Trouble is brewing on the recruiting front in Tallahassee, as a prized Florida State commit had an eye-opening comment on Miami ahead of his visit. Four-star athlete Za'Kari Johnson is set to visit Hard Rock Stadium for the Hurricanes' clash against Florida A&M, and Johnson claimed Miami has been his "dream school" ahead of things. Ouch.
Johnson has played virtually everywhere on the field for Miami Carol City, but most college football programs, including Florida State, see his true potential in the secondary. The Seminoles have had no problems in recent history with recruiting talented defensive backs, but holding onto the commitments is another story for coach Mike Norvell.
Florida State notably saw an elite safety commitment flip his pledge, as blue-chip 2027 safety Mekhi Williams flipped to Wisconsin in June. Williams was the longest-standing commitment in the 2027 class for the Seminoles, but Norvell was unable to prevent his move. Norvell is now in danger of losing the replacement for Williams, and a flip to Miami would be far more devastating than losing an elite recruit to a different conference.
Four-star Florida State DB commit Za'Kari Johnson (@karijohnson1_) is set to make a game day visit to Miami today.
— "EJ Holland" (@EJHollandOn3) September 10, 2026
“Miami has always been my dream school"
He shares the latest here #GoCanes: https://t.co/SQGdDTcuBL pic.twitter.com/g79UiwxYJo
Za'Kari Johnson eyeing Miami as his dream school is a major problem for Mike Norvell
Florida State has a solid 2027 class that is primarily being carried in the rankings by four-star commitments like Johnson, Ta'Shawn Poole, Sam LeJeune, Jernard Albright, Sean Green, and Jayden Miles.
Losing even one of the commitments mentioned could sink a class that is already only sixth-best in the ACC, and if referring to Miami as his "dream school" is not enough to worry fans, then his projected commitment flip will. Florida State could have a more serious problem than just Norvell, as Johnson has the potential to start a mass exodus in the 2027 cycle for the Seminoles.
Perhaps the more concerning issue at hand for Florida State would be the massive waste of resources if Johnson flips to Miami. The Hurricanes were one of the first programs to extend an offer to Johnson in 2025 when he was still a member of the 2028 class, and a serious push for his commitment was never made until after he reclassified and joined the Seminoles' 2027 class. Norvell made an aggressive push for the athlete, and a commitment flip before the finish line would be a terrible look for the staff after going all-in on Johnson.
Johnson is quickly becoming one of the premier flip candidates in the 2027 class, and the timing, in addition to the team pursuing the prized commitment, could not be worse for Florida State. Norvell cannot afford to lose any of his 2027 commitments, and losing a gem like Johnson to a bitter conference rival would be yet another terrible look for the program.
Norvell and Florida State should be worried about the embarrassment that would come with Johnson flipping to Miami, but other programs could still steal away the commitment. Texas A&M hosted Johnson in College Station for the game against Missouri State, and Johnson is now considering another trip to visit the Aggies.
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