The Seminoles' staff is bringing out all of the stops for the Week 5 game against Virginia in Tallahassee, with a huge group of impressive recruits and flip targets set to visit. Florida State has been in disarray while attempting to find some strides of improvement during the 2026 season. Now, the pressure is on the staff to both fix the current issues that are present while also building up future recruiting classes.
It can be a tough line to walk, with enough focus on the current team to garner winning results, and enough success on the recruiting front to keep a steady flow of talent. Florida State might completely clean house this season, but that has not stopped the staff from bringing in a Syracuse commitment for the Virginia game.
Longtime Syracuse-committed offensive tackle Omari Lawson will be in the building on Saturday for Florida State's clash against Virginia. Lawson, a native of Jacksonville, received a scholarship from the Seminoles in September, and now he will finally be on campus.
Florida State is pushing to flip Omari Lawson even without a clear plan for 2027 and beyond
If there is one thing that is certain about recruiting, it is that the staff will never stop looking for talent, even if the circumstances surrounding their employment become murky. Florida State is in a wait-and-see mode with coach Mike Norvell and the rest of the staff, but that has not stopped them from working quickly to get Lawson on campus.
Lawson previously visited Florida and will now be in Tallahassee this weekend for the Week 5 game between the Seminoles and the Virginia Cavaliers. Given how Syracuse has looked on the field, Lawson is certainly a flip candidate, but the question is whether Gainesville or Tallahassee is calling his name.
Completing the flip of Lawson would be huge for Florida State this late in the cycle and in the middle of controversy. Norvell's buyout is a steep one, and even talking about the idea of getting rid of him as the coach could force recruits to look elsewhere. Landing commitments with the ongoing issues could be more of a sign of what the Florida State brand is capable of drawing in, rather than the coaching staff.
Florida State is between a rock and a hard place, with so much uncertainty surrounding the program that bringing in new talent could become difficult. However, the key is that the Seminoles do not appear to be going down without a fight.
In addition to Lawson, Florida State will also be hosting a pair of committed 2027 class tight ends in Joshua Pettigrew (Georgia Tech) and DeShaun Thomas (Pitt). The Seminoles just lost a commitment from tight end Connor Winn, and now the staff is looking to fill the void.
Pettigrew has been committed to the Yellow Jackets since June, but the tight end spent time in Tallahassee in April. Florida State pursued the recruit heavily at one point, and now the staff looks to finally get the commitment they have been looking for. Pettigrew flirted with the idea of visiting Florida State earlier in the season, and now he will finally hit campus this weekend.
Thomas, on the other hand, committed to the Panthers in May after picking up an offer from the Seminoles in March. As a native of Florida, Thomas grew up as a fan of Florida State, but that might not be enough to bring the recruit in as a commitment.
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