Mike Norvell stuffing Billy Napier in a locker? 4-star LB delays his commitment

FSU FOOTBALL RECRUITING

Florida State football recruiting for the 2026 cycle is sitting just outside the top ten in the 247Sports Composite rankings. However, they are looking to grab more talented prospects in July.

The Seminoles aim to establish a strong foundation for the future of the team by targeting high school prospects. Some fans believe the coaching staff can only recruit transfers, but this notion appears to be debunked as Florida State proves the doubters wrong. I realize that the prospects need to sign in December, but it is an encouraging sign.

LINEBACKER OUTLOOK

We still haven't heard anything from four-star linebacker commit Karon Maycock from Miami Central High School in Miami, Florida, as he announced that he would be making a final decision on July 7th between Florida State, Florida, and Alabama.

With the Crimson Tide grabbing five-star linebacker target Xavier Griffin, I like the Seminoles' chances of keeping him in the class. Florida State also has three-star Noah LaVallee (his older brother Caleb is currently on the team) in the fold.

Overall, I like how linebackers coach John Papuchis is recruiting for the most part. However, I felt as though he needed to grab one more prospect for the position room. I was nervous that it couldn't be accomplished as four-star Rodney Colton Jr. was deciding between Florida State, Ole Miss, and Colorado, and four-star DQ Forkpa was picking between Florida State, Michigan, Miami, and Florida.

I didn't know if the Seminoles would be ready to take the commitment of Forkpa, who is a tremendous prospect from IMG Academy, and he even told reporters during a recent visit that he envisioned himself in the garnet and gold.

The crystal ball prediction for the talented linebacker was to the arch-rival Florida Gators, and he was supposed to announce his decision on July 12th. However, he made it clear on social media that it is no longer the case.

This makes me wonder if the Seminoles finally put an aggressive pursuit in for Forkpa, with Colton Jr. trending to Ole Miss and Colorado more than Florida State. In my opinion, I believe that it is a better idea to get a third linebacker in the class than to strike out with all of the targets.