Even without a conference title to his name, Mario Cristobal has positioned himself as the top dog in the ACC on the field and the recruiting trail. However, this offseason, some competition has arrived in Blacksburg, Virginia. While Cristobal has the No. 2 recruiting class in 2027, James Franklin has the No. 10-ranked group committed to Virginia Tech.
Franklin’s arrival and Virginia Tech’s sudden investment have the potential to upend the hierarchy in the ACC, which is ripe to add another perennial contender with Clemson fading away and Florida State struggling to pull itself out of the basement.
So, while the in-conference recruiting competition usually comes from the south, now, Mike Norvell is forced to look north, and at least in the battle for three-star linebacker CJ Ohuabunwa, who took an official visit to Tallahassee over the weekend.
Coming out of his visit, Brendan Sonnone of Noles247 logged a prediction for Ohuabunwa to commit to the Noles, and on Monday, with Kolby Crawford of 247, the three-star linebacker announced his commitment, choosing Norvell’s program over Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Kansas.
LIVE: LB CJ Ohuabunwa is set to announce his college commitmenthttps://t.co/apG3VldRjF
— Noles247.com (@Noles247) June 22, 2026
3-star LB CJ Ohuabunwa chooses Florida State over Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Kansas
At 6-foot and 205 pounds, Ohuabunwa is a bit of an undersized linebacker, but that makes him a particularly good fit for Tony White’s 3-3-5 defense. Ohuanbunwa has great speed as a blitzer off the edge or from a mugged-up position over the center, but he also showcases impressive instincts in coverage. That will make him well-suited as an overhang or apex defender, even covering tight ends or receivers in the slot.
White can move him around to get the best out of him, and White needs players with that type of versatility to get the best out of his defense, so it’s a perfect match, assuming the staff is still intact when he arrives in 2027.
Ohuabunwa seemed to be trending toward Virginia Tech, and nearly didn’t take his official visit to Tallahassee, but Norvell is lucky he did, because it seems that trip is what won him over. Well, that and Norvell’s demeanor.
“He’s genuine,” Ohuabunwa told Crawford. “Everybody over there is very genuine. That’s what stuck out to me. It’s a lot, this process is a lot. And people are trying to make money, people are trying to win, you know? So you can’t fault anybody for that, but in this process, you have to go where you feel valued, where you feel that you have a genuine connection, and who you feel you have a genuine connection with.”
Norvell has been much-maligned for his high school recruiting efforts throughout his six-year tenure at Florida State, often leaning much more heavily on the Transfer Portal to build his roster. However, this offseason, the program as a whole has appeared to prioritize building up a stronger high school class, even despite the questions about Norvell’s job security and amid an obvious lack of investment from the donor base.
It’s another 3-star pickup, so that won’t get the fanbase overly excited. But it’s also a player who believes Norvell can turn around the program, and it’s a pretty significant recruiting win for Norvell after a fantastic official visit weekend, so there are small seeds of optimism.
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