FSU’s Top-10 recruiting class is surging — here’s what it takes to stay there

With the latest commitment of offensive lineman Jakobe Green, the Florida State 2026 recruiting class shot up to ninth in the nation according to 247Sports. Obviously, Seminoles fans are pretty fired up over how things are going for the staff out on the recruiting trail.

It's been an incredible run of late, with eight new commitments since June 15.

With 18 commitments in the fold, 247Sports has the FSU recruiting class with 11 four-star prospects and On3 has the class with 10 four-star prospects. Wide receiver and legacy recruit Devin Carter is the top-ranked prospect in the class according to both sites.

As the month of June closes out, the surge is nearly complete and now the questions are: Can FSU keep the momentum going into the season? and can this class stay in the Top 10?

It's possible FSU can keep the momentum going into the season. No one expects a repeat of last year's disastrous 2-10 campaign and it feels like the prospects in this class are buying into the program. Many changes on the coaching staff are starting to pay off as well. Replacing an ineffective recruiter like former defensive coordinator Adam Fuller with Tony White was expected to be a plus on the trail. The prospects seem to like the new coaches and are committed to making sure they are successful. That's a good thing.

Florida State must land five-star targets to keep its Top 10 ranking

As for the class maintaining its position in the Top 10, that appears unlikely without a pledge for at least two major blue-chip prospects like Miami Northwestern wide receiver Calvin Russell and Sarasota Booker defensive back Chauncey Kennon.

It's hard to find a coach that's had more criticism about his ability to recruit at the high school ranks than Mike Norvell. Much of it is justified. Norvell has simply struggled to put together the type of staffs that win on the trail to the level that FSU fans have come to expect. FSU's highest-ranked class under Norvell is 12th in 2024 and that was coming off of a 13-1 season.

That class had an average recruit score of 90.90 on 247Sports and 90.16 on On3. This class currently has an average of 89.45 on 247Sports and 89.885 on On3. If FSU kept that average consistent, that would place this class around 17th on 247Sports and 20th on On3.

Now the number averages aren't always the deciding factor -- the size of the class also has something to do with it. But an average under 90 isn't likely to place a class in the Top 15.

Simply put, this has been a good run for FSU and Norvell. This sort of early success answers some questions about this staff's commitment to recruiting better at the high school level. But to reach the levels that FSU's enjoyed on the trail under Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher, this staff will need to prove they can reel in the really big fish.