On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Florida State trending with multiple targets
Coming off its first 10-win season since 2016, Florida State has some serious juice on the recruiting trail under Mike Norvell. The Seminoles have crushed the transfer portal in the past couple of years, but high schools prospects have taken a little longer to come around.
2024 has the chance to be a special class for the ‘Noles though, with nine commits already in hand and a top-10 class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. But Norvell and Co. still have a host of top targets out there, and they’re already considered the favorites or co-favorites for a few by the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). With the help of the RPM, let’s break things down.
On3 5-star OT Jonathan Daniels
School: Pensacola (Fla.) Pine Forest
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 109 (#9 in the On300)
On3 RPM: 91.3% Florida State, 3.2% Miami
The Skinny: Jonathan Daniels has played on both sides of the football during his junior and sophomore seasons for Pensacola (Florida) Pine Forest, but his high school coach, Ronnie Douglas, believes his star linemen has the tools to be a future NFL star. And that’s exactly where Florida State wants him.
The Seminoles, along with the likes of Miami, Georgia, Auburn, Florida and more covet Daniels, but FSU has made a major impression.
“It’s mostly the bond that I have with coach (Mike) Norvell and Coach Atkins,” Daniels said earlier this month. “We talk almost every day. We play and then when I come down there, it’s like I’m at home.”
4-star CB Charles Lester III
School: Sarasota (Fla.) Riverview
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 21
On3 RPM: Florida State 90.4%, Georgia 2.5%, Florida 1.8%
The Skinny: There are few defensive prospects in this class more wanted than Charles Lester III, the nation’s No. 3 cornerback. And despite the Seminoles coaching change in the secondary, Lester is very high on Norvell and FSU.
“Every time I step on the campus, it just means the world to me,” Lester told Warchant after a recent visit to Tallahassee. “I [brought] my bags today. I don’t want to go home.”
4-star IOL Jason Zandamela
School: Clearwater (Fla.) International Academy
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 234
On3 RPM: Florida State 97.1%
The Skinny: After signing four-star offensive tackle Lucas Simmons out of Clearwater Academy last cycle, the Seminoles are looking to do the same with Jason Zandemela. And after a slew of recent RPM expert predictions, things are looking very good for them to do so.
“I’m very interested in them,” Zandamela told On3’s Chad Simmons. “I have a very good feeling about how they’re recruiting me and how things are going with them.”
4-star ATH Micahi Danzy
School: Tallahassee (Fla.) Florida State University School
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 309 (#180 in the On300)
On3 RPM: Florida State 56.9%, Florida 17.7%, Mississippi State 15.1%
The Skinny: Florida State is Micahi Danzy‘s dream school in his own words. But the Seminoles will have to fight off Miami and Florida for one of the nation’s best athletes. The ‘Noles do have location in their favor, as Danzy plays just around the corner in Tallahassee.
“Watching coach Norvell build Florida State back up is nice to see,” Danzy recently told Simmons. “The team showed a lot of improvement under him and I like what the team is doing. Coach Norvell is bringing Florida State back and he is a coach that wants the best for his players. I like what he is doing there.”
4-star ATH Lawayne McCoy
School: Miami (Fla.) Central
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 294
On3 RPM: Florida State 47.3%, Auburn 41.4%, UCF 3.2%
The Skinny: More than a dozen schools have offered Miami-area star Lawayne McCoy, but right now it’s Auburn and Florida State who are at the head of the class for him. The ‘Noles have hosted him multiple times over the past year, and his most recent visit in January only reaffirmed his feelings about the program.
“They are definitely one of my top schools for sure,” he told Warchant. “Since I was in the 10th grade, they have wanted me and made me a priority. They want me to play here, and FSU was my first visit. I will be back in March with my family for the next visit.