NSD -Noles and Gators Recap and Grades

QB Jaden O’Neal (Mustang HS –OK) 6’3-215: O’Neal has good size. He is a big quarterback that can make most of the throws asked of him. He can push the ball down the field. What he needs to work on is his accuracy and anticipation on the timing routes. Those across the middle of the field. He is an above average athlete. (Grade C+)

RB Amari Clemons  (Blountstown HS) 5’10-190: He is a back that finds the hole and exploits it. He has good vision. He does a good job of cutting on a dime. He is very effective at running between the tackles or bouncing it outside. We like that he can catch the football. Clemons is a much underrated back. He has pretty good speed and quickness. (Grade B-)

WR Jasen Lopez (Chaminade HS) 5’10-170, Devin Carter (Douglas County, GA) 6’1-170, Efrem White (Vero Beach HS) 6’1-160, Jonah Winston (Hoover HS, AL) 5’9-155, Brandon Bennett (American Heritage HS) 6’0-170, Darryon Williams (Tampa Plant) 5’11-170: FSU signed a very good haul of receivers. They needed to add speed and quickness to this group and that is exactly what happened. Lopez is Mr. Consistency on the football field. He has good hands and runs solid routes. Bennett is one of the fastest players in the state of Florida. Williams has had a very productive high school career. White finally played well when put at quarterback this season. (Grade B+)

TE Xavier Tiller (Langston Hughes, GA) 6’5-230, Corbyn Fordham (The Bolles School) 6’3-220: FSU continues to bring in talent at the tight end position. Tiller has size and speed. Fordham is just a good football player. He has good hands. He runs solid routes. He works hard. Corbyn comes from a football family. (Grade B):

OL Nikau Hepi (NFL Academy) 6’7-370, Jakobe Green (Gadsden County) 6’3-330, Steven Moore (Garden City, Kansas) 6’5-320, Michael Ionata (Calvary Christian) 6’6-330, Steven Pickard (IMG Academy) 6’5-300: FSU continues to struggle to recruit top end talent at the tackle position. Green, Moore, Ionata, Pickard are all guards. Hepi has a chance to be a tackle but is raw. (Grade D+)

DE Earnest Rankins (Southwest Dekalb, GA) 6’4-270, Jaemin Pinkney (Woodland-SC) 6’5-220, Jalen Anderson  (Pearl River CC) 6’3-245, Cam Brooks (Thomas County, GA) 6’3-225, Chris Carbin (Hillgrove HS –GA) 6’4-240: One thing FSU did this recruiting cycle is get players that look the part. Rankins has the size and length to play defensive end. He may grow into an interior defensive lineman. Pinkney gives FSU an end that can help set the edge on run plays. Anderson is probably one of if not the best defensive ends in Junior college. Cam Brooks is a kid we like. He has the type of upside to be a very good player at the next level. (Grade B)

DT Franklin Whitley (Greenville, SC) 6’6-270, Damaad Lewis (Myers Park –NC) 6’4-250, Wihtlley Cadeau (Booker T, GA) 6’5-295, Judah Daniels (Fort Myers) 6’3-270, Luke Francis (Coral Gables HS) 6’5-330: For some reason FSU is struggling to sign quality defensive tackles. It was common for Coach Odell Haggins to pull top end prospects. Since his departure it has been a mix bag. (Grade C-)

LB Izayia Williams (Tavares HS) 6’2-215, Daylen Green (Gadsden County) 6’1-210, Karon Maycock (Miami Central) 6’1-200, Noah Lavalle (Walton HS –GA) 6’2-200: FSU needed to improve the linebacker room and they may have finally done that. Williams if he can keep his head on straight is an All-Conference type prospect. Maycock has defensive back coverage skills but the ability to come up and play the run. He is someone that can see the field early next season. Green is the sleeper of this class. He is someone that can finally give FSU a backer that can play at a high level. (Grade B-)

DB: Darryl Bell (Goleman HS) 6’0-195: Chauncey Kennon (Booker HS –FL) 6’1-175, Jordan Crutchfield (Vero Beach HS) 6’3-200: Once again FSU was able to bring in quality and quantity at the DB position. All these guys bring a different skill set. Bell is just a good football player. He is also a great kid. Kennon can be a shutdown corner on the outside. Crutchfield gives you both size and length at the corner spot.

UF

QB Will Griffin (Tampa Jesuit) 6’3-230: Griffin is either going to be very good or end up hitting the portal in two years. He is a good athlete. Not sure he is a great quarterback. He is going to have to be put in a scheme that fits his skill set. He is not a drop back quarterback. (Grade C)

RB The Gators are stacked at running back. They did not have a major need at running back. I still like to sign one player at each position. They did not sign a back in the 2026 class. (Grade F)

WR Davian Groce (Frisco HS –Texas) 6’1-190, Justin Williams (Buchholz HS) 6’0-190, Marquez Daniel (Booker T-Alabama) 6’5-200: UF might have signed one of the top 2-3 WR classes last year. Dallas Wilson will be a star. Adding Groce, Williams and Daniels to the room only makes the new coach’s job easier when it comes to a passing attack. (Grade B)

TE Heze Kent (Brunswick HS-GA) 6’6-300, Kekua Aumua (Kahuku, HI) 6’6 255: Kent is one of the better athletes. That being said anyone telling Kent that he will play tight end is not being honest. He is over 300 pounds. He is built like an offensive lineman. If he plays OL, Kent could end up an ALL-American. (Grade B)

OL Tyler Chuckuyem (South Paulding) 6’6-290, Chancellor Campbell (Lakewood HS) 6’8-290, G’Nivre Carr (IMG Academy) 6’4-330, Desmond Green (Timberland, SC) 6’5-350, Javarii Luckas (Glades Central) 6’5-300: For some reason under the prior staff the Gators could not recruit the OL very well. This group is a bunch of projects. There is upside amongst this group but not sure fire star. (Grade B-)

DE KJ Ford (Duncanville, TX) 6’4-240, JaReylan McCoy (Tupelo HS-Mississippi) 6’6-245 –Ford and McCoy have the chance to be difference makers off the edge. Love McCoy size and length on the outside. You win by pressuring the quarterback and we feel these two can do that. (Grade A-)

DT Kendall Guervil (Fort Myers HS) 6’5-315: Before his knee injury, Guervil has size. You meet him and Kendall is very impressive looking from a physical standpoint. If he can come back full strength and show no signs of his injury, we feel Kendall can end up an NFL prospect down the road. (Grade B)

LB Malik Morris (Lakeland HS) 6’1-230: Morris is one of the bigger backers on the board. He is a guy that can help you in the run game. He is not going be as effective in pass coverage. (Grade C)

DB  Kaiden Hall (Milton HS) ,CJ Bronaugh (Windermere HS) 6’1-170, Dylan Purter (Booker T) 6’1-165, CJ Hester (Cocoa HS) 6’1-200; Hall has a chance to be one of the top 2-3 Safeties in this year’s class. Hall has size and can run. We feel he could make an immediate impact. Hester can play safety or corner. This is a solid class. (Grade B+)