Florida State’s June 12 official visit crop has already yielded one commitment, three-star EDGE Jaxon Holly, and more look to be on the way. Four-star defensive lineman Sam LeJeune is heavily favored to the Seminoles, and four-star safety Ta’Shawn Poole appears to be trending in that direction. The race for three-star tight end Colton Johnson, though, seems to be more up in the air.
Florida State reportedly made a strong impression on the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Baxter, Tennessee product, who has also visited Alabama, North Carolina, Indiana, and has an upcoming trip to Knoxville. The Crimson Tide are still viewed as the favorite, but Mike Norvell has something that Kalen DeBoer can’t exactly offer: early playing time, and that’s hard to turn down.
FSU’s staff sees 3-star Colton Johnson as a major contributor early in his career
"A lot of it was getting to see Coach Norvell's offense versus like when he used to call the plays," Johnson told Kolby Crawford for Noles247. "Me and Coach Thomsen went over a lot of that, and it really stood out to me. It was a great offense."
“Great offense,” may be a strong categorization of what Norvell has accomplished as a play-caller at Florida State. It was very strong in 2023 before Jordan Travis’s injury, but fell off a cliff in 2024 with what seemed to be an injured DJ Uiagalelei steering the ship. Last season, he ceded play-calling duties to Guz Malzahn, but has reclaimed them for a make-or-break year, though the writing is likely already on the wall.
Regardless, it’s not the “great offense” that seemed to entice Johnson the most. It was the role he could play in it, and early in his career. “They said I could do it all in that offense," Johnson told Crawford. "Really like a don't-come-off-the-field guy, a third-down guy. I think I could fit in here, and I think I would be very successful early." He added, “They use a lot of tight ends in their offense," Johnson said. "Obviously something that's appealing."
Norvell brought in a massive 2026 recruiting class with 34 players. Then, he added 23 through the transfer portal. Of that group, three are tight ends: Dessirio Riles, who came over from East Carolina after a 28-catch, 362-yard season as a junior, four-star Xavier Tiller, and three-star Corbyn Fordham. Riles is expected to start this season with Landen Thomas and Chase Loftin both playing significant snaps.
Riles, however, is in his final year of eligibility, and with a young group of tight ends behind him, Johnson could realistically work his way into the mix early in his career. Planning for the future is always difficult with the constant roster churn in modern college football, but it’s even tougher at Florida State because Norvell’s seat is the hottest in the sport.
As it has with much of the 2027 class, that fact will likely dissuade Johnson from committing to the Seminoles. Still, the allure of potential playing time early on is a strong pitch because even if Norvell is gone after the 2027 season, having real Power Conference snaps under his belt would be an important bargaining chip for Johnson in the Transfer Portal market.
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