford expected the revenue-sharing cap established by last summer’s House v NCAA settlement to be strictly enforced while programs like A&M continued to spend well above the $21 million limit for the entire athletic department. A&M is spending well over $30 million on its 2026 roster, according to CBS, and roster incentives could push the total cost over $40 million.
Finally, there’s Norvell’s buyout. If he’s fired this season, FSU will be on the hook for $51 million. So, even in a historic fundraising year for the athletic department, most of those resources will be allocated to paying Norvell to go away, assuming he doesn’t orchestrate a massive turnaround.
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