Florida State football has the 18th-best recruiting class in the 2027 cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. The Seminoles recently grabbed three-star defensive back Dayon Cooper on Saturday from the state of Tennessee.
The program has work to do in its recruiting class, and official visits will be on the docket this summer. One obstacle for Florida State is winning games on the gridiron. Head coach Mike Norvell has been firmly on the hot seat after having losing seasons in four of the six years at the helm.
There is an opportunity for Norvell to succeed in 2026 with the administration giving him another chance to be productive, while also being responsible for the play-calling duties. The Seminoles have to play the likes of SMU, Alabama, Louisville, Miami, Clemson, and Florida, so the journey won't be easy.
Florida State is involved heavily with three-star defensive lineman AJ Pauley
Speaking of Alabama, the Seminoles' 2025 season was thought to be filled with College Football Playoff hopes after beating the Crimson Tide by a score of 31-17 in the opener last year. However, Florida State fell down the stretch, losing seven of its last nine games.
Head coach Kalen DeBoer looked unable to handle the expectations at Alabama early on, but the program ended up making the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide will try to get its revenge against Florida State in Bryant-Denny Stadium. However, that isn't the only aspect that the Seminoles are competing against the Crimson Tide for.
Alabama and Florida State are heavily involved with Class of 2027 three-star defensive lineman AJ Pauley from McGill Toolin High School in Mobile, Alabama. The Seminoles have already seen what it is like to recruit prospects from the state of Alabama, with the headache of Keldric Faulk flipping to Auburn on Signing Day.
However, Pauley recently visited Florida State this past weekend, and looks to be making a return trip to Tallahassee in the near future. This is a good sign for the program, as they look to make up ground against Alabama after Pauley recently got a prediction in favor of the Crimson Tide last month.
This is a 6'5" and 265-pound defender who looks to be versatile across the defensive line. Pauley could be a prospect that could soar up the rankings. It will be fascinating to see if Pauley will take the official visit to Florida State on June 5th, with an official visit also scheduled at Alabama on May 29th.