Four-Star CB Cai Bates commits to Florida State

Four-star cornerback Cai Bates of Orlando (FL) Edgewater High announced his commitment to Florida State Friday morning.

The 6-foot-2, 185 pounder was previously committed to LSU.

“The culture of the program and the opportunity to be coached by a coach that has the knowledge and experience of the game to use to my advantage is the biggest for me, including the help of Keiwan Ratliff, another great DB that had experience In the game. Also my relationship with Mike Norvell stood out even when I committed previously.”

His relationship with the coaching staff and their plan for him played a role in his decision as well.

“Coach Surtain and Coach Ratliff and Fuller on the defensive end of the ball o have great relations with but most of all my relationship with Mike Norvell is the strongest. He cares for me as a man first before a football player. Reminds me a lot of my highschool head coach Cameron Duke.”

The Sunshine State cornerback joins coach Mike Norvell and the Seminoles’ top 3 2024 class. He is accompanied by five-star safety KJ Bolden, five-star defensive lineman Armondo Blount, and others.

Cai Bates Recruiting Profile

Bates ranks as the No. 99 player in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also tabs in as the No. 12 cornerback and the No. 16 player in Florida.

He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $110K. 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.