Four-star defensive back Tedarius Hughes' commitment to FSU is best described as soft. The Miami native has been pledged to the Seminoles for well over a year, but he's seemed to have a wandering eye this season and his activity with FSU has been quiet enough to think that he won't be part of the class in December.
Hughes has gone about his recruitment quietly since his senior season began. He has reportedly attended games at FSU and Miami already, but yesterday it was reported that he ventured out of state to attend Nebraska's win over Northwestern.
Nebraska hosts Florida State four-star safety commit Tedarius Hughes for a pivotal visit. With ACC contenders faltering, the Huskers have a real shot to flip the 4-star defender. https://t.co/iAc6GmsHmZ
— Tom Oscorn 🔴⚪ GBR! (@HuskersAlerts) October 25, 2025
Hughes took official visits to FSU, Syracuse and Nebraska over the summer and the defensive back has been linked to the Orange as a potential flip candidate to join his high school teammate, 5-star wide receiver Calvin Russell. Hughes has been very quiet about his recruitment and hasn't commented to confirm that he even took the trip, but an unofficial visit all the way to Nebraska isn't one that should be taken lightly.
Of course, this all depends on whether the FSU staff is still recruiting Hughes as a commitment or if they believe he's going elsewhere and have backed off.
How is FSU's defensive back class?
I would say FSU's defensive back recruiting is the strength of its 2026 recruiting class. Secondary coach Patrick Surtain is arguably the most competent recruiter on the staff and generally has success recruiting good athletes that can contribute.
The group is led by 5-star cornerback Chauncey "Chuck" Kennon, only the second five-star prospect FSU has landed under Mike Norvell. Kennon is one of the best in the nation and has recently said that he is solid to the Seminoles regardless of Norvell's job status.
Another top prospect in the class is 4-star safety Jay Timmons, the son of former FSU linebacker Lawrence Timmons. There have been some rumblings about Timmons in recent weeks and if he goes through with a scheduled official visit to Ohio State, those rumblings will get louder.
@KingOobi to @jay__timmons For another TD Score 28-0 @PR_RamsFootball over @nafootball_tfl #COACHBILL pic.twitter.com/lM2OG6jLSu
— William A (@DArealCoachBill) October 17, 2025
Right now, I would say that Florida State has one of the 10 best defensive back hauls in the country. Kennon and Timmons are the centerpieces of the group, but one player that has the potential to be special is 3-star in-state prospect Darryl Bell III. I think Bell is a little underrated because he's the first P4 recruit to come from his high school (Hialeah Goleman), but his talent and competitive nature jump out on film.