Noles address receiving needs
With latest signings, Taggart’s class gets No. 9 Rivals rating.
TALLAHASSEE — Florida State was in desperate need of receivers in the class of 2018. Willie Taggart and the coaching staff secured five Wednesday.
Warren Thompson, Keyshawn Helton, Tre’Shaun Harrison, Jordan Young and D’Marcus Adams sent in their signed letters of intent on national signing day, helping the Seminoles double their receiver depth.
With the exception of Adams, who was an FSU commitment to former coach Jimbo Fisher, Taggart landed the other four receivers in the past week. Thompson committed a week ago, and Helton followed over the weekend. Young chose FSU on Wednesday, and later in the day Harrison flipped from Oregon to the Seminoles. Harrison, who is from Seat- tle, had been committed to Taggart when he was still coaching the Ducks.
“We only had five on scholarship, and we’d like to have at least 11 on schol- arship,” Taggart said. “So it was important that we get some guys to fill our needs.”
FSU signed 14 prospects Wednesday, which brings the 2018 class to 21 when tak- ing into account the seven prospects from the Decem- ber signing period. Of the 21 signees, 13 are rated as four- star prospects by 247Sports.
It’s a class ranked ninth nationally by Rivals and 11th by ESPN and 247Sports — a monumental jump from FSU’s ranking in the mid60s in early December. FSU finished third among ACC teams, behind only Miami and Clemson.
The Seminoles needed to load up on receivers. FSU lost leading receiver Auden Tate (40 receptions,
FLORIDA STATE’S SIGNING CLASS OF 2018 Isaiah Bolden
Dennis Briggs
Robert Cooper
Amari Gainer* Tre’Shaun Harrison Malcolm Lamar Anthony Lytton Camren McDonald Christian Meadows Xavier Peters
Asante Samuel Jr. Warren Thompson Jaiden Woodbey* D’Marcus Adams Christian Armstrong* Jamarcus Chatman Jalen Goss
Anthony Grant Keyshawn Helton Chaz Neal
Jordan Young CB DT DT OLB ATH DE CB TE OG OLB CB WR S WR OT DT OT RB WR DE WR 548 yards, 10 touchdowns) a year early to the NFL draft, although Nyqwan Murray (40 receptions, 604 yards, four touchdowns) is returning for his senior season. FSU Zephyhills Kissimmee Snellville, Georgia Tallahassee Seattle
Seffner Marlboro, Maryland Long Beach, Calif. Montezuma, Georgia West Chester, Ohio Fort Lauderdale
Seffner Bellflower, Calif. Daytona Beach Warner Robins, Georgia
Rome, Georgia Valdosta, Georgia Buford, Georgia Pensacola Zephyrhills Conyers, Georgia STARS 4
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3 will return just four receivers with any college playing experience — Murray, Keith Gavin, George Campbell and D.J. Matthews — along with redshirt freshman Tamorrion Terry. But Campbell missed nine games in 2017 because of injury, and Gavin missed three games. The status of Da’Vante Phillips is also uncertain as his court case remains active.
FSU also landed three more uncommitted prospects Wednesday: running back Anthony Grant and defensive ends Jamarcus Chatman and Malcolm Lamar. Grant and Chatman give the Seminoles four signees at defensive end, although Xavier Peters has the versatility to play outside linebacker or end.
One missing piece from the 2018 class is a quarterback. FSU pursued four-star James Foster, but the Montgomery (Ala.) Lanier standout chose Texas A&M — and Fisher — over the Seminoles. FSU will have just three scholarship quarterbacks in the fall with former Glades Central star James Blackman, Deondre Francois and Bailey Hockman.