2027 4-star ATH Kaneilius Purdy commits to Florida State

Lake Wales (Fla.) four-star athlete Kaneilius Purdy has committed to Florida State, he announced on Monday.

He chose the Seminoles over offers from Florida, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Colorado and others.

Purdy is the No. 241 overall prospect and No. 12 ATH in the 2027 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 30 player in Florida in the cycle.

The 6-foot, 190-pound playmaker becomes the third pledge for head coach Mike Norvell and the FSU staff in the 2027 class, joining Ruskin (Fla.) Lennard four-star safety Mekhi Williams and Mobile (Ala.) Williamson four-star safety Jaylen Scott. Both are also top-250 recruits early on in the process.

100% committed Go Noles 🍢🍢 @Coach_Norvell @Seminoles @polk_way @CoachAG_3 @DanLaForestFB @H2_Recruiting @Andy_Villamarzo @On3sports @xmarcthespott @CoachGrant_LW @odellhaggins #AGTG pic.twitter.com/r36qkxZZei

— Kaneilius Purdy4⭐️ATH (@KaneiliusPurdy) March 31, 2025

Purdy was a part of a Lake Wales team that finished 8-4 in 2024. The Highlanders ranked as the No. 73 team in the Sunshine State, according to the On3 Composite Rankings.

The Noles continue to pile on commitments from prospects capable of excelling in the secondary. Four of their commits in the 2026 class are ranked as athletes or defensive backs: Vero Beach (Fla.) four-star ATH Efrem White, Tampa Plant four-star cornerback Darryon Williams, Homestead (Fla.) Northwestern four-star safety Tedarius Hughes and Miami Goleman four-star safety Darryl Bell.

December saw FSU ink five defensive backs in the 2025 cycle. Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage four-star safety Gregory Thomas highlights the incoming group, ranking as the No. 315 prospect. He’s joined by Carrollton (Ga.) three-star CB Shamar Arnoux and West Palm Beach (Fla.) Cardinal Newman three-star safety Max Redmon, among others.