2024 safety CJ Heard decommits from Florida State

Atlanta Woodward Academy three-star safety CJ Heard has decommitted from Florida State.

He was pledged to the Seminoles since July 30, 2022, when he chose them over the likes of Arkansas, Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Heard is the No. 601 overall prospect and No. 61 safety in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 71 player in Georgia.

“First off I would like to thank Coach Norvell, Coach Fuller, and the rest of Florida State staff for accepting my commitment to Florida State University. It has always been a dream to go to FSU growing up but GOD has other plans for me. With that being said “Business is Business” and I will be de-committing from FSU.  My recruitment is 100% open,” Heard told On3.

He does not currently have an On3 NIL Valuation. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

FSU still holds No. 3 class in the nation

Following Heard’s decommitment, Florida State now has 22 commits in its 2024 class, which ranks No. 3 in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking.

The Noles’ class features 14 blue-chippers, three of whom are five-stars: Buford (Ga.) safety KJ Bolden, Miami Central defensive lineman Armondo Blount and Venice (Fla.) cornerback Charles Lester III. Bolden headlines as the No. 8 overall prospect and top-ranked safety in the nation, per the On3 Industry Ranking.

Blount is the latest major addition for Mike Norvell and Co. He flipped his commitment from Miami on Oct. 22 and reclassified from the 2025 cycle to 2024. Blount remained on the fence even while pledged to the Hurricanes, but a visit to Tallahassee helped FSU complete the flip.

“I had a feeling before the visit that I was going to end up at Florida State,” Blount told On3. “This weekend made it official though. That feeling was there. The environment and staff were big reasons why I chose Florida State. They can develop me as a person and man. I believe in them, and I am close to Mike Norvell and Coach Odell Haggins.”