The new coach at Florida State will have the luxury of incredibly fertile recruiting territory, but the challenge of two quality in-state competitors plus a state that has been raided over the last few years by Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and others.
Here is a look at seven realistic players that should be on the top of the call list for the new coach once he gets settled.
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Redding is the second-best receiver in the state of Florida and this past summer he picked Miami over Florida State, Notre Dame, Purdue and others. This felt for a long time like a Florida State and Miami battle, so Redding should be a top target of the Seminoles’ new coaching staff. It would help with getting even more Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standouts, it would give the Seminoles a talented outside receiver and it could prove the new coach could flip a top talent from an in-state program.
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Harris has stated that LSU and Texas A&M are his two favorites, but it would be a major recruiting coup for the new staff if it could get immediately involved with Harris and maybe even sneak on to his top list. The former 2021 prospect who re-classified to the 2020 class has been committed to Miami before, so getting involved in his recruitment even though he named a top two might not be impossible. Plus, Harris gives the new coach another huge in-state name who can play multiple positions over the next few years.
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Tate is the highest-ranked Florida State commit and his versatility is great - he can play defensive back, running back or wide receiver - so keeping him in the fold is really important. When Tate committed to Florida State, which he called his dream school, he only had an offer from FAU, but since then other programs have taken notice and gotten involved. It would be surprising and worrisome to see Tate de-commit and look elsewhere, so keeping him in the class is crucial.
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Recruiting South Florida better will have to be a focus of the new Florida State staff and there is no better prospect to start that with than Robinson, a former Miami pledge who has the Seminoles very high on his list. It feels like the West Palm Beach (Fla.) Palm Beach Central four-star receiver wants to play for the Seminoles, but he has been worried about the on-field issues. If a coach comes in and sells him on a fresh approach, then Robinson could still end up in Talalhassee.
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Harrell was already committed to Florida State, so there’s a lot the four-star cornerback likes about the program. But after Clemson whipped the Seminoles, he backed off his pledge. Miami has definitely emerged along with UCF, Georgia Tech, Penn State and others. But Harrell has already made the decision once to pick FSU and if the new coaching staff makes him a priority getting him back in the fold doesn’t seem like an impossible task.
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There was a belief that Ohio State was the team to beat for Knighton in the summer, but Florida State won out for the four-star running back. However, numerous teams are seriously coming after the Deerfield Beach, Fla., standout. Miami and Florida are both making a run at Knighton and others could get involved, too, maybe even the Buckeyes after Taggart was let go. For the new coaching staff, keeping a talent like Knighton in the mix is going to be crucial.
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Holmes might have been the second option - or at least felt like it - from the in-state schools, including Florida State, but Penn State landed a great talent from Cocoa, Fla. It will be interesting to see if the Seminoles’ new coaching staff makes Holmes a priority - especially since he’s committed to a top-five program - but staying closer to home could be intriguing. Either way, the new coach should get on the phone immediately with Holmes and gauge his interest to see if he’s on flip watch.
