Florida State, Miami make recruiting gains
Programs secure prized prospects during signing day
Florida State and Miami were hoping signing day could provide a push toward better times.
Coming off a 5-7 record in their first season under coach Willie Taggart, the Seminoles landed a top 20 class but struck out on a much-needed quarterback Wednesday
After a 7-6 season and coach Mark Richt’s surprising retirement, Miami managed to generate some good news for its fans as
new coach Manny Diaz bolstered his recruiting class with some high-profile transfers.
This is the second year for college football’s early December signing period, and it’s made the traditional signing day in February something of an afterthought. More than
80 percent of the scholarships in FBS were scooped up in December, and the vast majority of the highly touted prospects were off the board.
Still, the usual suspects made some noise, especially in the Southeastern Conference. Alabama, which had already pretty much locked up another recruiting national title, had a couple of four-stars flip to other schools, but the Tide also pulled 330-pound defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher out of Louisiana and away from LSU.
Georgia had the day’s biggest surprise, signing fivestar receiver George Pickens, who dropped a verbal commitment to Auburn.
Florida State didn’t make that big of a splash, but the Seminoles held on to their commitments, including defensive end Quashon Fuller from Fort Myers, Florida. Nick Cross, a four-star defensive back from Maryland, put off his signing but didn’t flip to another school.
The Seminoles bolstered an offensive line that desperately needed depth with three more signees. Taggart’s class of 22 players has five offensive linemen, plus a transfer from Northern Illinois.
Year one under Taggart produced the first season without a bowl game at Florida State since 1981, and the Seminoles are trying to keep pace in their own division with national champion Clemson. Heading into his second season, Taggart is already facing pressure in Tallahassee.
“We’ve got young men here that believe in our vision and understand what we’re trying to build,” Taggart told reporters. “I think that’s more important than anything.”