FSU RECRUITING OUTLOOK
I want to start by saying that I believe the Florida State football coaching staff has done a phenomenal job of acquiring talent in the 2026 cycle, ranking as the eighth-best recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Mike Norvell was once known for his ability to recruit prospects in the transfer portal, and fans were hesitant about his high school recruiting efforts. However, the head football coach is displaying that he can recruit at a high level for prep prospects.
This wasn't something that I believed in, but I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
LINEBACKER TARGETS
Assistant coach John Papuchis was moved to guide the linebacker position after Terrance Knighton was hired this offseason to coach the defensive line. I liked the move to keep Coach Papuchis after Randy Shannon was relieved of his duties.
Overall, I am impressed with Papuchis's ability to recruit in the 2025 cycle. He currently has two linebacker prospects committed to the Seminoles' class in four-star Karon Maycock and three-star Noah LaVallee.
Even though Maycock will make his final decision between Florida State, Alabama, and Florida on July 7th (never gives me the warm fuzzies when commits make their "final decisions"), I like how the Seminoles are expanding their board.
While I know that five-star Xavier Griffin is the top target, it looks like the crystal ball predictions suggest that he is trending to the Alabama Crimson Tide. This shows that landing a four-star linebacker target Rodney Colton Jr. from Newnan, Georgia becomes much more important.
Colton Jr. will be announcing his decision on July 12th between Florida State, Ole Miss, and Colorado. While the Georgia native officially visited the Seminoles earlier this spring, it looks like the program has a more than realistic chance for a prospect that had 53 tackles (12 for loss), six sacks, and one interception during his junior season.