College Football Recruiting: Predictions for uncommitted five-star recruits

Dec 31, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Florida State Seminoles helmet at press conference at the L.A. Hotel Downtown in advance of the 2015 Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Who: 5-Star DE Shavar Manuel

• Hometown/High School: Bradenton, FL/IMG Academy
• Rankings: No. 8 overall, No. 2 strong-side DE and No. 3 in FL.

Manuel is not your average defensive end. He possesses tremendous speed, especially when you consider his stature (6-foot-4, 290 pounds.) He has the ability to make tackles in open space and does a tremendous job of wrapping up his man while making the tackle.

I see him going to Florida State. His style of play would fit well in the ACC, as he can clog up the running lanes. Teams like Boston College and Georgia Tech pride themselves on running the football, so having a player like Manuel who can create havoc inside the trenches would force those two programs in particular to have to readjust their game plans on the fly.

Although stopping the run may be his biggest asset, he could also be very effective against a team with a wide-open offense such as Clemson. He can use his frame to overpower his blockers and get to the quarterback before a big play develops. Florida State has shown interest in Manuel before and has been very involved in his recruitment process. Dawsey visited him and he has taken several visits to the campus for Junior Days and unofficial visits.

Currently, the Seminole ’16 class  stands at 18 commitments and is ranked No. 3  nationally and No. 1 in the ACC per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. They already boasts three five-star commitments in the class and the addition of Manuel would give them an advantage in their quest to rise to the top of the ACC once again.

Next: Dexter Lawrence