FSU football: Noles surprise North and South Carolina with 4-star Malik Clark commitment

FSU football is building a great 2025 recruiting class and added another big piece to the puzzle on Thursday afternoon. The Noles surprised everyone by nabbing a commitment from four-star wide receiver Malik Clark from Rock Hill, SC. Most pundits believed the battle was between North and South Carolina, with the latter receiving predictions for his commitment as late as Wednesday with a confidence of eight out of 10. It's the second big surprise for FSU receiver's coach Ron Dugans after beating Georgia a few weeks back for blue-chip CJ Wiley. Clark is listed at 6'2.5" and 185 pounds. He ranks as the 224 player nationally and the No. 26 wide receiver. He's the No. 2 player in South Carolina. Clark has blazing speed, clocking a 4.39 forty time at the Under Armour Next camp circuit. He runs track in high school, running a personal best of 10.55 as a junior.

He posted 46 receptions for 800 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Clark officially visited the Noles on June 14th after receiving an offer in May. He's the third wide receiver in the 2025 recruiting class, and all three are from out of state. FSU has 13 commits in its 2025 recruiting class, 12 rated as blue-chips for a 92.3 percent blue-chip ratio. This one will be one to monitor because players rarely commit to places out of the blue like this while not visiting several times. FSU likely has fewer than 10 remaining high school targets. They still need to address areas in its 2025 class. The linebacker, defensive end, and the offensive line are the areas they need to address the most to complete this class with a bang. If FSU can hold on to all three receiving targets, it would be an outstanding haul, and guys with elite speed to do damage through the air.