Coinciding with the NFL Combine was Junior Day 2015 — a day when FSU’s top targets for the upcoming season visit the campus and see if they can imagine themselves in a Seminoles’ uniform. 27 recruits from the class of 2016 visited on Saturday, with three of those already being committed to FSU. A number of those received offers from FSU on their visits.
Keir Thomas was the first one to pull the trigger Saturday. Thomas is a defensive end out of Miami Central, a high school that has produced five FSU players in the past five years, including Devonta Freeman, Dalvin Cook, Frederick Jones, Da’Vante Phillips, and Calvin Brewton. In Keir’s junior season he compiled a stat line of 20 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, and an astounding 8 forced fumbles.
Thomas is a force inside and was a big reason that his team won the state title this past year. Thomas could either fit in at end or potentially bulk up and play as a 3-technique. He has amazing anticipation and his mixtape has countless examples of him getting off the snap quickly. He’s only rated a 3-star right now but that will change as more services get a look at him. If his senior season is as good or even better than his junior season, expect him to become a 4-star prospect very quickly.
Jamel Cook was the next one to commit to FSU. The 6’3″ and 185 pound Cook plays defensive back at Miami Central, amassing 26 total tackles and 6 interceptions during his junior season. He could conceivably switch to wide receiver if he continues to grow, but the coaches would love to see his ball hawking abilities on full display.
Cook is currently a 3-star but one service has yet to rate him yet. As teams get a closer look, he might also see a bump to 4-star. He clearly has the athleticism and instincts, with the only question being his final position. Cook is a good commit that will be interesting to watch in his upcoming season. He and Thomas have their eyes set on another Miami Central state title.
Some may have also heard that 5-star Shavar Manuel had committed to FSU earlier in the day. Warchant published the story on Saturday. Josh Newberg of 247Sports however says that he texted Manuel and that Manuel claimed he was not committed.
Various people have speculated as to what this means. The possibilities range anywhere from him telling the coaches he committed but not wanting it public, to him committing but realizing that he needed to talk to his family, to anything in between. Manuel is certainly interested in Florida State and is viewed as his leading choice, but he has not confirmed anything as of now.
The next Junior Day will be on February 28th and might see similar results to the first one. While the NFL Combine and Saturday’s event coincidentally overlapped, it’d be wrong to say it didn’t have an effect. Having a nation-leading 12 players in a single combine creates exposure for the program and shows its ability to develop players and lead them to the next level. Saturday was a big day for Seminole football and in more ways than one.
