Florida State football had a solid 2026 recruiting class, which finished as the 14th-best in the 247Sports Composite rankings. The Seminoles did not have a season to remember, as they left the fan base with a bad taste in their mouth with a 5-7 record.
The thought process was that Florida State would have a couple of de-commitments in their class, but they signed 32 prospects and had no flips during the Early Signing Period.
One of the recruits that Florida had committed to the fold since October 2023 was four-star defensive back Darryl Bell III. He was a safety prospect that the Seminoles. It looks like he will be coached by assistant coach Evan Cooper.
There was a bombshell that happened on Friday, as On3's Pete Nakos reported that Florida State dismissed defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr. This was a surprising move felt by the fan base, but it doesn't seem to fade Bell III, who has shown what it means to be a Seminole through and through.
When Bell III had his ceremony this week at his high school, he signed with the Seminoles and the school decided to retire his No. 0 jersey.
Class of 2026 four-star defensive back signee Darryl “Tre” Bell III (@Trebelldatman0) got his No. 0 jersey retired at Barbara Goleman High School. 🍢#GoNoles #Tribe26 pic.twitter.com/SmZmXCUwsd
— Norvell Central (@CentralNorvell) December 6, 2025
This speaks to the impact that the defender had on the community, school, and the gridiron. Bell III will play at Florida State as a safety. This could be a prime opportunity for the true freshman to have meaningful playing time in Year 1.
While I know that the expectations should never be sky-high for a youngster like that, MaxPreps had Bell III recording 35 receptions for 608 yards and six touchdowns as a receiver and 46 tackles (8 for loss) with one interception and two fumble recoveries as a defender during his senior season.
For all the doubters, talking about "Three-star Mike (Norvell)", this is a four-star prospect that the coaching staff is excited to see in Tallahassee.