Texas trending for elite EDGE Javion Hilson after FSU decommitment

Cocoa (Fla.) four-star EDGE Javion Hilson backed off his longtime pledge to Florida State on Sunday night, marking the second high-profile decommitment for the Seminoles in two days.

Hilson had previously been committed to the Seminoles since January, but had not shut the door on other programs.

He took official visits with both the Longhorns and Seminoles this summer, as well as Florida and UCF. The in-state schools will no doubt be contenders until he signs in December, but it’s the Longhorns setting the pace right now, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). That comes after an expert pick from On3 VP of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong.

The RPM now gives Texas an 85.3 percent chance of landing Hilson, one of the Sunshine State’s most prolific defenders. As a junior, Hilson helped Cocoa to a Class 2S title in 2023 while totaling 97 tackles, including 27 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and three forced fumbles.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder is the No. 37 overall prospect in the 2025 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 2 EDGE and the No. 7 recruit in Florida.

Longhorns looking to add Hilson to top-5 class

Steve Sarkisian and Co. already took one of FSU’s top commitments over the weekend, flipping four-star Port Charlotte (Fla.) defensive lineman Myron Charles.

The massive 6-foot-4, 300-pound Charles is a top-60 prospect in the class according to On3, and he racked up 62 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, five and a half sacks, three pass break ups, one fumble recovery and three forced fumbles during his sophomore and junior seasons.

His addition was the latest in a line of huge ones over the past six weeks. Since August 1, the Longhorns have landed five-stars Jonah Williams, Jaime Ffrench and Kaliq Lockett, four-star offensive tackle Nick Brooks and Charles. Those five pledges have moved them into the top five nationally in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

The addition of Hilson, which may not come until the December signing period, would all but cement a fourth-straight top-five class for the ‘Horns.