The Florida State football team will finally return home to Tallahassee this weekend to defend Doak Campbell Stadium against the Clemson Tigers. The 2026 season has not exactly been pretty up to this point, and it has been a hard one to watch at times, as there has not been a consistent Seminoles team taking the field this year.
For the first time in weeks, Florida State will be playing a home game, and Clemson will be traveling over to Tallahassee for the first time since the 2024 season. Clemson has won the last two matchups in eerily similar fashion, but the Seminoles and coach Mike Norvell desperately need a win after suffering two losses in a row.
It looks like, barring anything crazy the rest of the way, the Florida State administration is not going to budge on Norvell. The coach needs to improve now more than ever to prevent this decision from looking like a massive mistake. Not only does Norvell need to pick up the win for the program, but he also needs to do so for the 26 recruits set to visit.
Here is a breakdown of who will be visiting this weekend, and who might find themselves on the Seminoles' radar.
Flip Targets
- 2027 4-star IOL Jatori Williams (Miami decommit)
- 2028 4-star S/DB Giovanni Tuggle (Ole Miss)
- 2028 4-star S Cyion Smith (Florida)
Three flip targets will be in the building for Florida State during the game against Clemson, with former Miami commitment Jatori Williams leading the way. Williams backed off from his commitment recently and is now reopening his recruitment for a second time. The interior offensive lineman previously committed to Alabama, and later flipped his commitment to Miami after visiting.
Florida State is really interested in Williams, especially with some issues along the offensive line, but the big problem is Auburn. The Tigers have been close to Williams for a while, and overcoming that relationship is going to be very difficult for the Seminoles.
The 2028 defensive backs are where things could get interesting, as Florida commitment Cyion Smith is expected to attend the game. Smith previously camped with Florida State before announcing his commitment to the Gators, but there is still a ton of time left as a 2028 recruit for the Seminoles to gain some ground.
Tuggle, an Ole Miss pledge, on the other hand, has been a longtime target for Florida State after picking up an offer in August of 2025. Tuggle committed to Ole Miss last month, so the decision is still fresh, and this might be the perfect time for the Seminoles' staff to work themselves back into the mix.
FSU Commitments
- 2027 4-star S Za'Kari Johnson
- 2027 4-star DL Sam LeJeune
- 2027 4-star RB Jayden Miles
- 2027 3-star WR Majay Thompson
- 2027 3-star DL Eric Vaulx Jr.
- 2027 3-star LB CJ Ohuabunwa
- 2027 3-star K Vance Fones
The Seminoles will be bringing in the bulk of their 2027 class haul, with three four-star visitors and seven total members of the class attending the game. Leading the charge is going to be Za'Kari Johnson, with the recruit returning to Tallahassee after months of opposing programs heavily pursuing a commitment flip.
Johnson has stood strong up to this point, and programs like Texas A&M and Miami appear to have backed off for the most part, but winning comfortably with the recruit in attendance will go a long way for Florida State.
2028 Targets
- 4-star QB Luke Rubley
- 4-star RB Dalen Powell
- 4-star LB Shamar Evans
- 4-star CB Zion Dobson
- 4-star WR Bubba Brown
- 4-star LB Christopher Sanon
- 3-star S Zion Green
- 3-star EDGE Nasir Walker
- 3-star CB Kahmaree Crumity
- 3-star OT Aidan Galles
- 3-star LB Trevaughn Robinson
- 3-star IOL TJ Brandon
- 3-star TE Faraji Tucker
- 3-star IOL Jeremiah Rozier
- WR Mario Burks
There are plenty of 2028 recruits who are expected to attend the game against Clemson, but the one who truly stands out is Shamar Evans. Louisiana produces top-tier recruits every year, and Florida State has been known to pluck talent from the state in recent years. Four-star commitment Jayden Miles and former four-star edge rusher Jalen Anderson are two prominent Seminoles' commitments from the heart of Louisiana.
Evans is a gritty, physical, and intelligent linebacker who consistently finishes each play right in the thick of things. Evans plays football exactly how Florida State wants a linebacker to do so, with his play style closely mirroring current standout Chris Jones. Another key linebacker set to visit will be Christopher Sanon, a dynamic in-state recruit who the Seminoles could pluck before bigger programs arrive.
2029 Targets
- 4-star IOL Jordan Lewis
At the moment, there is only one 2029 target attending the game that I was able to confirm. The target who will be watching the clash between Florida State and Clemson is Jordan Lewis, the top recruit in South Carolina in the class. Lewis already has 28 confirmed scholarship offers and a boatload of completed visits with the likes of Alabama, Ohio State, and Georgia.
Florida State is hoping that a visit early on in the recruiting process can help the two build a relationship, but this will be a gritty battle for a long time. Recruits ranked this early in the process tend to blossom into some of the top players in the class, and Lewis could hit five-star territory pretty quickly. The more Lewis improves, the harder the fight for his commitment will get.
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