Recruiting has been a hot topic for FSU with the way this season has unfolded. Many of us, including myself, believe that shortcomings on the recruiting trail are a big reason we are here to begin with. This staff had a tough situation to overcome when they arrived in Tallahassee and for that, I give them a pass, however, it’s year five and despite a 23-4 record over the past two seasons, they have yet to sign a top 10 class.
Last year was close at 12th and they brought in some talented players. The 2025 class was pretty special at one point, but then the losses started stacking up and the class began to fall apart. The 2025 class fell as far as 52nd but currently sits at 37th in the 247 Composite rankings. There are still a handful of very nice pieces in this class, but it has lost some of its luster and still only has 11 total commitments, which is tied for the fourth lowest in the Power 4. FSU has had a roller coaster of a week with one recruit flipping and then another committing to the Noles the same day.
Thursday started with the news that 4-star wide receiver Daylan McCutcheon was flipping his commitment from FSU to Texas. McCutcheon is the second commitment to do so from this class. It wasn’t an easy feat to pull a blue-chip recruit out of the state of Texas where the home team is currently ranked number one in the country. It proved to be even tougher to hang on to him after a dismal 1-5 start and having one of the worst offenses in the country. The Noles couldn’t hold on as they saw their second wide receiver commit elect to spurn FSU in favor of the home state team after Malik Clark flipped his commitment to the South Carolina Gamecocks.
At one point, FSU had one of the best receiver classes in the country, but now only CJ Wiley remains, and the Noles are hanging on for dear life as UGA is pushing hard to flip the Milton, Georgia prospect. Head coach Mike Norvell traveled to see Wiley in his Friday night game during the bye week, which shows the emphasis on trying to keep him in the class. FSU has expanded its board with offers to current UCF commit Jayvan Boggs, a 4-star from Cocoa, FL. They also offered UF commit Tae’shaun Gelsey, a 6-foot-4 TE/WR from Jacksonville. There’s a chance FSU doesn’t land Wiley, so FSU will need to find some replacements to fill the void. It remains to be seen if receivers coach Ron Dugan will remain on staff after this season, so not much feels concrete right now.
On a more positive note, FSU got some good news just a few hours after McCutcheon flipped. Four-star offensive lineman Mario Nash Jr. committed to FSU on Thursday night. Nash recently backed off his commitment to Mississippi State and coming off a visit to Tallahassee. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound tackle becomes FSU’s third offensive line commit in the 2025 class. The De Kalb, Mississippi product ranks 279th nationally and is listed as the number 14 interior offensive lineman, according to the 247 Composite.
Nash also plays basketball and competes in track and field. He earned offensive line MVP honors at the 2024 Under Armor camp in Atlanta. Nash is a good addition in a position where FSU needs a lot of help. My two biggest concerns are his sticking in the class because Mississippi kids can be hard to pull from that state, and will Alex Atkins remain on staff after fielding what might be the worst offensive line in the country this season. Nash will join 5-star offensive tackle Solomon Thomas and 4-star interior offensive lineman Peyton Joseph in the 2025 class.
FSU’s 2025 class has slid down the rankings and currently sits at 37th, which simply isn’t good enough. However, it is worth noting that although small, this class still has some quality players committed. On3 has FSU’s class at 18th and the 7th highest average player rating. According to the 247 Composite, there are still 10 blue chips out of eleven commits in this class. The focus needs to be keeping the players they still have committed while adding more to the class to replace the ones who have left. To do that, FSU needs to find ways to start winning games.
We have repeatedly said the focus needs to be on building this roster through high school recruiting and not so much the portal. If FSU doesn’t start adding to this class, they will be forced to go heavy on the transfers again this offseason. Early signing day is less than two months away and they have a lot of work to do. Thanks for reading and Go Noles!
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