Mike Norvell and FSU get excellent news in pursuit of 4-star ATH Za'Kari Johnson

Sometimes a recruiting win can come out of nowhere and right now Mike Norvell needs one more than ever. The good news is that defensive back Za'Kari Johnson might be the one to provide it.

It was announced yesterday that Johnson, a four-star defensive back from Broward County, Florida, is going to reclassify to the 2027 class, and he's already got an official visit scheduled for Florida State over Labor Day weekend. He will be in town for the SMU game, and it's a golden opportunity for the Seminoles to add a blue-chip player to the 2027 class and get some traction with a top in-state player. 

4-star DB Za'Kari Johnson locks in a September official visit to FSU

Recruiting moves fast and a player that was a big target in 2028 can immediately become a bigger target in 2027 and Johnson's move happens at the perfect time for Norvell. FSU is still reeling from losing commitment Mekhi Williams, who flipped to Wisconsin earlier in the cycle. The Seminoles have also seen their lead for four-star safety Tashawn Poole evaporate as Georgia has made a huge surge. So a successful recruitment of Johnson would check multiple boxes because the Seminoles need more blue-chip players in this class, and they also need some key targets in the secondary to come through.

READ MORE: Florida State pulls last-minute upset over James Franklin in hotly contested recruiting battle

Johnson was rated as a top-150 player in the 2028 class (122nd overall). His reclassification adjusts that rating a little as he is now ranked 351st in the 2027 class according to 247Sports Composite. Johnson is ranked as the 20-best athlete in the country and is a top-30 (28th overall) player in the state. The offer list is extensive with Florida, Miami, Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Miami, Loiuisvlle, Texas, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Tennessee and many more. Johnson's late classification might limit his availability to some of those other programs because their classes are pretty full. All of these things serve to benefit FSU. 

READ MORE: Predicting Florida State’s next 3 commitments after CJ Ohuabunwa’s Seminoles pledge

Mike Norvell has to land 4-star DB Za'Kari Johnson to send a message

The Seminoles have a commitment from in-state prospect Jemari Foreman, but outside that there are no more defensive backs in the class. With just 13 commits, the Seminoles are well under the number they should be at for this time of year when most schools with a similar profile are around 16–20 pledges. 

READ MORE: Safety commit shuts down his recruitment with Florida State after his official visit

But a win with a blue-chip caliber recruit in South Florida is the type of win that Norvell needs because he's a player in Miami's backyard. If you haven't noticed, the Hurricanes are recruiting at a super level and FSU can't continue to let Mario Cristobal have his way with all the top players he wants. Norvell and this staff have to punch back and securing a pledge from Johnson after beating SMU on Labor Day is a great start. 

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