’Noles land a top-20 class but lose top commit
Florida State started the December signing period Wednesday, hoping to land its first top-10 recruiting class since 2017. After five-star prospect Travis Hunter surprisingly flipped his commitment from the Seminoles to Jackson State, that optimism turned to disappointment.
FSU went on to sign 14 players with a few commitments holding off to sign later or during the National Signing Day in February. Coach Mike Norvell couldn’t comment on Hunter’s decision but he was pleased with the players he did manage to sign.
“This is a class that is diverse and talents,” said Norvell. “We addressed a lot of the needs that we had and I really like where we started.”
According to 247Sports, FSU’s 2022 recruiting class is the nation’s No. 17 class and 3rd in the ACC, behind North Carolina and Clemson.
Fab 5
DB Sam McCall, Lake Gibson High (Lakeland): McCall quickly became the cornerstone of Florida State’s 2022 class after Hunter’s change of heart. He became the first five-star signee by the Seminoles in 2017. A two-way starter, McCall totaled 51 tackles, 3 interceptions and 8 passes defended on the defensive side while also sharing time at receiver and on special teams for the Braves.
DB Azareyeh Thomas, Niceville High (Niceville): Thomas spurned offers from Florida, Georgia, LSU and Oklahoma to stay close to home and play for the Seminoles. The multitalented standout, the No. 93 high school prospect in the country by 247Sports, also participated in basketball and track and field. Thomas finished with 1,499 all-purpose yards over the past two seasons while playing time at receiver and running back for the Eagles. He also had 65 tackles, 7 interceptions and 31 passes defended.
QB AJ Duffy, IMG Academy (Bradenton): The only quarterback in the class, Duffy passed for 5,552 yards with 66 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 25 games during his freshman and sophomore seasons. He also accounted for 817 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground.“AJ Duffy was just a tremendous addition to this class,” said Norvell. “He is a remarkable player.” The California native received three dozen offers from various schools, including Penn State, USC, Ole Miss, Miami, LSU and Arizona State. He secured a spot in the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 2.
OL Jaylen Early, Duncanville High (Duncanville, Texas): Early is the first of four offensive linemen to sign with the Seminoles Wednesday. The four-star prospect played varsity all four seasons at Duncanville, sharing guard and tackle spots. He’s among the 10 best interior offensive linemen in the country, receiving offers from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Ohio State and Penn State.
OL Qae’shon Sapp, Lee County High (Leesburg, Ga.): Sapp also received offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida and Georgia. His versatility in playing tackle and guard is a massive asset for the Seminoles, who desperately need help on the offensive line.
The rest
OL Kanaya Charlton, Brunswick (Ga.) ATH Brian Courtney, Independence (Va.) LB Omar Graham Jr., Stranahan High (Fort Lauderdale)
DE Aaron Hester, Fletcher High (Neptune Beach)
ATH Rodney Hill, Bulloch Academy (Ga.) DL Daniel Lyons, Homestead High (Homestead)
TE Jerrale Powers, Duncanville High (Texas) OL Daughtry Richardson, Miami Central High (Miami)
DL Bishop Thomas, Bishop Moore Catholic (Orlando)
OL Bless Harris, Lamar University (St. Augustine)
Got away/holdout/ still undecided
Travis Hunter. Got away: The No. 1 high school prospect in the 2022 recruiting class — who had been committed to Florida State since March 2020 — surprisingly changed his mind and signed with Jackson State. It was a massive setback for the Seminoles and Norvell, who counted on Hunter as their cornerstone to a possible top-10 recruiting class. The 5-star defensive back from Collins Hill High (Suwanee, Ga.) would have been the highest-ranked signee since Ernie Sims in 2003.
Antavious Woody. Holdout: The 4-star offensive lineman from Alabama wasn’t expected to sign his letter of intent on Wednesday, but he’s been committed to the Seminoles since June. Woody played baseball, basketball and football in high school and was a two-way player on the gridiron, registering 111 tackles and 4 sacks while also starting on the offensive line.
Quote of note
“It’s changed some of the dynamics in recruiting and you are the decision-making process with student-athletes. When you look at all factors involved in that decision, whether it’s facilities, the program, location, education — all the things that kids are looking at — that’s also playing a big part.” — FSU coach Mike Norvell on the impact of name, image and likeness in recruiting.