FSU RECRUITING
Florida State football entered the day with a recruiting class that ranked as the 11th-best, according to the 247Sports Composite. However, the Seminoles' coaching staff wanted to make some noise in July after they capped off June with twelve commitments.
This is something that many individuals in the fan base did not expect after the program finished with a 2-10 record in 2024 and looked to be "dead in the water" with acquiring elite high school prospects, because head football coach Mike Norvell "recruits the transfer portal" by some individuals.
RING, RING, RING!
Well, those naysayers are looking crazier and crazier with the Seminoles landing four-star defensive lineman Earnest Rankins from Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Georgia.
This isn't something that should be devalued because Rankins is a top-125 prospect in the 2026 cycle and was a top-15 defensive lineman in the country. This was a major get for defensive line coach Terrance Knighton.
We might as well cue up the Jarrian Jones "I heard what y'all said on Twitter" meme from his press conference while with the Seminoles. Rankins chose the Seminoles over schools such as Auburn, Georgia, and Ohio State. It should be noted that the defensive lineman took official visits to Florida State and Auburn this summer.
There were fans all over social media who talked about Knighton's ability to recruit. He has landed four-star James Carrington, four-star Tico Crittendon, three-star Wihtlley Cadeau, and now four-star Earnest Rankins.
Florida State once again hit a grand slam by picking up Rankins over the Auburn Tigers. I thought the Seminoles' fan base overreacts to recruiting at times, but that Tigers' fan base could be unbearable as Norvell has consistently shoved Hugh Freeze "in a locker" with the acquisitions of four-star wide receiver Devin Carter, four-star tight end Xavier Tiller, and now four-star defensive lineman Earnest Rankins.
Ironically, Rankins and Carter were high school teammates during their freshman and sophomore seasons at Cedar Grove, Georgia. I hope that the connection can help the Garnet and Gold get some amazing talent.