COACH KNIGHTON HEATS UP AGAIN!
Florida State football secured a commitment with three-star linebacker Noah LaVallee from Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia, earlier in the day. The Seminoles' coaching staff has made a sizeable jump in the recruiting ranks over the last week.
The Seminoles' recruiting class in the 2026 cycle has been heating up lately. Most fans thought that head football coach Mike Norvell focused heavily on pursuing transfers and not high school recruits.
Florida State proved the doubters wrong as the program landed four-star defensive tackle Tico Crittendon from Lithonia, Georgia, on Tuesday afternoon.
THOUGHTS ABOUT CRITTENDON
Defensive line coach Terrance Knighton got some heat on social media from the fan base, where he didn't have any commitments for his position group. The Seminoles have landed four-star James "Tank" Carrington and three-star Wihtlley Cadeau.
They secured the likes of four-star defensive tackle Tico Crittendon, who is listed at 6'4" and 300 pounds. This is a defender that defensive coordinator Tony White will enjoy in his multiple 3-3-5 defensive scheme.
Crittendon was originally supposed to commit on July 4th, but it seems like the official visit to Florida State sealed the deal for his recruitment. Georgia and Texas Tech were the other trips that he had taken earlier, so it was encouraging that Coach Knighton got the Georgia native.
Overall, I believe that Florida State is not done securing more defensive linemen in this recruiting class. The Seminoles rank as the 19th-best recruiting haul, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2026 cycle.
Four-star Jamarion Matthews (Alabama commit), four-star James Johnson, four-star Kamron Wilson (Syracuse commit), three-star Katrell Webb, and three-star Keysaun Eleazer as potential targets. Five-star Trenton Henderson looks to be leaning toward the Florida Gators. However, I like the way that Terrance Knighton has expanded this target board.