The Seminoles have gotten off to a spectacular recruiting start in 2016, already possessing one of the top classes this early in the process. While the ranking will certainly change as time goes by and more recruits commit, FSU’s constant placement in the top 10 will not.
The ‘Noles continue to get a constant stream of good recruits and seem to be in the running for a lot more. With the spring game coming up and anticipation already building for the program, it’d be a good time to recap current events regarding commitments.
Commit: Tyree Horton (OLB), 4-star
Horton is actually a JUCO linebacker, having not picked up many offers when coming out of South Dade high school. He proceeded to turn into the third-ranked JUCO player of the 2016 class and has a good stat line with 63 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 3 interceptions. Currently he ranks as a 4-star according to 247Sports, but he’s only been ranked by one service so that might be subject to change.
However, his mixtape shows 4-star talent. Horton has explosive movement after detecting the play. Once he recognizes what’s going on, he becomes the fastest player on the field and delivers brutal hits. He most likely won’t play outside linebacker at FSU, but instead will switch to inside where his talents can shine the most. The interception numbers are particularly exciting for FSU fans who witnessed the team’s linebackers struggle in coverage for most of 2014.
Commit: Jamal Couch (OLB), 3-star
In contrast to Horton, Couch has been rated by all but one recruiting service, so his rating might not go up until further review by teams. Regardless, Couch is an athletic linebacker that sports a perfect 6’3″ 220-pound build. His versatility is well known largely because his high school had him play tight end in addition to linebacker. While FSU doesn’t really need another tight end, it certainly needs a few linebackers with the transfers of Kain Daub and E.J. Levenberry.
Couch’s athleticism is by far his most promising attribute and if it can translate into learning the linebacker position, his 3-star ranking won’t mean much in retrospect. Right now, he needs to focus on the defensive side of the ball where he will likely play in college. Once he does that, he could realistically see a rise in ranking and many more offers come in.
Commit: Baveon Johnson (C), 4-star
This commitment has been expected for a while. Johnson even has a Florida State tattoo; his parents just wanted him to look around a bit more before committing. Johnson comes from a family of Seminole fans and said that he immediately fell in love with FSU after visiting. Widely regarded as a 4-star, Johnson enters the perfect situation at FSU, with the offensive line needing a major reload.
The main reason he began to emerge of late was due to his recent showing at The Opening in Orlando on March 5th. Johnson performed extremely well against everyone he lined up against, showing good technique and great ability to stand his ground. If he can continue to develop under Rick Trickett, fans could see a Roderick Johnson situation pop up again: a young offensive lineman that is too impressive to keep off the field and makes an immediate impact. It’s a long shot, but Baveon certainly has the tools.
NOTES:
Noled Out readers will remember that in a previous piece, Jamel Cook was rated a 3-star with room to gain a fourth. That is indeed what happened, as Cook is now a 4-star prospect with only one service not yet reporting in. He has too much athleticism to ignore, and the attention on him has only increased ever since he committed to FSU in February. Expect his teammate Keir Thomas to experience a similar rise in attention.
