FSU has the No. 15 recruiting class coming off a two-win season in 2024. Some recruiting battles didn't go the way some fans wanted on Saturday, with a few blue-chip targets deciding to go to other places.
I didn't see as much negativity as expected from fans on social media, and that's a good thing. Maybe fans finally understand it's not rational to live and die with every recruiting battle.
It's always best to look at the class overall for answers and not forget that success, or lack thereof on the field, will ultimately determine how good this 2026 recruiting class will be.
FSU got a quality quarterback despite the drama that followed after Brady Smigiel de-committed. The Noles have an excellent wide receiver, a running back, and a tight end. They have some solid options on the offensive line but have two quality targets remaining.
The secondary is solid, and FSU looks solid up the middle at defensive tackle. They have two solid options at linebacker but no commitments at defensive end.
What's the strategy?
It appears FSU has nailed most of the needs in the recruiting class. They need offensive tackles, another linebacker, and at least one defensive end. The coaching staff trusts their evaluations AND values for each recruiting target and won't overspend on players they don't believe can impact in year one.
It's a sound strategy, which means they could allocate resources to more important positions and players they value more. FSU has to have a better season on the field while others fail to meet expectations. If this comes to fruition, it'll give FSU coaches a chance to circle back in a more leveraged position.
I think they are doing about as well as one could hope, coming off of the season they had a year ago. A better season likely means they can attract a higher-caliber player because this staff will have proof of concept and the negative recruiting from others won't be as effective as this past year.
There's way more to recruiting than what these subscription recruiting sites want you to know. Sometimes it's as simple as an inferior program is willing to give players more to make a splash because they haven't spent much of the House Money(and why their recruiting classes rank way outside the top 40).
Sometimes the staff may not think a player is worth the money he's asking. Other times, the staff is weighing what they already have on the roster and how those players project opposed to subscription sites looking purely at how many players the staff has committed at certain positions. Yes, FSU has no defensive ends committed for 2026, but they took 4+ in the last recruiting cycle.
I'd give them a B overall right now. That grade would improve if they kept the class intact and took at least one offensive tackle, linebacker, and defensive end.