The month of June is in full swing, and that means head coach Jimbo Fisher’s camps are doing the same. June 6th was a kicking camp, June 10th through the 12th was the first high school camp, and the 13th was 7-on-7’s and linemen camp.
During this time, Florida State had five players commit to them, four from the 2016 class, and maintained its status atop team rankings on both 247Sports and Rivals. Summer commitments usually aren’t the most stable, but they can be a good indicator of how a team is doing on the recruiting trail heading into next season. By any measure, Florida State is succeeding and looks to have yet another top class come to Tallahassee in 2016.
(Photo courtesy of ESPN)
Josh Ball Commits
It’s easy to understand why Josh Ball committing is exciting even if you solely look at his physical measurements. Any time there is an offensive tackle prospect that is 6’7″ and 300-plus pounds as a senior, offers will be extended based on potential alone.
Unlike other players with his physique however, Ball has a very refined game that doesn’t rely on his strength and natural size advantage. Looking at the tape illustrates this more clearly.
He has a quick first step, good initial engagement, rarely loses control, and always follows through on his blocks. Ball moves very well for his size and seems to always know where to make a gap for the runner or stop a pass-rusher. That being said, he doesn’t seem overly powerful and will be working on that in order to better capitalize on his massive ceiling. Good things can happen when a lineman works with Rick Trickett.
Ball is currently a 4-star composite prospect on 247Sports and is the second player from Virginia to commit to FSU in the 2016 class with cornerback Levonta Taylor being the other. Fisher and his staff have been exceptional in poaching recruits from the state and seem to have kept it up this year. Ball is an immensely talented prospect that will almost certainly see the field in college someday if he continues to progress like he has.
(Photo courtesy of NOLA.com)
Kyle Meyers Commits
If there’s one commit on this list that will almost certainly be ranked higher by the end of the year, it’s Kyle Meyers. The offers don’t necessarily always match the talent and he is a perfect case of that. Looking at his list reveals a lot of smaller schools with some bigger ones like Clemson and Ole Miss mixed in — expect that to change.
In addition to having a perfect build at 6’0″ and 170 pounds, Meyers has a very solid grasp of the cornerback position and impresses on film. The first thing to notice is his fantastic speed: He is able to outrun every player on interception returns and gets ahead of defenders who seem like they have perfect angles on him.
Reports are that he officially ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at a camp and that’s when many of his offers started coming in. After watching some tape, it’s certainly believable. Meyers is also very good at closing the gap between him and a receiver while making a play on the ball. Multiple times, it seemed like he would be forced to make a tackle only to see the ball batted away by him before it ever touched the receiver’s hands.
If there’s one thing that might be troublesome at the next level, it’s the space he allows between him and his man. While he certainly has the speed to keep up with the best of them, his plays on the ball aren’t as common and he could be exploited by more vertical receivers. Thankfully, that is an issue that can be fixed through coaching and is certainly not a limitation on Meyers. He’s athletic enough to correct this aspect.
Florida State might have to work to keep his commitment if other big schools realize how he’s been flying under the radar this long. However, it does ease worries to know that he committed the day FSU offered him a scholarship. He seems to know what he wants in a college and liked Fisher and company enough to pull the trigger early.
(Photo courtesy of 247 Sports)
Logan Tyler and Ricky Aguayo Commit
The first of two kicker commitments is the one whose versatility makes it a bit of a guessing game as to where he will be put on FSU’s depth chart. Logan Tyler is ranked as the third best kicker in the nation according to 247Sports and the fifth best on Scout, though some specific kicking camps have him as the No. 1 player.
Tyler has often been called one of the most college-ready kickers in the nation in all three tiers of the kicking game — kickoffs, field goals, and punting. His leg is very strong and he has the accuracy that one rarely sees at the high school level. Tyler is a valuable asset at each position, which makes it even more intriguing that Enrique “Ricky” Aguayo committed just hours after Tyler.
Fans all know how good his brother Roberto Aguayo is, and the good news is that kicking seems to be an Aguayo family business. Ricky Aguayo is the seventh ranked kicker on the 247Sports list, though once again, he is a player that sees higher rankings at kicking camps. He’s specifically a field goal/kickoff type of guy who won’t be punting at the next level. His form is great and he has accuracy similar to fellow commit Logan Tyler.
If one was forced to put money on it, they should pencil in Tyler as the punter and Aguayo as the kicker for the next few seasons. Tyler averaged 44.5 yards-per-punt last season and has the stronger leg of the two at this point in time.
With all due respect to Cason Beatty, Florida State has really been hurt the past couple seasons by inadequate punting. It often gives opponents good field position and makes it harder for the defense to do their job effectively. If Tyler comes in next season and keeps up his current averages, he will be a shoo-in for the starting spot.
