Sadly, the rumors turned out to be true and FSU's recruiting class just got a little lighter.
Running back prospect Amari Thomas, long rumored to be wavering on his verbal pledge to the Seminoles, has officially de-committed. The composite four-star prospect from Blountstown, Florida, is reportedly interested in South Carolina.
Thomas took an official visit to South Carolina at the end of May and in the last week he told 247Sports' Chris Nee that he would make a final decision between the Seminoles and Gamecocks in August.
BREAKING: Four-Star RB Amari Thomas has Decommitted from Florida State, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 18, 2025
The 5’11 193 RB from Marianna, FL had been Committed to the Seminoles since January
He currently holds a total of 28 Offershttps://t.co/GruPLEwl1b pic.twitter.com/QdNNGeEaUQ
Thomas was the only running back in FSU's recruiting class, so this is a substantial loss and one they will have to replace with recruitment during the fall. The Seminoles are a finalist for five-star running back Derrek Cooper, but the general belief is that Texas and Miami are the teams to beat.
It's important for the Seminoles to get at least one running back in this class as they have two seniors (Roydell Williams and Caziah Holmes) on the roster and a junior, Gavin Sawchuk, who might declare for the NFL Draft.
Losing Thomas will allow the FSU to go all-in on Cooper
While it's unlikely that Cooper will choose FSU when he makes his announcement on Sunday, it's important that the Seminoles staff remains in touch with the top prospect and continue to put a bug in his ear until the Early Signing Period begins.
— Derrek Cooper (@DerrekCooper80) July 10, 2025
It was the strategy that Mike Norvell used last year to flip Osumane Kromah from Georgia in late December. There's little doubt that FSU will add a running back to this class, but many of their options are 'Plan Bs' that can be focused on at a later date. Right now, the staff should just continue to build a relationship with Cooper and see what happens.
For his part, Cooper has been very complimentary of Norvell and the FSU staff.
"Coach Norvell’s just a great guy," Cooper said "He’s a great person to be around, just a great guy to talk to. Coach David (Johnson) is a great running back coach.He goes over a lot of stuff with me.”
There's always a chance that Thomas will come crawling back to the class in a few weeks, but there is also an opportunity for FSU to land a major update.